A first-semester Charles Sturt University (CSU) paramedic student recently won a cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) contest against seasoned professionals at an industry event in Sydney.

Mr Jake Mayhew a paramedic student at the CSU School of Biomedical Sciences in Bathurst won the competition at the 'Resus at the Park Community CPR Day', which was organised by Take Heart Australia at Sydney's Luna Park on Wednesday 28 May.

Mr Mayhew said he became aware of the event, the Zoll CPR challenge, through a posting on the Student Paramedics Australasia Facebook page that asked for expressions of interest from potential participants in the form of a short paragraph about why they would like to be part of the event.

"I was surprised to be contacted a few days later and advised that I and four others from the University were chosen," Mr Mayhew said.

"On the day, there were 20 participants including special operations paramedics, intensive care paramedics, defence force medics, police rescue personnel, and the Royal Flying Doctor Service." 

The judging system for the contest required participants to perform CPR on high-tech manikins fitted with sensors which detected the quality of the CPR being delivered.

"It measured things like depth, recoil, rate of compressions and limited hands-off time," Mr Mayhew said.

"Following the few minutes of CPR, the data from each manikin was analysed and a percentage was given. From memory, mine was 89 per cent." 

Mr Mayhew, who is nearing the end of the first semester of study, said, "I was very shocked to win, especially given that I was up against a range of experienced paid professionals."

Lecturer in clinical practice (paramedic), Mr Lyle Brewster, said, "This is something that Jake should be very proud of, and he will remember this achievement for the rest of his life.

"The team here at Charles Sturt University are immensely proud of his efforts.

"Winning the Zoll CPR challenge was a massive personal achievement for Jake, as he was up against trained and qualified industry professionals, and his recently acquired skills shone through on the day. Jake's performance raises the bar in the expectations of how his fellow students can perform when they apply their new found knowledge.

"It is of utmost value that our paramedic students participate in community awareness programs and events such as 'Resus at the Park Community CPR Day'. It allows the students a chance to shine in their chosen future profession by demonstrating life saving techniques to the public that they have only recently learnt and mastered themselves. This has added value to them personally as they become respected members of the community and helps cement their intentions to become a paramedic."

Reflecting on his experience of the CSU paramedic course so far, Mr Mayhew said, "I think it is a fantastic course, particularly due to small class size, the practical components, and the relaxed and friendly nature of the teaching staff".

The CPR contest was sponsored by Zoll Medical Supplies.