A nurse finds a 3-year-old child unresponsive and not breathing. The nurse begins CPR while a bystander calls EMS (emergency medical services). Another person trained in CPR arrives. What is the next appropriate action?

Rationale: A. Change to 15 compressions and 2 ventilations when the second rescuer arrives: The 15:2 ratio is correct for two-rescuer CPR in children, but it is not the immediate priority if an AED is not yet available. Early defibrillation greatly improves survival rates in pediatric cardiac arrest. B. Send the second rescuer to get an AED: Obtaining an AED as soon as possible is essential in any cardiac arrest because shockable rhythms may be present even in children. Early defibrillation significantly increases the chances of return of spontaneous circulation, making this the most urgent step before implementing two-rescuer CPR techniques. C. Continue 30 compressions and 2 ventilations. Trade between the two rescuers when one gets tired: Switching rescuers helps maintain high-quality compressions, but delaying retrieval of an AED reduces the chance of effective defibrillation. This approach maintains CPR quality but does not address the time-sensitive need for early rhythm analysis and possible shock delivery. D. Have the second rescuer observe the quality of CPR and offer corrections as needed: Monitoring CPR quality is important, but it should occur after essential equipment like the AED is brought to the scene. Assigning the second rescuer to observe instead of retrieving the AED overlooks the critical role of defibrillation in improving pediatric cardiac arrest outcomes.