In order to improve your chances of passing the CNA certification exam on your first try, it is important to take practice tests. This particular practice test includes 60 questions with explanations for why each answer is correct or incorrect.
The following are a few tips to help you get the most out of this practice test:
- Take the time to read through each question and its explanation carefully. Understanding why an answer is correct or incorrect will help you remember the information better.
- Don’t rush through the test. It’s important to allow yourself enough time to complete each question correctly.
- Take a break if you start feeling overwhelmed or frustrated. You’ll be able to focus better if you come back fresh.
- Use this practice test as a way to identify any areas where you need more study time.
This is a timed quiz. You will be given 60 seconds per question. Are you ready?
CNAs can legally document _______________
CNAs can, and should, document the care that they give. They cannot, and should not, document care that is given by another. Nurses, not CNAs, insert Foley urinary catheters and they also provide wound care, so the CNA should never document these things.
Which healthcare professional is most involved with swallowing disorders?
Speech and language therapists work with patients and residents who have a swallowing disorder. They also help people that have, for example, problems speaking after a stroke or CVA.
Which of the following symptoms is not associated with tuberculosis disease?
Weight loss is associated with tuberculosis disease. Hemoptysis is spitting up blood.
Identify the stage of Alzheimer's disease with the correct symptom:
The early stage of Alzheimer's disease is marked with short term memory loss. Short term memory loss continues into the middle stage of Alzheimer's disease, but the long term memory is also affected in this stage.
You are in a resident room with another CNA who begins talking about other residents while caring for the resident. Your best action is to:
It is a violation of the resident right of privacy to discuss resident condition with those not involved in care. It is not wrong to role model appropriate behavior for a co-worker.
The researcher who extensively studied death and dying and established the 5 stages of grief is:
Elizabeth Kubler-Ross observed and interviewed many dying patients for her research. Erik Erikson and Abraham Maslow are associated with theories of growth and personality development. The nurse Florence Nightingale championed such concepts as sanitation, privacy and noise control in hospital care.
You are doing home care. Your client wants you to do several tasks. It is 9 AM. Which should you do first?
The other tasks can be scheduled later in the morning. There is time to give the shower before lunch.
You have been caring for a resident as she dies. Which of the following is not your responsibility at her time of death?
Notifying the family is not your responsibility; it is that of the nurse. The other actions are within the CNA's responsibility.
Why is mouth care important?
Halitosis (bad breath) is unpleasant to be around and may cause a person to be avoided by others. Bad oral hygiene changes how foods taste and in the ill and elderly this may cause them to stop eating leading to malnutrition. The bacteria in the mouth can cause systemic infections and sepsis if left untreated.
Mrs. Howell has Parkinson's disease. With this disease, she may:
Parkinson's Disease affects multiple body systems causing overall slowness and stiffness. The CNA must be aware of and plan care based on the many risks to resident safety caused by this condition.
When transferring Mr. Bold from bed to wheelchair, you allow his legs to dangle at the bedside for a few minutes after he sits up. Doing this will help avoid:
Orthostatic hypotension, or dizziness from a drop in blood pressure from a sudden change in position, can be reduced by allowing time when moving a resident from a sitting to standing position, which normally causes a drop in blood pressure.
When cleansing the genital area during perineal care, the nurse aide should _______________.
It is important to retract the foreskin of uncircumcised male patients in order to remove the smegma that collects under the foreskin. This smegma can lead to bacterial growth and infection. The foreskin is then replaced after the penis is cleaned.
You are feeding a dependent resident when you are asked by the nurse to change a resident who is incontinent and wet. You should:
CNAs must juggle multiple resident needs. Residents should not be made to wait to eat or get incontinent care. Staff should be prepared to work together and to assume responsibilities when needed so residents are not neglected.
You are the CNA taking care of Mrs. Lee in room 232 bed 2. You are not assigned to take care of Mrs. Libs in 232 bed 1. The CNA who has been assigned to Mrs. Libs has asked you several times to perform care on her patient. Mrs. Libs is now asking you to perform care on her also. How should you address Mrs. Libs' request for care?
