CNA Time Management and Prioritization 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A CNA has four residents to bathe this morning. Which resident should be bathed LAST to best manage time and patient safety?
- The resident who is ambulatory and can assist with their own care (Correct answer)
- The resident with a stage 3 pressure ulcer requiring wound care after bathing
- The resident who requested a bath first thing in the morning
- The resident who has a scheduled physical therapy session at 10 AM
Correct answer: The resident who is ambulatory and can assist with their own care
Residents who are more independent should generally be scheduled last so that limited CNA time is prioritized for those with greater care needs.
Question 2: When a CNA begins a shift and receives report, what is the FIRST time management step?
- Begin bathing the first resident on the assignment sheet
- Mentally organize the workload and identify time-sensitive tasks (Correct answer)
- Gather all supplies needed for the entire shift
- Check in with each resident to ask what they need
Correct answer: Mentally organize the workload and identify time-sensitive tasks
Organizing and prioritizing tasks mentally at the start of a shift helps the CNA allocate time efficiently and address urgent needs first.
Question 3: A resident rings the call light while the CNA is in the middle of a bed bath for another resident. What is the BEST action?
- Ignore the call light until the current task is finished
- Leave the resident mid-bath to answer the call light immediately
- Ask a co-worker to check the call light while ensuring the current resident is safe and covered (Correct answer)
- Tell the resident in the bath to wait and rush to answer the call light alone
Correct answer: Ask a co-worker to check the call light while ensuring the current resident is safe and covered
Delegating the call light to a co-worker ensures both resident safety and timely response without abandoning the resident mid-care.
Question 4: Which strategy BEST helps a CNA avoid running behind schedule during a busy shift?
- Skipping documentation to save time
- Grouping care tasks together when visiting each resident's room (Correct answer)
- Performing tasks in alphabetical order by resident name
- Waiting until all residents are cared for before gathering supplies
Correct answer: Grouping care tasks together when visiting each resident's room
Clustering care activities — such as repositioning, vital signs, and oral care in one visit — reduces travel time and improves efficiency.
Question 5: A CNA notices that completing all assigned morning care will be impossible in the allotted time. What should the CNA do?
- Rush through care without regard for quality
- Notify the charge nurse early so adjustments can be made (Correct answer)
- Skip the residents who seem to need the least care
- Wait until end of shift to report the problem
Correct answer: Notify the charge nurse early so adjustments can be made
Early communication with the charge nurse allows for reallocation of staff or tasks before resident care is compromised.
Question 6: During morning rounds, the CNA finds a resident with a blood pressure of 190/110 mmHg. The CNA also has several routine baths scheduled. What should happen FIRST?
- Complete the scheduled baths and then report the blood pressure at the end of rounds
- Report the abnormal blood pressure to the nurse immediately before continuing routine care (Correct answer)
- Recheck the blood pressure in one hour before deciding whether to report it
- Document the finding and continue with the bath schedule as planned
Correct answer: Report the abnormal blood pressure to the nurse immediately before continuing routine care
A critically elevated blood pressure is an urgent finding that must be reported to the nurse immediately, taking priority over routine scheduled tasks.
Question 7: A CNA uses a written assignment sheet to plan the day. Which addition to the sheet would MOST improve time management?
- The names of all other CNAs on the floor
- Estimated times for completing each resident's care (Correct answer)
- A list of supply room locations
- The dietary preferences of each resident
Correct answer: Estimated times for completing each resident's care
Assigning estimated time blocks to tasks helps the CNA stay on schedule and identify when adjustments are needed.
CNA Time Management and Prioritization 3
A CNA has four residents to bathe this morning.
Which resident should be bathed LAST to best manage time and patient safety?