BLS Team Dynamics & Communication 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A rescuer says 'I've given 1 mg epinephrine at 10:14' after administering the drug. This is an example of:
- Mutual respect
- Closed-loop communication confirming task completion (Correct answer)
- Assertive communication
- Knowledge sharing
Correct answer: Closed-loop communication confirming task completion
Reporting back the action taken and the time completes the closed-loop cycle and keeps all team members informed.
Question 2: Which element is ESSENTIAL for someone to be an effective BLS team leader?
- Being the most physically fit member of the team
- Having the ability to perform every team role personally
- Maintaining situational awareness and directing resources calmly (Correct answer)
- Performing chest compressions throughout the resuscitation
Correct answer: Maintaining situational awareness and directing resources calmly
Effective team leaders maintain a big-picture view, assign tasks, monitor quality, and communicate calmly without being consumed by a single task.
Question 3: A bystander with no CPR training is present at a cardiac arrest scene. The BEST use of this person is to:
- Ask them to leave to reduce confusion
- Have them perform chest compressions immediately
- Assign them a simple task such as calling 911 or retrieving the AED (Correct answer)
- Allow them to observe so they can learn
Correct answer: Assign them a simple task such as calling 911 or retrieving the AED
Untrained bystanders can perform simple tasks like calling EMS or fetching equipment, freeing trained rescuers for clinical tasks.
Question 4: Why is it important to announce 'clear' before delivering a shock with an AED?
- To give the AED time to charge properly
- To ensure no one is in contact with the patient and will receive the shock (Correct answer)
- To signal that compressions should resume immediately
- To confirm the rhythm is shockable before delivery
Correct answer: To ensure no one is in contact with the patient and will receive the shock
Announcing 'clear' and visually confirming no contact protects all rescuers from accidental electrical discharge injury.
Question 5: During resuscitation, the team leader becomes overwhelmed with tasks and loses situational awareness. The BEST immediate action for a team member is to:
- Take over the team leader role without announcement
- Quietly handle additional tasks without informing the leader
- Offer specific assistance or suggest the leader focus on oversight (Correct answer)
- Notify administration about the leader's performance
Correct answer: Offer specific assistance or suggest the leader focus on oversight
Supportively offering to take on tasks or prompting the leader to return to an oversight role preserves team function without undermining authority.
Question 6: A rescuer performing compressions notices their rate is correct but the patient's chest is barely rising with ventilations. The rescuer should:
- Continue compressions and ignore ventilation quality
- Stop compressions to personally adjust the airway
- Verbally alert the airway manager to check mask seal and technique (Correct answer)
- Ask the team leader to decide whether to continue
Correct answer: Verbally alert the airway manager to check mask seal and technique
The compressor maintains their role but communicates the concern to the airway manager, enabling task-appropriate problem solving.
Question 7: What does the term 'cognitive load' refer to in the context of BLS team dynamics?
- The number of medications a team leader must memorize
- The mental effort required to process information and make decisions under stress (Correct answer)
- The physical strain of performing chest compressions
- The complexity of documentation requirements during a code
Correct answer: The mental effort required to process information and make decisions under stress
High cognitive load during resuscitation can impair decision-making, which is why clear roles and communication reduce errors by distributing mental effort.
BLS Team Dynamics & Communication 4
A rescuer says 'I've given 1 mg epinephrine at 10:14' after administering the drug.
This is an example of: