What to say at end of every assessment?

• A. Reassess in five minutes
• B. Document vital signs
• C. Notify family
• D. Treat for shock and transport

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is to close the field assessment by addressing immediate life threats and moving the patient toward definitive care. When a patient may be in shock or unstable, the priority is to treat for shock and get them to a higher level of care as quickly as possible. “Treat for shock” means taking steps to improve perfusion and oxygen delivery—maintaining an open airway and adequate breathing, providing supplemental oxygen, controlling visible bleeding, keeping the patient warm, and initiating IV/IO fluids or other protocols as allowed. Once life-threatening issues are being managed, you arrange transport so definitive care can continue.

Reassessing in five minutes is part of ongoing monitoring, not the primary action to complete at the end of the initial assessment. Documenting vital signs is essential, but it’s a documentation task that accompanies care rather than the final action that prioritizes stabilization and transport. Notifying the family can be appropriate later, but it isn’t the immediate closing action of the field assessment. The emphasis in the end-of-assessment moment should be on stabilizing the patient and ensuring rapid transport.