Basic Nursing Skills

To obtain the most accurate patient weight, the nursing assistant should weigh the patient ____.

at the same time every day

A nursing assistant is instructed to take the oral temperature of a patient who just had a cold drink. The patient's temperature should be taken ____.

15 minutes after the drink was finished

A nursing assistant is caring for a patient with MRSA and is wearing a gown and gloves whenever she provides the patient care. When she needs to go care for another patient, she should dispose of her gown and gloves ____.

in the current patient's room

Another term for decubitus ulcer is ____.

pressure sore

Why is taking a resident's oral temperature the most common means of obtaining a reading?

It offers the most ease of access and least inconvenience to the resident.

When transferring a resident from a wheelchair to stationary chair, the nursing assistant should stand ____.

in front of the wheelchair

Which of these could be considered neglectful when assisting a resident with showering?

leaving the resident alone so they are motivated to care for themselves

A resident in your care is suffering chest pains. Which of these is not a direction to follow?

Have the resident take small sips of water and place them in a downright position.

All of these are ways to prevent pressures sores except ____.

providing extra blankets

Which of these describes stage 4 of a decubitus ulcer?

open area with damage reaching to the bone, joint, or tendons

Which medical term is often used for "burping, belching and passing gas"?

flatus

Making a bed, whether occupied or unoccupied, should end with ____.

washing your hands

Which of these is least likely to contribute to skin tears?

length of hair

Which of these treatments would be best to decrease swelling?

cold compression

Which of these is the least likely to signal impending death?

increase in appetite

Which medical position can be described as, "The patient's head is elevated with legs either bent or straight"?

Fowler's position

Which of these examples demonstrates using proper body mechanics when helping to lift a resident in bed?

bending at the waist, knees partially flexed, using leg muscles to lift

The best use of alcohol-based sanitizer is ____.

when hands are not visibly soiled

Which of these is incorrect in reference to wearing gloves?

Always wear latex gloves because they are the most impermeable option.

If you are walking with a resident and they fall, which of these is not an action you should take?

Help the resident off the floor and in to the nearest chair.

If you smell smoke and discover a resident smoking in his room, it is best to ____.

have him stop and remind him of the facility policies because of the hazards it creates to every resident

A resident is supposed to have 240 milliliters of juice every 2 hours. Which of these choices would be the most convenient to meet this requirement?

8 oz. can of juice

All of these might be used in dealing with contractures except ____.

bandaging

Hypertension is a medical term for ____.

high blood pressure

To minimize the spread of bacteria, further infection and contamination, which procedure should be used for washing the perineum of a resident with a catheter?

Wash from the meatus out.

Which of these should not be part of the process for cleaning a resident's dentures?

placing clean dentures on top of a tissue on the resident's table

A resident in your care has called you for help. He claims he can't find his dentures. As a nursing assistant, it is your responsibility to ____.

notify the supervising nurse

Applying friction in the handwashing process is very important. According to CDC recommendations, the scrubbing portion of handwashing should take ____.

20 seconds

All of these precautions should be followed when using a transfer-gait belt, except ____.

not worrying about proper body mechanics

Which of these is considered an accurate method for counting respiration rate?

The nursing assistant looks at the resident's abdomen and a watch at the same time.

The medical term tetraplegia—meaning paralysis of all four extremities—is often used interchangeably with the term ____.

quadriplegia

Which of these is not true when taking a blood pressure reading?

The optimum position for the resident is lying down with his or her feet elevated

A resident has the following symptoms: dizziness, feeling faint, blood pressure below 90/60 and cold, sweaty skin. The resident is most likely suffering from ____.

hypotension

The normal pulse rate for an adult is 60-100 beats per minute. The normal pulse rate for children is ____.

70-120 beats per minute

Alcohol-based hand cleanser is appropriate for all of these situations except ____.

when hands have observable dirt

Which of these is not true about the proper procedure for taking a tympanic membrane temperature with an electric thermometer?

Be sure the ear is free of cerumen (earwax) before inserting the unit.

If you are helping a resident put on a clean night shirt and it falls to the ground before you get started, it is best to ____.

put the shirt in the hamper for cleaning and get another clean garment

Convulsions are associated with ____.

a seizure

When muscle tissues shorten and then a joint becomes hard to move it is called ____.

a contracture

Which of these tasks related to intravenous therapy is in the scope of responsibilities for a nursing assistant?

Watch the drip and report any problems.

A resident is ill with the following symptoms: fever, swelling, redness, and chills. The resident most likely has ____.

an infection

Which of these would most likely be used to protect a resident from inflicting immediate harm to themselves in a care facility setting?

restraints

Which of these applies to proper hand washing procedures?

Use a towel to turn off the faucet.

Why is an axillary reading generally lower than the other forms of taking a temperature?

It is not inside the body

Which of these is the correct step in taking a radial pulse?

Press lightly against the radial bone with your fingers.

Which statement is false with regard to taking a rectal temperature?

Mercury thermometers are preferred for accuracy.

A pulse can be taken in all of these areas except ____.

the back of the head

Which statement is incorrect regarding the Heimlich maneuver?

If the resident is coughing violently, proceed with the Heimlich maneuver immediately.