The BLS certification test assesses knowledge and ability to handle various emergency situations, including CPR, AED use, choking victims, and trauma scenes. Scenarios are set up to test reactions and teamwork, and safety is emphasized.
To acquire BLS (Basic Life Support) certification, expect to answer questions on a written test and also perform lifesaving techniques in scenarios designed to test how you would react in the field. A BLS test measures a student’s knowledge of how to properly handle a heart attack or stroke victim, a choking person, an electrocution patient, and trauma scenes. Be prepared to quickly identify symptoms, assess the patient, and apply life-saving measures as part of the BLS test.
A BLS test will include questions and scenarios using cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). It will determine if you know how to position a victim and what signs should be evident before starting CPR. The questions and scenarios might deal with a patient suffering from a drug overdose, drowning, electrocution, or heart attack. Your knowledge of different methods of CPR for adults, children and infants will be assessed.
Emergency measures to help a choking victim are also part of the BLS test. You will be tested in your assessment of the patient whether you have alerted emergency medical services to the situation, correctly opened an airway, and whether CPR is appropriate for the victim. These tests are usually performed on mannequins set up at different stations as part of the BLS test. Sometimes a trainer is present to provide information about the scene if the patient cannot answer the questions.
Proper use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) is also a component of the BLS test. The devices send a shock to the heart to reset it when other lifesaving measures are not working. You will need to know when to use the AED, the number of times it will shock the heart, and what to do if the patient is a child and you only have access to adult-sized AED equipment.
In some parts of the test, a volunteer may be used to portray a trauma victim. That person may be in shock, bleeding, or suffering from broken bones or joints. His job entails questioning the patient to obtain a medical history, if possible, taking vital signs and initiating first aid treatment until more advanced medical help arrives.
In some BLS tests, you must also determine whether a scene is safe before entering to determine the number of affected patients and their conditions. The safety of emergency responders can be critical in a fire, violent crime scene, or any situation that could endanger first responders. In some cases, during the BLS test, a trainer may say that the scene is safe to allow you to proceed to the next step.
Some BLS testing procedures also assume that you have emergency medical technicians available if questions arise or information is shared. On typical exams, scenarios are set up that require a first responder, while other tests assess two students working together. This often allows the evaluator to see how you work as a team, performing CPR or other first aid tasks.
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