A collaborative and progressive approach to basic life support.

This article discusses how emergency situations occur across a range of lay, community and hospital settings. Healthcare practitioners working in these environments need to be equipped to respond to these situations and be able to develop and expand on previously acquired skills and knowledge. They also need to be able to recognise and maximise other team members' contributions, especially in settings where there is a diverse interprofessional group. The approach outlined in this article is based on a model currently being used in a higher education institution.