A child is lying on the ground, unresponsive. What is your initial response?
"First, I would open the child's airway. To do this, I would place one hand on the forehead and gently tilt the head back and lift the chin. I would then remove anything obstructing the mouth and nose. I would then pinch the child's nose, put my mouth over the child's mouth and blow steadily five times checking that the chest is rising. I would place my hand onto the center of the chest and push down around 2 inches, do this 30 times and then give a further two breaths. I would continue this cycle until the ambulance arrives."
The purpose of this question is to confirm for the interviewer that you understand the CPR process for a child. You will need to recall your lifeguard training and show the hiring authority that you know emergency processes and that you can react appropriately under pressure.
"If I were to come across a child laying on the ground, I would ask them to open their eyes, or perform another straightforward task. If they did not respond, I would check for breathing. If they were breathing, I would perform the steps to open the airway and listen to see if the breathing pattern were normal. Next, I would put them safely in a recovery position until an ambulance arrived. It's important that I continue to check their breathing and be prepared to perform CPR should they stop breathing at any point."
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
My initial response is to check the area if safe to enter, ask the child if he/she is okay, check his/her breathing, ask someone to call 911. If I'm alone, I would dial 911 on speaker phone and start CPR until the ambulance arrives.
Rachelle's Feedback
Great response! Try to break up your sentences a bit more. You can omit pronouns for the sake of ease.
"If I found a child on the ground, unresponsive, I would first check to see if the area was safe to enter. Next, I would ask the child if they were okay. Then, I would check the child's breathing. I would ask someone to call 911 if anyone was around. If I were alone, I would I would use my loudspeaker to request a 911 call. Lastly, I would administer CPR until the ambulance arrived."
Unlock all 28 Lifeguard questions
Master scenario-based questions that aquatic facilities use to evaluate救生员 safety judgment.
Get Started