CNA Basic Nursing Skills 7 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which action correctly demonstrates the use of standard precautions?
- Wearing gloves only when blood is visible
- Washing hands only after removing gloves
- Treating all body fluids as potentially infectious (Correct answer)
- Using a mask only for residents with known infections
Correct answer: Treating all body fluids as potentially infectious
Standard precautions require treating all blood and body fluids as potentially infectious, regardless of the resident's known diagnosis.
Question 2: A resident's output for the shift is 150 mL. The intake was 900 mL. What should the CNA do with this information?
- Do nothing since output is always lower than intake
- Record the intake and output and report it to the nurse (Correct answer)
- Encourage more fluids to balance intake and output
- Restrict fluids since the resident is retaining too much
Correct answer: Record the intake and output and report it to the nurse
The CNA must accurately record intake and output and report a significant imbalance to the nurse for clinical assessment.
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of a bed cradle (overbed cradle)?
- To elevate the head of the bed for comfort
- To keep bed linens off injured or sensitive areas (Correct answer)
- To restrain a confused resident safely
- To provide traction for a resident with a fracture
Correct answer: To keep bed linens off injured or sensitive areas
A bed cradle is placed under the sheets to keep the weight of linens off areas such as burned skin or wounds.
Question 4: When caring for a resident with a nasogastric (NG) tube, which observation should be reported to the nurse?
- The tube is secured with tape to the nose
- The resident says the tube feels uncomfortable
- The resident is coughing and the tube appears displaced (Correct answer)
- The drainage bag has yellow-green fluid
Correct answer: The resident is coughing and the tube appears displaced
Coughing combined with possible tube displacement suggests the NG tube may have moved into the airway, which is an emergency requiring immediate nurse notification.
Question 5: A resident with diabetes has a blood glucose reading of 55 mg/dL. The resident is conscious and reports feeling shaky. What should the CNA do?
- Give the resident insulin as directed by the care plan
- Report the reading to the nurse immediately (Correct answer)
- Offer the resident a regular meal and wait for improvement
- Check the blood glucose again in one hour
Correct answer: Report the reading to the nurse immediately
A blood glucose of 55 mg/dL is hypoglycemic and symptomatic; the CNA must immediately report to the nurse who will direct treatment.
Question 6: What is the correct angle to raise the head of the bed when feeding a resident who cannot self-feed?
- 15 degrees
- 30 degrees
- 45–90 degrees (Correct answer)
- Flat (0 degrees)
Correct answer: 45–90 degrees
The head of the bed should be elevated to at least 45–90 degrees during feeding to reduce the risk of aspiration.
Question 7: A resident insists they have not urinated in 10 hours and their abdomen appears distended. What should the CNA do?
- Encourage increased fluid intake and recheck in two hours
- Report the finding to the nurse promptly (Correct answer)
- Insert a urinary catheter as a routine nursing skill
- Assume the resident forgot and document normal output
Correct answer: Report the finding to the nurse promptly
Urinary retention with abdominal distension is a clinical emergency that must be reported to the nurse for prompt assessment and intervention.
CNA Basic Nursing Skills 7 5
Which action correctly demonstrates the use of standard precautions?