Basic Life Support (BLS) Practice Exam

After providing initial care to a patient, what should you do next?

1. Reassess the patient and the effectiveness of your interventions

2. Immediately transfer the patient

3. Notify family members

4. Prepare for discharge

The correct answer is: Reassess the patient and the effectiveness of your interventions

After providing initial care to a patient, the appropriate action is to reassess the patient and evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions that have been applied. This step is crucial because it allows the caregiver to determine whether the patient’s condition has improved, worsened, or remained the same after the initial treatment. Continuous assessment is a core principle of Basic Life Support, as it enables the responder to make informed decisions about any further actions that may be needed, such as adjusting the treatment plan or calling for additional medical assistance. Reassessing includes checking vital signs, monitoring for changes in responsiveness, and ensuring that any interventions, like CPR or the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED), are effective. This process ensures that patient care is dynamic and responsive to the patient's needs at all times, rather than remaining static after the initial response. The other options—transferring the patient, notifying family members, or preparing for discharge—do not address immediate patient care needs following initial treatment and happen at later stages in the care process, depending on the patient's condition and the health care protocol in place. Therefore, reassessing the patient is the most logical and critical next step after initial interventions.