Five-Finger Mnemonic for Life Support

Summary of Fijačko et al. (2024)

Background & Existing Knowledge

Cognitive aids, including mnemonics, are widely used in medical education, but their structured use in teaching life support to children remains underexplored.

New Insights from This Study

✔ A five-finger mnemonic improves recall of life support steps in children.
✔ Hands-on, interactive learning enhances memory retention.
✔ Mnemonics facilitate early training in emergency response skills.

Practical Applications: How Educators Can Use This Research

1. Interdisciplinary Lesson Planning
   📌 Integrate the five-finger mnemonic into health education curricula.
   📌 Use visual cues and hand gestures to reinforce learning.
   📌 Teach mnemonic-based life-saving procedures interactively.

2. Creating Inclusive Classrooms
   📌 Adapt mnemonic strategies for different age groups.
   📌 Encourage peer-led demonstrations of life support techniques.
   📌 Use storytelling to contextualize emergency scenarios.

3. Developing Psychomotor Skills
   📌 Incorporate hands-on training with mnemonic recall exercises.
   📌 Use role-playing activities to simulate emergency responses.
   📌 Reinforce CPR steps through repetitive practice.

Conclusion

The five-finger mnemonic is an effective tool for teaching children life-saving skills in an engaging and memorable way.

Reference
Fijačko, N., Greif, R., Metličar, Š., Štiglic, G., Abella, B. S., & Strnad, M. (2024). A Five-Finger Mnemonic for Teaching Children the Theoretical Components of Adult Basic Life Support. BMC Medical Education, 24, 1554. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-06519-3

Suggested Citation
Ross, E. M., & Malar, D. B. J. (2025). Five-Finger Mnemonic for Life Support. Excellent Educator, 2(6), 5.