The patient comes first. Perform the care if it does not interfere with your duties. Then seek out your coworker and diplomatically point out the situation and ask her to take care of her patient. Also address the situation with the assigning nurse as she will need to deal with both the patient and the other CNA and should recognize that her assignment splitting a room may have instigated a part of the problem. Answer option B is wrong because Mrs. Lib may feel neglected by you and therefore by the staff. This can lead to many other complaints and problems. If you do not have time or desire to help Mrs. Libs, get her caregiver to perform the care.
Which radiation principle is the foundation for the use of lead aprons in the radiation area of your hospital?
Lead aprons are used as a shield against radiation when an x ray is necessary. The use of lead aprons is based on the radiation safety principle of shielding.
You have a home care client who is on a 1200mg sodium restricted diet. You are very careful how you plan her meals to accommodate this. What else can you do to insure she remains in the 1200 mg limit?
When planning meals you should be aware of and take in to consideration the sodium content in all medications. It can be quite significant. Answer B is incorrect because there is a varying mount of salt in almost every cereal product and this should be taken in to consideration. Most fresh fruit has no sodium content. Answer D is incorrect because a 1200mg sodium restriction for a heart patient or a kidney patient is quite routine.
You have 3 call lights on while you are serving trays. One is a resident who calls all the time for trivial things. One is a resident who has had diarrhea all night and probably wants to be cleaned. The third one is calling because her meal is cold and she wants you to microwave it for her. What do you do first?
While each of the other actions is appropriate, the diarrhea needs to be handled as it can lead to skin breakdown, the resident may try to get to the bathroom without help and be incontinent or fall. Delayed trays can be warmed but diarrhea is the one thing that cannot be delayed and should be attended to first.
You notice the floor in the hall is wet from a food tray spill. Your next action should be to:
Safety is a major priority and wet floors are a hazard. Your job includes keeping residents safe. A towel can go unnoticed and be a tripping hazard, and not all residents will understand cautions. Remove the wet substance and the towel and housekeeping should complete the job.
What color is the cornea in a blue-eyed person?
The cornea is clear. It appears colored when it is over the iris or dark over the pupil.
You are holding a Class C fire extinguisher in your hand and you are ready to use it. What is the next step?
The steps to using a fire extinguisher follow the acronym of PASS: P- Pull the pin A- Aim at the base, or the bottom, of the fire or flame S- Squeeze the trigger while holding the extinguisher up straight and S- Sweep, or move the spray, from side to side to completely cover the fire
You are ready to use a fire extinguisher to put out a grease fire in your home care patient's kitchen. You should aim the fire extinguisher where?
You must aim the nozzle of the fire extinguisher at the base, or the bottom, of the fire in order to successfully extinguish the flames.
How many milligrams of sodium are in 1 teaspoon of normal table salt?
Normal table salt has 2400mg of sodium in a teaspoon.
You note a red rash on Mrs. Johnson's left thigh. This is an example of what type of observation?
Objective observations can be seen, heard, smelled, touched or measured.
Which is NOT an acceptable abbreviation?
D/C is not an acceptable abbreviation. It can be confused with both discharge and discontinue.
What does Full Code mean?
Full Code is the opposite of a DNR or DNI. Full Code tells you to perform all lifesaving measures. If a patient is DNR or DNI the procedures in the event of catastrophic illness are outlined as do not resuscitate or do not intubate. In the event that officially neither of these designations is in place, full emergency measures will be applied.
You have admitted a 19-year-old motorcycle accident survivor to your rehabilitation facility. He is paralyzed but alert and oriented. You are assigned as his CNA to his AM care. How can you best approach his daily morning care?
You must give equal care to all residents but it necessary to recognize the developmental stage each one is in. You must also recognize that any resident having this type of catastrophic life change will have different emotions at different times. You must work with each mood and not take these events personally.
Natural disasters include all of the following except:
An electrical blackout is inconvenient and dangerous but it is not considered a natural disaster. Answers B, C and D are considered by FEMA to be natural disasters.
You have been taught that it is easier for females to contract a urinary tract infection than for males. How can you be vigilant to help prevent this from happening?
All of the answers can be used to encourage a female patient to prevent urinary tract infections.
Physical bullying, among school aged children, threatens which of Maslow's needs?
Physical bullying can injury a person (physical needs). It can also threaten the child's psychological and physical safety and security, in addition to the fact that all bullying, including physical bullying, leads to a person feeling rejected, rather than loved and belonging to the group.
