GNA Vital Signs and Physical Assessment 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the normal resting pulse rate range for an adult?
- 40–60 beats per minute
- 60–100 beats per minute (Correct answer)
- 100–120 beats per minute
- 120–140 beats per minute
Correct answer: 60–100 beats per minute
A normal adult resting pulse rate is 60–100 beats per minute; values outside this range should be reported.
Question 2: When measuring a patient's oral temperature, how long should a glass thermometer remain in place?
- 30 seconds
- 1 minute
- 3–5 minutes (Correct answer)
- 8–10 minutes
Correct answer: 3–5 minutes
A glass oral thermometer should remain under the tongue for 3–5 minutes to obtain an accurate reading.
Question 3: Which site is most commonly used to count the pulse rate in a nursing assistant's routine assessment?
- Carotid artery
- Femoral artery
- Radial artery at the wrist (Correct answer)
- Brachial artery at the elbow
Correct answer: Radial artery at the wrist
The radial artery at the wrist is the most accessible and commonly used site for routine pulse measurement by nursing assistants.
Question 4: A resident's blood pressure is 148/92 mmHg. How should the nursing assistant respond?
- Document it as normal and continue care
- Recheck immediately and report to the nurse (Correct answer)
- Ask the resident to exercise to lower it
- Administer an antihypertensive medication
Correct answer: Recheck immediately and report to the nurse
148/92 mmHg is elevated; the nursing assistant should recheck and promptly report this finding to the nurse for further evaluation.
Question 5: What is the normal respiratory rate range for an adult at rest?
- 5–10 breaths per minute
- 12–20 breaths per minute (Correct answer)
- 22–28 breaths per minute
- 30–40 breaths per minute
Correct answer: 12–20 breaths per minute
The normal adult resting respiratory rate is 12–20 breaths per minute; deviations should be reported to the nurse.
Question 6: Which of the following is the correct technique when counting respirations?
- Tell the resident to breathe normally before counting
- Count after the resident has been exercising
- Count without informing the resident to avoid altering breathing (Correct answer)
- Count only exhaled breaths for 30 seconds and double the result
Correct answer: Count without informing the resident to avoid altering breathing
Respirations should be counted without the resident's knowledge because awareness of observation often causes people to alter their breathing pattern.
Question 7: What does the diastolic blood pressure number represent?
- The pressure in arteries when the heart beats
- The pressure in arteries when the heart is at rest between beats (Correct answer)
- The total amount of blood pumped per minute
- The resistance in the capillaries
Correct answer: The pressure in arteries when the heart is at rest between beats
The diastolic pressure is the lower number and reflects the pressure in the arteries when the heart muscle is relaxed between contractions.
GNA Vital Signs and Physical Assessment 1
What is the normal resting pulse rate range for an adult?