General CNA Practice CNA Practice Basic Nursing Skills 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient on a thickened-liquid diet asks for a glass of water. The CNA should:
- Provide regular water since it is natural and safe
- Check with the nurse before giving unthickened liquids (Correct answer)
- Give the water and document the intake
- Refuse all liquids until the next meal tray arrives
Correct answer: Check with the nurse before giving unthickened liquids
Thickened-liquid diets are ordered for patients with dysphagia; any deviation — including plain water — requires the nurse's approval.
Question 2: Which observation about a patient's urine should the CNA report to the nurse immediately?
- Light yellow color and mild odor
- Dark amber color with a strong, foul odor (Correct answer)
- Clear appearance after increased fluid intake
- Output of 60 mL in one hour after drinking water
Correct answer: Dark amber color with a strong, foul odor
Dark amber urine with foul odor may indicate dehydration or infection and requires prompt reporting to the nurse.
Question 3: When assisting a patient who has a urinary catheter, the drainage bag should always be kept:
- Level with the patient's bladder for accurate measurement
- Above the level of the bladder to prevent backflow
- Below the level of the bladder to allow gravity drainage (Correct answer)
- Attached to the bed rail at any convenient height
Correct answer: Below the level of the bladder to allow gravity drainage
The catheter drainage bag must always remain below bladder level so gravity promotes urine flow and prevents backflow contamination.
Question 4: A patient has not had a bowel movement in 3 days and reports feeling bloated. The CNA should:
- Administer a laxative from the medication cart
- Document the observation and report it to the nurse (Correct answer)
- Encourage the patient to eat less to reduce bloating
- Tell the patient this is normal and reassure them
Correct answer: Document the observation and report it to the nurse
Reporting constipation symptoms to the nurse allows for appropriate intervention; administering laxatives is outside the CNA's scope.
Question 5: The most effective way for a CNA to break the chain of infection is:
- Wearing a gown at all times during a shift
- Performing thorough hand hygiene before and after patient contact (Correct answer)
- Opening windows to ventilate patient rooms
- Wiping stethoscopes with a dry cloth
Correct answer: Performing thorough hand hygiene before and after patient contact
Hand hygiene is the single most effective measure to interrupt the transmission of infectious agents.
Question 6: A patient in contact precautions for MRSA requires wound care. Before entering the room, the CNA must don PPE in which order?
- Gloves, gown, mask, goggles
- Gown, mask/goggles, then gloves last (Correct answer)
- Mask, goggles, gloves, then gown
- Gown first, then gloves — mask is optional for MRSA
Correct answer: Gown, mask/goggles, then gloves last
The correct donning order is gown, then mask/eye protection, then gloves so the gloves (most contaminated item) go on last and can be changed.
Question 7: When measuring and recording urinary output, 1 fluid ounce is equivalent to approximately:
- 15 mL
- 30 mL (Correct answer)
- 45 mL
- 60 mL
Correct answer: 30 mL
One fluid ounce equals approximately 30 mL, a conversion CNAs must know for accurate intake and output documentation.
General CNA Practice CNA Practice Basic Nursing Skills 5
A patient on a thickened-liquid diet asks for a glass of water.
The CNA should: