PCA Basic Nursing Skills 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When repositioning a client in bed, how often should position changes occur to prevent pressure injuries?
- Every 4 hours
- Every 2 hours (Correct answer)
- Every 8 hours
- Once per shift
Correct answer: Every 2 hours
Standard practice requires repositioning bed-bound clients at least every 2 hours to relieve pressure and prevent skin breakdown.
Question 2: Which position places a client flat on their back with arms at their sides?
- Fowler's position
- Prone position
- Supine position (Correct answer)
- Lateral position
Correct answer: Supine position
The supine position has the client lying flat on their back, which is used for many assessments and procedures.
Question 3: Before transferring a client from bed to a wheelchair, the PCA should FIRST:
- Lock the wheelchair brakes and remove the footrests (Correct answer)
- Elevate the bed to the highest position
- Ask the client to close their eyes
- Place the wheelchair at the foot of the bed
Correct answer: Lock the wheelchair brakes and remove the footrests
Locking the wheelchair brakes and removing footrests prevents the chair from rolling and reduces fall risk during transfers.
Question 4: A client complains of dizziness when moving from a lying to a sitting position. This is most likely:
- A seizure warning
- Orthostatic hypotension (Correct answer)
- A sign of infection
- Normal fatigue
Correct answer: Orthostatic hypotension
Orthostatic hypotension is a drop in blood pressure upon standing or sitting up, commonly causing dizziness, and must be reported.
Question 5: When using a gait belt to assist a client to walk, where should the PCA stand?
- Directly in front of the client
- To the client's weaker side and slightly behind (Correct answer)
- Directly behind the client
- On the client's stronger side
Correct answer: To the client's weaker side and slightly behind
Standing to the client's weaker side and slightly behind allows the PCA to support and catch the client if they begin to fall.
Question 6: Heel protectors and foam wedges are used primarily to:
- Improve blood circulation in legs
- Prevent friction and reduce pressure on bony prominences (Correct answer)
- Treat existing pressure ulcers
- Keep the client warm
Correct answer: Prevent friction and reduce pressure on bony prominences
Heel protectors and foam wedges redistribute pressure away from bony prominences to prevent skin breakdown.
Question 7: A client who has had a stroke with left-sided weakness should be assisted to dress by putting on clothing:
- Right (strong) side first
- Left (weak) side first (Correct answer)
- It does not matter which side goes first
- Top half before bottom half always
Correct answer: Left (weak) side first
When dressing a client with one-sided weakness, the affected (weak) limb is dressed first to minimize painful manipulation.
PCA Basic Nursing Skills 3
When repositioning a client in bed, how often should position changes occur to prevent pressure injuries?