EMSCodeSimBLS Boot Camp

Free · self-paced · no account

Run a BLS call in order. Think out loud. Then write it.

Self-paced boot camp for patient assessment and critical thinking before skills testing. Not a class lesson plan and not the official exam.

Start Assessment BreakdownRun a Full CallWrite the Narrative

How this works

Learn the pieces. Then put the call back together.

Open one assessment section at a time, say the prompts out loud, and use the linked practice tool when you need repetition. Then run the horse-crush trauma call and asthma medical call from scene size-up through handoff. Finish each fictional call with a thinking debrief and narrative.

0 of 8 sections practiced todayProgress stays on this device.

A · Assessment breakdown

Build the BLS assessment in eight sections

Immediate threats interrupt the checklist. Treat the threat, set priority, and then return to the assessment.

1
Scene size-upSafety, PPE, patients, NOI/MOI, resources, spinal consideration

Scene size-up tells you whether you can enter safely and what kind of problem you are walking into. Start with PPE, hazards, patient count, and the nature of illness or mechanism of injury. Call for help early when people, equipment, traffic control, or ALS may be needed. Consider spinal precautions from the mechanism and findings—not as an automatic script.

Say this“Scene is ___; PPE is ___. I have ___ patient(s). NOI/MOI is ___. I need ___. Spinal consideration is ___ because ___.”
Think this

What could hurt you, the crew, or the patient before you ever touch the patient?

Common critical error

Entering an unsafe scene or missing the need for immediate additional resources.

Go practice scene size-up
2
General impressionSick versus not sick and obvious life threats

Your first look creates a working picture before a detailed exam. Notice position, speech, skin, work of breathing, major bleeding, and interaction with the environment. Decide whether the patient appears stable, potentially unstable, or clearly critical. Your impression can change as soon as better information appears.

Say this“My general impression is a ___-year-old found ___. The patient appears ___ because I see/hear ___.”
Think this

What finding in the first 15 seconds would make you speed up or change your plan?

Common critical error

Looking past obvious distress while starting a memorized history sequence.

Go practice first impression
3
Initial / primary assessmentAVPU, airway, breathing, circulation, interventions, priority

The primary assessment finds threats that cannot wait for a complete history. Check responsiveness, airway, breathing adequacy, circulation, major bleeding, and skin while forming a priority. Correct immediate threats when found instead of finishing the checklist first. State whether you need rapid transport, an ALS intercept, or more resources, then keep reassessing.

Say this“The patient responds to ___. Airway is ___. Breathing is ___ and adequate/inadequate. Pulse is ___; skin is ___; major bleeding is ___. I will ___ now. Priority is ___.”
Think this

If breathing is inadequate, what must you do before completing a full SAMPLE?

Common critical error

Recognizing an airway, breathing, or circulation threat but delaying the intervention.

AVPUGCSAirwayBreathingCirculationABC review
4
HistorySAMPLE, OPQRST, pertinent positives and negatives

History explains what happened and what changes risk or treatment. Use SAMPLE for the broad history and OPQRST when it fits the symptom or pain complaint. Ask targeted questions instead of treating every letter as a mandatory interview. Record both meaningful positives and meaningful negatives, and name the source when the patient cannot answer.

Say this“The patient reports ___. Onset was ___. It is better/worse with ___. Pertinent history is ___. The patient denies ___.”
Think this

Which two answers could change treatment, destination, or transport priority right now?

Common critical error

Continuing a long interview while an immediate threat remains untreated.

SAMPLE practiceOPQRST practice
5
Secondary / focused examChoose the medical or trauma path

The secondary exam answers questions raised by the chief concern, mechanism, history, and primary assessment. A trauma patient may need a rapid head-to-toe exam, while a medical patient often needs a focused system exam. Compare sides, expose only as needed, and protect privacy and temperature. Do not let a detailed exam delay transport for a time-sensitive patient.

Say this“Based on ___, I will perform a focused ___ exam. I find ___. Pertinent negatives include ___.”
Think this

Does this patient need a rapid whole-body trauma exam or a focused medical exam—and why?

Common critical error

Performing the same exam on every patient or delaying transport for low-value findings.

Trauma examBreath soundsPupilsSkill sheets
6
Vital signsObtain, interpret, and reassess

Vital signs create a baseline and help show direction, not just isolated numbers. Obtain a complete set appropriate to the patient, check whether the values fit the clinical picture, and repeat the measurements after treatment or a condition change. A normal number does not erase an abnormal appearance. Say what the findings mean for priority and care.

Say this“Initial vitals are BP ___, pulse ___, respirations ___, SpO₂ ___, BGL ___, and skin ___. Together these suggest ___, so I will ___.”
Think this

Which value is most concerning, and does it match how the patient looks?

Common critical error

Collecting numbers without recognizing deterioration or repeating abnormal findings.

Full vitals setBPPulseRRSpO₂BGLSkin
7
Treatment and reassessmentIntervene, check response, change the plan

Treatment should connect to an indication, a safety check, and a patient-centered goal. After any intervention, repeat the findings that justified it and decide whether the patient improved, stayed the same, or worsened. If the response is poor, reconsider your assessment, technique, resources, and transport plan. Reassessment is the evidence that your care worked—or did not.

