Next Core Knowledge and Fundamentals 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When measuring blood pressure, which sound marks the systolic reading?
- The disappearance of all sounds
- The first Korotkoff sound heard (Correct answer)
- The change in pitch of sounds
- The muffling of sounds before silence
Correct answer: The first Korotkoff sound heard
The first Korotkoff sound heard as the cuff deflates indicates the systolic blood pressure.
Question 2: A resident in a long-term care facility refuses their morning medications. The nursing assistant should:
- Crush the medication and hide it in food
- Respect the refusal and report it to the nurse (Correct answer)
- Insist the resident take the medication for their health
- Document the refusal without notifying anyone
Correct answer: Respect the refusal and report it to the nurse
Patients have the right to refuse treatment; the nursing assistant must respect this and report it to the nurse.
Question 3: Which technique is most important when transferring a patient from bed to wheelchair to prevent injury?
- Moving quickly to reduce patient anxiety
- Bending at the waist and pulling the patient
- Using proper body mechanics with a wide stance and bent knees (Correct answer)
- Asking the patient to push themselves up independently
Correct answer: Using proper body mechanics with a wide stance and bent knees
Proper body mechanics—wide stance, bent knees, straight back—protect both the nursing assistant and patient during transfers.
Question 4: The medical abbreviation 'NPO' means a patient should:
- Receive nothing by mouth (Correct answer)
- Have no physical activity orders
- Take all medications as prescribed
- Be placed on a no-protein diet
Correct answer: Receive nothing by mouth
NPO stands for 'nil per os,' a Latin phrase meaning 'nothing by mouth.'
Question 5: Which of the following is an example of passive range-of-motion (ROM) exercise?
- The patient walks independently in the hallway
- The nursing assistant moves the patient's limbs through their range (Correct answer)
- The patient performs arm circles using their own strength
- The patient uses resistance bands for strengthening
Correct answer: The nursing assistant moves the patient's limbs through their range
Passive ROM is performed by the caregiver moving the patient's joints without the patient using their own muscles.
Question 6: Which of the following is the correct order for the chain of infection?
- Host → Reservoir → Portal of exit → Transmission → Portal of entry → Infectious agent
- Infectious agent → Reservoir → Portal of exit → Mode of transmission → Portal of entry → Susceptible host (Correct answer)
- Susceptible host → Infectious agent → Reservoir → Portal of exit → Transmission → Portal of entry
- Reservoir → Susceptible host → Infectious agent → Transmission → Portal of exit → Portal of entry
Correct answer: Infectious agent → Reservoir → Portal of exit → Mode of transmission → Portal of entry → Susceptible host
The chain of infection follows the sequence: infectious agent, reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry, susceptible host.
Question 7: A nursing assistant should wash their hands for at least how long to effectively remove pathogens?
- 5 seconds
- 10 seconds
- 20 seconds (Correct answer)
- 60 seconds
Correct answer: 20 seconds
The CDC recommends scrubbing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds to effectively remove pathogens.
Next Core Knowledge and Fundamentals 3
When measuring blood pressure, which sound marks the systolic reading?