Another term for "health care proxy" is _______________.
Another term for "health care proxy" is medical power of attorney. This proxy makes medical decision for the patient when the patient is no longer able to make decisions.
During an Ethics Committee meeting, the members are trying to resolve an ethical dilemma using the principle of nonmaleficence. This ethical principle states that we should_____________.
The ethical principle of nonmaleficence states that we must do no harm.
Who is legally able to make decisions for the patient or resident during a patient care conference when the patient is not mentally able to make decisions on their own?
When a person is not able to mentally make decisions, it is the healthcare proxy that legally makes decisions on their behalf. Incompetent patients cannot legally make decisions. Additionally, it is not the doctor, but only the patient or healthcare proxy, that makes decisions. Doctors can make suggestions and recommendations, but not decisions.
You have been assigned to take an apical pulse for one of the patients on the nursing unit. How will you do this?
An apical pulse is taken by placing a stethoscope over the heart and counting the number of beats per minute. Although you will also listen for an irregular pulse, an apical pulse is the number of beats per minute.
The chain of infection includes the ________________.
The chain, or cycle, of infection includes the germ, or microorganism, the reservoir, the exit portal, the mode of transmission, the entry port, and the susceptible host. The types of immunity, not the chain of infection, include active natural immunity, active artificial immunity, passive natural immunity and passive artificial immunity. It is important to learn the cycle, or chain, of infection so you can stop the spread of infection by breaking one or more of these chains. For example, you will break the chain of infection when you stop the mode of transmission by washing your hands.
You will be emptying urinary drainage bags at the end of your shift at 4 pm. You must do which of the following?
You must wear gloves when emptying all of the urinary drainage bags. This is part of our infection control procedures called standard precautions. You do not have to measure the urinary output for all patients, but you do have to measure it when the patient is having their intake and output measured and recorded. CNAs cannot disconnect the tubing from the catheter because this jeopardizes the integrity of this sterile system.
You are getting the patient ready to eat. The patient is on complete bed rest. You will put the head of the bed up at ___________ degrees or more.
The head of the bed should be up at a 30 degree angle or more. This will prevent choking and aspiration of food while the patient is eating.
Mr. Golden has bilateral hand contractures. Contractures:
Contractures result from muscle shortening and cannot be reversed through normal range of motion. They are often painful and negatively impact resident's ability to perform ADLS.
A complication of osteoporosis is _______________.
Joint deformity is a complication of osteoporosis. Gout and rheumatoid arthritis are other types of arthritis. Dorsal flexion is not a complication of osteoporosis. It is part of the range of motion for the foot.
Miss Jones asks if you can wash her hair today while she is in bed. What is the most important consideration?
Shampooing may be safely and legally done by one CNA while the resident is in bed, but a doctor's order may be needed depending upon the resident's diagnoses. Always check with the nurse.
Mrs. Smith receives her nourishment drink PC. What does this mean?
Nourishment PC means "after meals." It may also specify the specific meal or only if she has failed to eat enough at the meal.
You are caring for a resident who has been told her cancer has returned and she has a short time to live. You believe she is in denial. What behavior might reinforce this belief?
Planning a cruise for the next spring indicates a long range unrealistic plan symptomatic of denial. It demonstrates a belief that she will live longer. The other answer options all display a degree of acceptance to the diagnosis.
What is the purpose of writing an incident report?
The purpose of the incident report is to discover negative actions or trends in resident care whether personnel, equipment or procedure related. These reports should be started as soon as possible while the incident is still fresh in your mind and should be finished as soon as practicable so others have input if needed and your work is not negatively impacted.
Teamwork needs ___________________.
Although nurses supervise CNAs, teamwork involves the complete cooperation and collaboration among all members of the health care team, including CNAs.
Restraints are sometimes used for what patient conditions or situations?
Restraints are sometimes used to prevent a patient from pulling their IV, or another life saving tube, out and when the person is a serious danger to themselves and/or others. Restraints are never used for punishment.
Fiber is the indigestible part of the plant. Which of the following is untrue about fiber in a diet?
You cannot digest fiber but it slows sugar absorption, binds with LDL and adds vitamins and minerals as well as adding bulk to stool so it does in fact "affect the digestion" process.
