NBCSN Nationally Certified School Nurse Practice Exam

If a victim has a pulse but is not breathing, the appropriate action is to provide rescue breaths to support their breathing. Giving breaths every few seconds—specifically every 3 seconds—ensures that the person receives necessary oxygen to prevent brain damage and maintain vital organ function while monitoring the pulse regularly every 2 minutes. This method allows you to assess the effectiveness of the rescue breaths and whether further intervention is needed.

It’s important to note that initiating CPR would not be appropriate in this scenario since the victim does have a pulse; CPR is reserved for those who are unresponsive and lack a detectable pulse. Administering an AED is intended for situations where there is no pulse, primarily to treat cardiac arrest. Waiting for emergency responders to arrive, while sometimes necessary, would not provide immediate assistance to the victim and could compromise their condition further if assistance is delayed. Providing breaths in the absence of autonomous breathing while ensuring the pulse remains stable is a critical intervention in this scenario.