CNA Safety and Infection Control 2

Question 1

A CNA accidentally mixes a bleach-based toilet cleaner with an ammonia-based glass cleaner. What is the CNA's most immediate and critical priority?

Accepted Answer

Immediately and safely evacuate the resident from the area and alert the nurse.

Answer

Mixing bleach and ammonia creates toxic chloramine gas, which can cause severe respiratory irritation and can be life-threatening. The most critical priority is the immediate safety of the resident and the CNA. Evacuating the area and notifying a licensed nurse are the first steps to ensure safety and get proper medical and environmental assistance. While ventilating the room and checking the SDS are important, they are secondary to removing people from immediate danger.

Question 2

A resident with a known Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) infection has been using a personal tablet. The resident is being discharged. What is the most appropriate action for handling the tablet?

Accepted Answer

Carefully clean the tablet using a facility-approved, EPA-registered sporicidal disinfectant wipe, following the manufacturer's directions for electronics.

Answer

C. difficile forms spores that are resistant to alcohol and some standard disinfectants. The correct procedure is to use a sporicidal disinfectant, often a specific type of bleach or hydrogen peroxide wipe, that is approved for killing C. diff spores and is safe for electronics. Submerging the device would destroy it, and discarding it is unnecessary if proper disinfection can be performed. Standard alcohol sanitizers are not effective against C. diff spores.

Question 3

A CNA is caring for a resident who was just started on a new diuretic medication. Which of the following represents the MOST significant, yet indirect, safety risk the CNA should anticipate?

Accepted Answer

An increased risk of falls due to urgency and orthostatic hypotension.

Answer

Diuretics increase urination, which can cause urgency (a sudden, compelling need to urinate) and orthostatic hypotension (a drop in blood pressure upon standing that causes dizziness). This combination significantly increases the risk of falls, which is a major safety concern for the elderly. The other options are less immediate or less critical safety risks.

Question 4

While in a resident's room, a CNA sees smoke coming from a trash can. The resident is in the room and is ambulatory. According to the RACE fire safety protocol, what is the CNA's FIRST action?

Accepted Answer

Rescue the resident by guiding them out of the room.

Answer

The RACE acronym stands for Rescue, Alarm, Confine, Extinguish/Evacuate. The absolute first priority in a fire is to rescue anyone in immediate danger. Therefore, the CNA's first action should be to move the resident to a safe location away from the fire. The other actions (Alarm, Confine, Extinguish) are performed sequentially after ensuring human life is out of immediate harm.

Question 5

A CNA is assigned to care for a resident on protective (reverse) isolation. What is the primary purpose of this type of precaution?

Accepted Answer

To protect a highly immunocompromised resident from pathogens in the environment.

Answer

Protective, or reverse, isolation is used for residents who are highly susceptible to infection (e.g., due to chemotherapy or a compromised immune system). The goal is to protect the resident from germs carried by staff, visitors, or found in the general environment. This is the opposite of standard, contact, or droplet precautions, which aim to protect caregivers from a resident's infection.

CNA Practice Test

CNA Practice Test

CNA Safety and Infection Control 2