NRCMA Clinical Skills 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When assisting with a pelvic examination, the medical assistant should position the patient in which position?
- Prone
- Supine
- Lithotomy (Correct answer)
- Trendelenburg
Correct answer: Lithotomy
The lithotomy position, with feet in stirrups and hips at the table edge, is used for pelvic examinations.
Question 2: A medical assistant is applying a sterile dressing. After opening the sterile field, which action would contaminate it?
- Dropping supplies onto the center of the sterile field from above
- Reaching across the sterile field to retrieve an item (Correct answer)
- Using sterile forceps to handle sterile items
- Keeping the sterile field at waist level
Correct answer: Reaching across the sterile field to retrieve an item
Reaching across a sterile field causes contamination because non-sterile clothing or hands pass over sterile items.
Question 3: Which action is appropriate when performing ear irrigation on an adult?
- Pull the pinna up and back to straighten the ear canal (Correct answer)
- Pull the pinna down and forward to straighten the ear canal
- Insert the syringe tip deeply into the ear canal
- Use cold water to dislodge cerumen
Correct answer: Pull the pinna up and back to straighten the ear canal
For adults, the pinna is pulled up and back to straighten the auditory canal for effective irrigation.
Question 4: A patient reports their blood glucose reading was 245 mg/dL two hours after a meal. This value indicates:
- Normal postprandial glucose
- Hypoglycemia
- Hyperglycemia (Correct answer)
- Fasting hypoglycemia
Correct answer: Hyperglycemia
A 2-hour postprandial glucose above 200 mg/dL is diagnostic of hyperglycemia.
Question 5: Which of the following is the FIRST step when using a glucometer to test a patient's blood glucose?
- Puncture the fingertip with the lancet
- Apply blood to the test strip
- Insert the test strip into the glucometer
- Verify the glucometer's quality control results are current (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Verify the glucometer's quality control results are current
Quality control must be verified before patient testing to ensure glucometer accuracy.
Question 6: When removing contaminated gloves, which technique is correct?
- Grasp the outside of one glove and pull it off, then slide fingers under the second glove's cuff (Correct answer)
- Pull both gloves off simultaneously by the fingertips
- Remove gloves by pulling on the palm area of each glove
- Use scissors to cut the gloves off to avoid contact
Correct answer: Grasp the outside of one glove and pull it off, then slide fingers under the second glove's cuff
The correct technique grasps the outside of the first glove to remove it, then slides clean fingers under the second glove's cuff to avoid contamination.
Question 7: A medical assistant notes a patient's respiratory rate is 24 breaths per minute. This finding is documented as:
- Eupnea
- Bradypnea
- Tachypnea (Correct answer)
- Apnea
Correct answer: Tachypnea
Tachypnea refers to a respiratory rate greater than 20 breaths per minute in adults.
NRCMA Clinical Skills 3
When assisting with a pelvic examination, the medical assistant should position the patient in which position?