Say this“Because I found ___, I will ___. Before treatment I confirmed ___. After treatment, ___ changed from ___ to ___, so my next action is ___.”
Think this

What exactly will you repeat to prove the treatment helped?

Common critical error

Giving treatment without checking indication, contraindications, technique, or patient response.

Go practice reassessment
8
Handoff and documentationTell the clinical story another provider needs

A receiving clinician needs the short clinical story: why EMS was called, what you found, what changed priority, what you did, and how the patient responded. Include vital trends and important positives and negatives without adding facts you never obtained. Verbal handoff and the written PCR should agree. Document the fictional call after the assessment so writing does not distract from patient care.

Say this“This is a ___-year-old with ___. Primary findings were ___. Pertinent history is ___. Vitals trended from ___ to ___. We provided ___ with ___. Priority/destination is ___.”
Think this

What would the receiving clinician need immediately to continue safe care?

Common critical error

Omitting treatment response, vital trends, or a major assessment finding from handoff.

PCR Narrative CoachAI Narrative Lab

B · Initial Assessment Video Lab

Study the first minute of the call

Watch once for sequence, then replay for missed life threats. Use the checklist while watching; the goal is impression, AVPU, ABCs, and priority—not trivia.

Existing horse-crush scene openingWatch for scene clues and decide how you will begin.
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Additional assessment video shelfAdd an instructor-approved video URL or file later. The checklist and questions remain usable now.

Make the decision

Replay: first viewing for sequence; second viewing for missed life threats.

C · Vitals warm-up and mid-call station

Take the set. Say it. Decide what it means.

Use the existing tools below. Take the set, say the numbers out loud, then decide what the numbers mean for priority and treatment. Interpretation matters more than clicking the simulator.

Full vitals setRun the complete stationBPObtain and interpretPulseRate, rhythm, qualityRRRate, depth, effortSpO₂Reading in contextBGLValue and meaningSkinColor, temperature, moisturePupilsEquality and responseGCS / AVPUResponsivenessBreath soundsListen and compare

D–G · Full-call Boot Camp

Put every section back together

Run Learning mode first. Return here, complete the thinking debrief, then repeat the same case in Assessment mode and document that fictional call.

Trauma path

Horse-crush hip injury

64-year-old outside a barn with severe left-hip pain after being crushed by a horse.

  1. 1
    Assessment map

    Scene → primary → rapid/focused trauma exam → vitals → stabilize/treat → reassess → handoff.

    Review assessment sections
  2. 2
    Run Learning mode

    Think out loud and use coaching while you complete the whole call.

    Start horse-crush Learning mode
  3. 3
    Thinking debrief

    Complete all six decisions to unlock the cleaner run and narrative.

    Answer all six decisions to continue.

  4. 4
    Repeat in Assessment mode

    Run the same patient with less guidance.

    Run horse-crush Assessment mode
  5. 5
    Document the same fictional call

    Build it with prompts or write independently and revise after feedback.

    PCR Narrative CoachAI Lab: horse-crush
Medical path

Asthma in the park

24-year-old seated upright with short sentences, wheezing, and increased work of breathing.

  1. 1
    Assessment map

    Scene → primary respiratory assessment → focused history/exam → vitals → treat → reassess → handoff.

    Review assessment sections
  2. 2
    Run Learning mode

    Decide whether breathing is adequate before moving into the full history.

    Start asthma Learning mode
  3. 3
    Thinking debrief

    Complete all six decisions to unlock the cleaner run and narrative.

    Answer all six decisions to continue.

  4. 4
    Repeat in Assessment mode

    Run the same breathing patient with less guidance.

    Run asthma Assessment mode
  5. 5
    Document the same fictional call

    Keep the assessment, intervention, response, and vital trend connected.

    PCR Narrative CoachAI Lab: asthma

Narrative finish line

Explain what you found and what you did

Document the same fictional call you just ran. Never paste a real PCR or patient identifiers into a practice tool.

CHART mini-template

C: Dispatched for ___; patient reports ___.

H: Onset/events ___; SAMPLE/OPQRST ___.

A: General impression ___; ABCs ___; vitals/findings ___.

R: Care ___; response/reassessment ___.

T: Priority, destination, transport, transfer ___.

Chronological mini-template

“Dispatched to ___ for ___. Found patient ___. Primary assessment showed ___. History and focused exam found ___. Initial vitals were ___. EMS provided ___. Reassessment showed ___. Patient was transported ___ and care transferred to ___.”

Open PCR Narrative CoachOpen AI Narrative Writing Lab
Instructor / host notes

Use this as a self-paced practice block, not a lecture deck or replacement for an approved EMT course. Pairing is optional; if students pair, one can run the patient while the other listens for sequence and reasoning.

20 minAssessment + video15 minVitals20 minTrauma call20 minMedical call15 minDocumentation/debrief

Suggested total: 90 minutes. Students may finish the optional skill-sheet review and timed quiz later.