PCA Basic Patient Care Skills 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient tells you they need to use the bathroom but their call light is out of reach. What should the PCA do first?
- Tell the patient to wait until the next scheduled check
- Assist the patient immediately and report the call light issue (Correct answer)
- Ask a passing visitor to help
- Document the incident and continue other tasks
Correct answer: Assist the patient immediately and report the call light issue
Patient safety and needs take priority; assist immediately, then report the equipment problem to the charge nurse.
Question 2: Which action best protects a patient's dignity during perineal care?
- Work quickly without covering the patient
- Keep the patient fully covered and expose only the area being cleaned (Correct answer)
- Ask a coworker to observe to ensure proper technique
- Perform care with the room door open for better lighting
Correct answer: Keep the patient fully covered and expose only the area being cleaned
Exposing only the necessary area maintains privacy and preserves the patient's dignity throughout care.
Question 3: What is the correct order for measuring a blood pressure reading?
- Inflate cuff, apply cuff, place stethoscope, deflate slowly
- Apply cuff, place stethoscope, inflate cuff, deflate slowly (Correct answer)
- Place stethoscope, apply cuff, inflate cuff, deflate quickly
- Apply cuff, inflate cuff, place stethoscope, deflate quickly
Correct answer: Apply cuff, place stethoscope, inflate cuff, deflate slowly
Applying the cuff first, then positioning the stethoscope, allows correct placement before inflation and controlled deflation.
Question 4: A patient who has been in bed for several days begins to stand and reports feeling dizzy. What is the PCA's priority action?
- Help the patient walk it off
- Lower the patient back to bed and report to the nurse (Correct answer)
- Give the patient a glass of water
- Have the patient breathe deeply and continue standing
Correct answer: Lower the patient back to bed and report to the nurse
Dizziness on standing (orthostatic hypotension) is a fall risk; return the patient to bed and notify the nurse.
Question 5: When should a PCA perform hand hygiene?
- Only after removing gloves
- Before and after every patient contact and after removing gloves (Correct answer)
- Only when hands are visibly soiled
- Once at the start and once at the end of a shift
Correct answer: Before and after every patient contact and after removing gloves
Hand hygiene before and after patient contact and glove removal is the primary method of infection prevention.
Question 6: A patient has a urinary catheter. Which observation must be reported to the nurse immediately?
- Urine is pale yellow
- Catheter tubing is coiled on the bed
- Drainage bag is below the level of the bladder
- Urine output has stopped for 2 hours (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Urine output has stopped for 2 hours
No urine output for 2 hours may signal a blocked catheter or kidney problem and requires prompt nursing assessment.
Question 7: Which statement about using a gait belt during ambulation is correct?
- Apply it over the patient's clothing at waist level (Correct answer)
- Apply it directly on bare skin for better grip
- Fasten it loosely so the patient can breathe
- Only use it for patients who have fallen before
Correct answer: Apply it over the patient's clothing at waist level
The gait belt is applied over clothing at the waist with enough snugness to slip two fingers underneath.
PCA Basic Patient Care Skills 3
A patient tells you they need to use the bathroom but their call light is out of reach.
What should the PCA do first?