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Patient interview

How to interview a patient with a nosebleed

Other platforms explain it with text and video. In Making Synapses you practice it on the patient.

MD / DOPANursing (NCLEX)EMS (NREMT)
Practice it in VR with Blocky

Most nosebleeds come from the front of the nose and stop with pressure. Start first aid while you ask.

Step by step

  1. First aid first

    Sit forward, pinch the soft part of the nose firmly for 10 to 15 minutes, spit out blood. [1]

  2. Check stability

    Pulse, blood pressure, dizziness, amount of blood lost. [1]

  3. Side and duration

    One side or both, how long, how often. [2]

  4. Causes

    Nose picking, dry air, colds, injury, nasal sprays, cocaine. [1]

  5. Medicines and bleeding

    Blood thinners, aspirin, easy bruising, family bleeding problems, liver disease. [1]

  6. Summarize and plan

    Explain the next step if pressure does not stop it. [3]

Common errors

Practice it in Making Synapses

In Making Synapses you do this on the patient, not on paper: every step goes on the checklist with a score, and in Teach mode Blocky tells you what comes next.

Making Synapses cases that train this skill

Sources

  1. NCCPA PANCE Content Blueprint
  2. NBOME COMLEX-USA clinical presentations
  3. AAMC Core Entrustable Professional Activities (Core EPAs)

Facts and steps follow NBOME COMLEX-USA clinical presentations; NCCPA PANCE Content Blueprint; AAMC Core Entrustable Professional Activities (Core EPAs). Making Synapses is not affiliated with these organizations. Updated: 2026-10-11.