CNA Basic Nursing Skills 5 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A CNA is assisting a stroke patient who has right-sided weakness with ambulation. The CNA should stand:
- Directly behind the patient
- On the patient's right (affected) side and slightly behind (Correct answer)
- On the patient's left (unaffected) side
- In front of the patient facing them
Correct answer: On the patient's right (affected) side and slightly behind
Standing on the weak side provides support where the patient is most likely to lose balance.
Question 2: A resident's colostomy bag is one-third full. The CNA should:
- Wait until the bag is completely full before emptying
- Empty the bag now to prevent leakage and skin breakdown (Correct answer)
- Remove the bag and apply a new one
- Notify the nurse before taking any action
Correct answer: Empty the bag now to prevent leakage and skin breakdown
A colostomy bag should be emptied when one-third to one-half full to prevent the weight from breaking the seal and causing leakage.
Question 3: Which observation indicates a patient may be developing a deep vein thrombosis (DVT)?
- Cool, pale skin on both legs
- Bilateral ankle swelling that is equal
- Unilateral calf pain, redness, and warmth (Correct answer)
- Numbness and tingling in both feet
Correct answer: Unilateral calf pain, redness, and warmth
Unilateral calf pain, redness, and warmth are classic warning signs of DVT and must be reported to the nurse immediately.
Question 4: When shaving a male patient with a safety razor, the CNA should shave:
- Against the direction of hair growth for a closer shave
- In the direction of hair growth to reduce irritation (Correct answer)
- In any direction as long as the area is moistened
- With circular motions around the face
Correct answer: In the direction of hair growth to reduce irritation
Shaving in the direction of hair growth minimizes skin irritation, nicks, and razor burn.
Question 5: A patient's nasogastric (NG) tube feeding bag is empty and an alarm is sounding. The CNA should:
- Add more formula to the bag from the resident's supply
- Turn off the pump alarm and wait for the nurse
- Notify the nurse immediately (Correct answer)
- Flush the tube with water and restart the pump
Correct answer: Notify the nurse immediately
NG tube feedings and all aspects of enteral nutrition management are nursing responsibilities; the CNA should notify the nurse.
Question 6: A CNA is caring for a patient who suddenly becomes unresponsive and is not breathing normally. After calling for help, the next step is to:
- Place the patient in the recovery position and monitor
- Begin chest compressions at a rate of 100–120 per minute (Correct answer)
- Administer two rescue breaths before starting compressions
- Wait for the nurse to arrive before starting CPR
Correct answer: Begin chest compressions at a rate of 100–120 per minute
Current CPR guidelines prioritize high-quality chest compressions (C-A-B sequence), starting immediately at 100–120 compressions per minute.
Question 7: A resident with dementia repeatedly removes their brief and is at risk for skin breakdown. The most appropriate CNA response is to:
- Apply mittens to prevent hand use
- Offer toileting every 2 hours and use a brief with difficult-to-remove closures if ordered (Correct answer)
- Restrain the resident's hands to prevent self-removal
- Ignore the behavior as it is typical for dementia
Correct answer: Offer toileting every 2 hours and use a brief with difficult-to-remove closures if ordered
A scheduled toileting routine addresses the underlying need and dignity-preserving briefs can be used as a care-plan intervention, whereas restraints require a physician order and should be a last resort.
CNA Basic Nursing Skills 5 5
A CNA is assisting a stroke patient who has right-sided weakness with ambulation.
The CNA should stand: