During ongoing assessment, what should be done for an unstable patient?

When managing an unstable patient, frequent and thorough reassessment is critically important to identify any changes in their condition. The correct choice emphasizes the need to reassess both the chief complaint and vital signs every 5 minutes. This allows for timely detection of any deteriorations or improvements, ensuring that appropriate interventions can be implemented promptly.

Vital signs provide essential information about the patient's physiological status, while the chief complaint focuses on the primary issue that brought the patient to clinical attention. Regularly checking both allows for a comprehensive understanding of the patient's condition and aids in guiding treatment decisions.

In contrast, options suggesting reassessment every 15 minutes or focusing solely on monitoring heart rate or average blood pressure may miss critical changes in the patient's status and could delay necessary medical responses. Each component, from vital signs to the chief complaint, plays a significant role in ongoing assessments for unstable patients, making timely and detailed monitoring paramount.