How should you assess a person for responsiveness before initiating CPR?

To assess a person's responsiveness before initiating CPR, shaking the person's shoulders is an effective method. This action helps stimulate the individual to wake up or respond, allowing you to gauge their level of alertness. It is critical to ensure that the person is unresponsive before proceeding with CPR, as this indicates a medical emergency requiring immediate intervention.

The other methods, while important in assessing a person's condition, do not serve as initial checks for responsiveness. Checking for heart rate can provide information about circulation but does not give a clear indication of whether the person is conscious or aware. Monitoring breathing rates is also important, but it requires observation over time and does not quickly ascertain responsiveness. Asking the person simple questions can help to assess their responsiveness; however, if they are unconscious or unable to respond, simply shaking their shoulders is a quicker and more direct method to evaluate their status.