CNA Basic Nursing Skills 5 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient's indwelling urinary catheter has been draining cloudy, foul-smelling urine. What should the CNA do first?
- Irrigate the catheter with sterile water
- Report the observation to the nurse immediately (Correct answer)
- Increase the patient's fluid intake without informing the nurse
- Remove and replace the catheter
Correct answer: Report the observation to the nurse immediately
Cloudy, foul-smelling urine may indicate a urinary tract infection and must be reported to the nurse promptly.
Question 2: When applying a vest restraint, the CNA should ensure the restraint is tied to which part of the bed?
- The side rail
- The headboard
- The movable part of the bed frame (Correct answer)
- The footboard
Correct answer: The movable part of the bed frame
Restraints must be tied to the movable bed frame so the restraint loosens, not tightens, when the bed position is adjusted.
Question 3: A resident who uses a hearing aid complains it is not working. What should the CNA check first?
- Schedule an audiology appointment
- Clean the ear canal with a cotton swab
- Check whether the battery needs replacement (Correct answer)
- Soak the hearing aid in warm water
Correct answer: Check whether the battery needs replacement
A dead or weak battery is the most common and easily corrected reason a hearing aid stops functioning.
Question 4: When measuring a patient's radial pulse, the CNA counts 17 beats in 30 seconds. What should be documented?
- 17 beats per minute
- 34 beats per minute (Correct answer)
- 51 beats per minute
- 68 beats per minute
Correct answer: 34 beats per minute
Multiplying the 30-second count (17) by 2 gives the pulse rate per minute of 34 bpm.
Question 5: A CNA notices a patient's IV site is swollen, cool, and pale. This most likely indicates:
- Phlebitis
- Infiltration (Correct answer)
- Air embolism
- Septicemia
Correct answer: Infiltration
Swelling, coolness, and pallor at an IV site are classic signs of infiltration, where IV fluid leaks into surrounding tissue.
Question 6: Which action by a CNA best prevents transmission of C. difficile (C. diff)?
- Using alcohol-based hand sanitizer after patient care
- Wearing a gown and washing hands with soap and water (Correct answer)
- Double-gloving when handling linen
- Placing the patient in a negative-pressure room
Correct answer: Wearing a gown and washing hands with soap and water
Alcohol-based sanitizers do not kill C. diff spores; soap and water with friction plus PPE is the correct approach.
Question 7: A resident refuses to take a bath. The CNA should:
- Insist on bathing the resident to maintain hygiene
- Document the refusal and notify the nurse (Correct answer)
- Ask another staff member to force compliance
- Skip the bath and say nothing
Correct answer: Document the refusal and notify the nurse
Residents have the right to refuse care; the CNA must document the refusal and report it to the nurse for follow-up.
CNA Basic Nursing Skills 5 3
A patient's indwelling urinary catheter has been draining cloudy, foul-smelling urine.
What should the CNA do first?