You are caring for a resident who is diabetic. She is very frustrated that the nurse keeps telling her that her blood sugar is too high despite taking her medication. You know she has potato chips at her bedside and eats a lot of them. She avoids sweets and candy but loves pasta and always asks for extra or seconds. What, if anything, should you tell her?
Encouraging her to give up the chips and seconds is a positive step. Additionally, you should encourage her to drink a glass of water to satisfy her oral craving and make her feel full and encourage her to exercise to help divert her attention from food and increase her circulation to help digestion.
Your resident has a colostomy and it is your duty to keep it clean and intact. Which duties fall within your scope of practice?
You can clean out the bag without dislodging it or disturbing the wafer. You can also release gas without disturbing the wafer or bag. Answer A Is incorrect because, unless you have been trained and certified in ostomy care, changing the wafer is out of your scope of practice.
Which is true of MDR-TB?
MDR-TB is resistant by definition to 3 or more antibiotics. Answer B is incorrect because the bacterial infection is spread by airborne transmission.
The resident's vitals are 99 - 98 - 36. Which of these findings needs to be reported immediately to the nurse?
Vital signs are normally noted in the order of temperature, pulse, respirations. The normal range of respirations is 12- 24 breaths per minute. A respiratory rate of 36 should be reported to the nurse.
What is a developmental disability?
Cerebral Palsy is a developmental disability that is a life-long disabling condition. Answers A and B are incorrect as they may be due to delayed development and may not be associated with a life-long disability. Answer C is incorrect because Type I diabetes is not classified as a disability, although it usually develops in early life.
Mr. Elliot, an elderly resident with terminal cancer, says to you "life is just not worth living anymore." He tells you he is planning to save his pain medication to take all at once so he can "end this misery." You must:
Suicidal ideation is considered serious and must be reported at once to the nurse, who will decide whether or not to notify the family. The resident's right to confidentiality in this case is superseded by the immediate concern for safety.
Which of the following is an example of physical abuse?
Slapping, hitting, and punching are examples of physical abuse. Physical abuse is defined as doing something that can physically harm or injure a person.
As you are changing the linens on your patient's bed, you accidentally get stuck with a needle that was left in the patient's bed. You must _______________.
Exposed needles are considered contaminated. When you stick yourself with a needle, you must immediately report this to the nurse and wash your hands with lots of soap and water.
Mr. Gonzalez' care plan states he is to be out of bed using a Hoyer lift QOD. He was last out of bed on Monday. When is the next day he should be out of bed?
QOD is the abbreviation for "every other day." Therefore, he is to be out of bed Wednesday.
CNAs are permitted to do which of the following tasks?
CNAs are permitted to do all of these tasks. However, they do NOT clip the toenails of diabetic patients.
The CNA can legally ____________.
CNAs CANNOT legally supervise, teach or mentor other CNAs. This is the role of the nurse, not the CNA.
You are taking your client to the bathroom during a home care service. She is elderly, with dementia and is a risk to fall due to a hip replacement. The bathroom is down a long hall and the client has informed you she really has to go quick. When you get halfway there she asks you to get her a clean blouse to change into. What should you do?
It is most important in this situation to get the client to the bathroom safely and to plan for getting the blouse after she is back in her chair. Answers A and D are incorrect because leaving her alone while you go get the blouse may endanger her.
CNAs and nursing aides can work in home care__________________.
CNAs and nursing assistants can work in a home without the presence of a nurse, but always under the supervision of a nurse. They can also work with all age groups within the home.
You observe that your resident's left eye is red around the lid, bloodshot inside and slightly puffy. What should you do or report?
You must report your observations to the nurse so clinical assessment can be performed and orders received. You do not call your observations "pink eye" as that is a diagnosis and outside your scope of practice. You should also alert your coworkers of the possibility of infection so they can heighten their awareness of infection control and be especially careful with handwashing.
You are caring for a resident who has severe hemorrhoids. How can you arrange your care to accommodate this problem?
A sitz bath may increase circulation to the area and insure no fecal material remains. You should also monitor for constipation, as this may preempt the resident from straining to have a bowel movement or having a hard bowel movement which may cause bleeding. Answer A is incorrect because if you scrub the hemorrhoids you may cause bleeding and irritation. Wash gently with soap and a soft cloth. Answer C is incorrect because it is out of your scope of practice to medicate residents even with external medications.
