NBST 515 CERTIFICATION SCRIPT 2026
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS
◉When assessing a conscious patient who overdosed on a drug, you
should FIRST determine:
• A:if there is a history of prior overdose.
• B:the patient's weight in kilograms.
• C:the type of medication ingested.
• D:when the medication was ingested. Answer: You selected C; This
is correct!
Reason: When assessing a patient who has overdosed on a drug, you
should first determine what was ingested, which will provide you
with immediate information about whether or not the substance is
toxic. You should then find out when the medication was ingested.
This information will provide medical control (or poison control)
with the information needed to direct the most appropriate
treatment. The patient's weight also should be estimated in
kilograms in the event that an antidote is required. Information
regarding prior drug overdoses would normally be obtained during
the SAMPLE history.
,◉Which of the following actions should be carried out during the
primary assessment of an unresponsive patient?
• A:Assessing the skin
• B:Obtaining a blood pressure
• C:Palpating the cranium
• D:Auscultating the lungs Answer: You selected A; This is correct!
Reason:Components of the primary assessment for both responsive
and unresponsive patients include assessing and managing the
airway and assessing and managing circulation, which includes
controlling any major bleeding; assessing the rate, regularity, and
quality of the pulse; and assessing the color, condition, and
temperature of the skin.
◉When restraining a violent patient, you should make sure that:
• A:the patient is restrained using maximal force.
• B:at least two EMTs restrain the patient.
• C:consent for restraint has been obtained from a family member.
• D:someone talks to the patient during the process. Answer: You
selected D; This is correct!
Reason:If a violent patient needs to be restrained, you must ensure
the presence of at least four people (one per extremity). One of the
EMTs should continuously talk to the patient to explain what is
,happening, even if the patient is not listening. Restraint is a last
resort used to protect the EMT as well as the patient. Consent is not
needed from a family member prior to restraining the patient. Just
enough force to effectively restrain the patient is all that is required
to prevent causing unnecessary injury.
◉Immediately following a generalized seizure involving tonic-clonic
activity, most patients:
• A:have a slow heart rate because of cardiac depression during the
seizure.
• B:are unresponsive but gradually regain consciousness.
• C:experience prolonged apnea and require positive-pressure
ventilations.
• D:return to a normal level of consciousness but cannot recall the
event. Answer: You selected B; This is correct!
Reason:Most generalized (grand mal) seizures last 3 to 5 minutes
and are followed by a lengthy (5 to 30 minutes) period called the
postictal phase, in which the patient is unresponsive at first but
gradually regains consciousness. During the seizure itself, the
nervous system releases excess adrenaline (epinephrine); therefore,
tachycardia, even after the seizure has stopped, is common. Apnea is
common during a seizure; however, breathing usually resumes after
the seizure has stopped. Many patients are tachypneic following a
seizure; this is the body's attempt to eliminate excess carbon dioxide
that accumulated in the blood during the seizure. Unlike grand mal
seizures, petit mal seizures (also called absence seizures) can last for
, just a fraction of a minute, after which the patient fully recovers
immediately with only a brief lapse of memory of the event.
◉Which of the following organs are contained within the right
upper quadrant of the abdomen?
• A:Liver and gallbladder
• B:Stomach and gallbladder
• C:Liver and spleen
• D:Liver and stomach Answer: You selected A; This is correct!
Reason:The liver and gallbladder lie within the right upper quadrant
of the abdomen. Most of the stomach is within the left upper
quadrant, as is the entire spleen.
◉You respond to a baseball field for a person who was struck by
lightning. When you arrive, you see one patient who appears
confused and is ambulatory; a second patient who is conscious,
sitting on the ground, and holding his arm; and a third patient who is
supine and motionless. After requesting additional responders, you
should:
• A:assess the motionless victim and perform CPR and defibrillation
if necessary.
• B:assess and begin treating the sitting patient first because he is
obviously injured.
COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS
◉When assessing a conscious patient who overdosed on a drug, you
should FIRST determine:
• A:if there is a history of prior overdose.
• B:the patient's weight in kilograms.
• C:the type of medication ingested.
• D:when the medication was ingested. Answer: You selected C; This
is correct!
Reason: When assessing a patient who has overdosed on a drug, you
should first determine what was ingested, which will provide you
with immediate information about whether or not the substance is
toxic. You should then find out when the medication was ingested.
This information will provide medical control (or poison control)
with the information needed to direct the most appropriate
treatment. The patient's weight also should be estimated in
kilograms in the event that an antidote is required. Information
regarding prior drug overdoses would normally be obtained during
the SAMPLE history.
,◉Which of the following actions should be carried out during the
primary assessment of an unresponsive patient?
• A:Assessing the skin
• B:Obtaining a blood pressure
• C:Palpating the cranium
• D:Auscultating the lungs Answer: You selected A; This is correct!
Reason:Components of the primary assessment for both responsive
and unresponsive patients include assessing and managing the
airway and assessing and managing circulation, which includes
controlling any major bleeding; assessing the rate, regularity, and
quality of the pulse; and assessing the color, condition, and
temperature of the skin.
◉When restraining a violent patient, you should make sure that:
• A:the patient is restrained using maximal force.
• B:at least two EMTs restrain the patient.
• C:consent for restraint has been obtained from a family member.
• D:someone talks to the patient during the process. Answer: You
selected D; This is correct!
Reason:If a violent patient needs to be restrained, you must ensure
the presence of at least four people (one per extremity). One of the
EMTs should continuously talk to the patient to explain what is
,happening, even if the patient is not listening. Restraint is a last
resort used to protect the EMT as well as the patient. Consent is not
needed from a family member prior to restraining the patient. Just
enough force to effectively restrain the patient is all that is required
to prevent causing unnecessary injury.
◉Immediately following a generalized seizure involving tonic-clonic
activity, most patients:
• A:have a slow heart rate because of cardiac depression during the
seizure.
• B:are unresponsive but gradually regain consciousness.
• C:experience prolonged apnea and require positive-pressure
ventilations.
• D:return to a normal level of consciousness but cannot recall the
event. Answer: You selected B; This is correct!
Reason:Most generalized (grand mal) seizures last 3 to 5 minutes
and are followed by a lengthy (5 to 30 minutes) period called the
postictal phase, in which the patient is unresponsive at first but
gradually regains consciousness. During the seizure itself, the
nervous system releases excess adrenaline (epinephrine); therefore,
tachycardia, even after the seizure has stopped, is common. Apnea is
common during a seizure; however, breathing usually resumes after
the seizure has stopped. Many patients are tachypneic following a
seizure; this is the body's attempt to eliminate excess carbon dioxide
that accumulated in the blood during the seizure. Unlike grand mal
seizures, petit mal seizures (also called absence seizures) can last for
, just a fraction of a minute, after which the patient fully recovers
immediately with only a brief lapse of memory of the event.
◉Which of the following organs are contained within the right
upper quadrant of the abdomen?
• A:Liver and gallbladder
• B:Stomach and gallbladder
• C:Liver and spleen
• D:Liver and stomach Answer: You selected A; This is correct!
Reason:The liver and gallbladder lie within the right upper quadrant
of the abdomen. Most of the stomach is within the left upper
quadrant, as is the entire spleen.
◉You respond to a baseball field for a person who was struck by
lightning. When you arrive, you see one patient who appears
confused and is ambulatory; a second patient who is conscious,
sitting on the ground, and holding his arm; and a third patient who is
supine and motionless. After requesting additional responders, you
should:
• A:assess the motionless victim and perform CPR and defibrillation
if necessary.
• B:assess and begin treating the sitting patient first because he is
obviously injured.
