CNA Basic Nursing Skills 21 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A resident refuses to take their prescribed medication. What is the CNA's FIRST action?
- Crush the medication and hide it in food
- Document the refusal and report it to the nurse (Correct answer)
- Force the resident to take the medication
- Ignore the refusal and try again later
Correct answer: Document the refusal and report it to the nurse
CNAs must document and report medication refusals to the nurse immediately so the care team can address the situation appropriately.
Question 2: When performing passive range-of-motion (ROM) exercises, the CNA should support the extremity:
- Only at the joint being exercised
- Above and below the joint being exercised (Correct answer)
- At the distal end only
- At the proximal end only
Correct answer: Above and below the joint being exercised
Supporting the extremity both above and below the joint provides stability and prevents injury during ROM exercises.
Question 3: Which vital sign measurement requires the CNA to count for a full 60 seconds if an irregularity is detected?
- Blood pressure
- Temperature
- Pulse (Correct answer)
- Oxygen saturation
Correct answer: Pulse
If an irregular pulse is detected, the CNA must count it for a full 60 seconds to obtain an accurate rate and note the irregularity.
Question 4: A resident's urine output is 250 mL over 8 hours. The CNA should:
- Consider this normal output
- Encourage more fluid intake without reporting
- Report this low output to the nurse immediately (Correct answer)
- Wait until the next shift to report
Correct answer: Report this low output to the nurse immediately
Normal urine output is at least 30 mL/hour; 250 mL over 8 hours is below normal and must be reported to the nurse promptly.
Question 5: When using a mechanical lift to transfer a resident, the MINIMUM number of staff required is:
- One staff member
- Two staff members (Correct answer)
- Three staff members
- Four staff members
Correct answer: Two staff members
Mechanical lift transfers require at least two staff members to ensure resident safety and proper equipment operation.
Question 6: The purpose of applying compression stockings (TED hose) is to:
- Prevent skin breakdown on the heels
- Promote venous return and prevent blood clots (Correct answer)
- Keep the resident's feet warm
- Reduce ankle pain
Correct answer: Promote venous return and prevent blood clots
Compression stockings apply graduated pressure to the legs, promoting venous blood return to the heart and reducing deep vein thrombosis risk.
Question 7: When collecting a clean-catch midstream urine specimen, the CNA instructs the resident to:
- Collect the first urine stream in the container
- Discard the first urine stream, then collect midstream (Correct answer)
- Collect urine at any point during urination
- Collect urine after drinking 2 glasses of water first
Correct answer: Discard the first urine stream, then collect midstream
The initial urine stream flushes urethral contaminants, so midstream collection provides the most accurate specimen for testing.
CNA Basic Nursing Skills 21 3
A resident refuses to take their prescribed medication.
What is the CNA's FIRST action?