How to Answer: What would you do if your patient went into cardiac arrest?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Cardiovascular Technologist job interview.
14. What would you do if your patient went into cardiac arrest?
How to Answer
The interviewer would like to know that, as a medical professional, you know how to react in an emergency. Since you are interviewing for the role of cardiovascular technologist, a typical emergency may be a patient going into cardiac arrest patient. The interviewer is looking to see if you can briefly name the steps you would take if a patient were to show signs of cardiac arrest.
These steps may include:
- Calling for help from a doctor or nurse
- Locate a defibrillator
- Call 911 if you are not in a hospital setting already
- Check the patient's breathing and administer CPR if necessary
Written by Heather Douglass on April 2nd, 2021
1st Answer Example
"If a patient went into cardiac arrest outside of a hospital setting, I would first check their pulse, check for breathing, and begin CPR if required. I would ask someone to call 911 and ask someone to locate an AED. I would administer the AED and continue CPR until medics arrived."
Written by Heather Douglass on April 2nd, 2021
2nd Answer Example
"Since I work in a hospital setting, the first thing I would do if a patient went into cardiac arrest would be to locate an AED and begin CPR until a physician came, or until we could get the patient into emerg. Time is of the essence in a cardiac arrest situation so it would be important that I act fast but smart."
Written by Rachelle Enns