CNA Basic Nursing Skills 9 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A resident is being discharged and asks the CNA to explain their new medications. What should the CNA do?
- Explain the medications fully using the package inserts
- Tell the resident that medication teaching is the nurse's or pharmacist's responsibility and call the nurse (Correct answer)
- Provide a general overview based on personal knowledge
- Advise the resident to look up the medications online
Correct answer: Tell the resident that medication teaching is the nurse's or pharmacist's responsibility and call the nurse
Medication teaching is outside the CNA scope of practice and must be performed by a licensed nurse or pharmacist.
Question 2: Which is the correct technique when applying antiembolism (TED) stockings?
- Apply them while the resident is sitting upright in a chair
- Apply them before the resident gets out of bed in the morning while legs are less swollen (Correct answer)
- Apply them over existing dressings on the legs
- Apply them as tightly as possible to maximize compression
Correct answer: Apply them before the resident gets out of bed in the morning while legs are less swollen
TED stockings should be applied in the morning before the resident rises, when dependent edema is minimal, to ensure proper fit and effectiveness.
Question 3: A resident with Alzheimer's disease becomes agitated during a bath. What is the best approach?
- Restrain the resident to complete the bath quickly
- Stop briefly, speak calmly, offer reassurance, and try a different approach or timing (Correct answer)
- Give the resident a sedative from the medication cart
- Document refusal and skip the bath entirely without reporting
Correct answer: Stop briefly, speak calmly, offer reassurance, and try a different approach or timing
Redirection, calm reassurance, and flexibility in approach or timing are effective de-escalation strategies for residents with dementia.
Question 4: The CNA observes that a resident's feeding tube site (PEG tube) is red, swollen, and has yellow drainage. This finding should be:
- Cleaned and covered without notification as routine tube care
- Reported to the nurse immediately as signs of possible infection (Correct answer)
- Documented only at end of shift
- Treated with an over-the-counter antibiotic cream
Correct answer: Reported to the nurse immediately as signs of possible infection
Redness, swelling, and purulent drainage at a PEG tube site indicate possible infection requiring prompt nurse assessment.
Question 5: When performing trochanter roll placement, what is the primary purpose?
- Elevate the resident's feet to reduce edema
- Prevent external rotation of the hip in a supine resident (Correct answer)
- Support the resident's lumbar spine
- Maintain knee flexion during rest
Correct answer: Prevent external rotation of the hip in a supine resident
A trochanter roll placed alongside the hip prevents the leg from rotating outward, which can cause hip contracture and discomfort.
Question 6: A resident refuses to take a bath today. The CNA should:
- Insist on the bath since hygiene is medically necessary
- Respect the refusal, offer alternatives like a partial bath or bed bath, and document and report the refusal (Correct answer)
- Note the refusal and provide no hygiene care at all
- Ask family members to force the resident to bathe
Correct answer: Respect the refusal, offer alternatives like a partial bath or bed bath, and document and report the refusal
Residents have the right to refuse care; the CNA should offer alternatives, document the refusal and alternatives offered, and report to the nurse.
Question 7: A resident who had hip replacement surgery is being transferred from the bed to a wheelchair. Which action is most important to protect the new hip joint?
- Flex the hip past 90 degrees to make sitting easier
- Keep the operative hip in proper alignment and avoid bending it beyond the prescribed limit (Correct answer)
- Have the resident cross their legs to stabilize themselves
- Pivot quickly to minimize time on the operative extremity
Correct answer: Keep the operative hip in proper alignment and avoid bending it beyond the prescribed limit
Hip precautions after replacement surgery typically prohibit bending the hip beyond 90 degrees and crossing the legs to prevent dislocation.
CNA Basic Nursing Skills 9 5
A resident is being discharged and asks the CNA to explain their new medications.
What should the CNA do?