NHA Certified Patient Care Technician/Assistant (CPCT/A) Exam Study Guide

High-yield vocabulary and concept flashcards covering patient care, compliance, safety, infection control, phlebotomy, and EKG monitoring for the NHA CPCT/A examination.

FAST

An acronym used for stroke assessment standing for Face, Arm, Speech, and Time.

Adult CPR Parameters

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation delivered with a compression rate of $100\text{--}120/\text{min}$, at least $2\,\text{inches}$ depth, full recoil, a ratio of $30:2$, and immediate AED use upon arrival.

Adult Normal Vital Signs

Baseline physiological parameters defined as: oral temperature $97.8\text{--}99.1^\circ\text{F}$, heart rate $60\text{--}100\,\text{beats/min}$, respiratory rate $12\text{--}20/\text{min}$, blood pressure below $120/80$, and $\text{SpO}_2$ of $95\text{--}100\%$.

Feeding Tube Aspiration Precautions

Maintaining the head of the bed at $30\text{--}45^\circ$ or higher during enteral feeding and for $30\text{--}60\,\text{minutes}$ afterward to prevent aspiration.

Oxygen Delivery Flow Rates

Equipment flow ranges prescribed for patient oxygenation: nasal cannula at $1\text{--}6\,\text{L/min}$, simple mask at $6\text{--}10\,\text{L/min}$, and non-rebreather mask at $10\text{--}15\,\text{L/min}$.

Antiembolism Stockings

Compression stockings applied before getting out of bed while legs are elevated; applied smoothly without wrinkles, never used with leg massage, and monitored for calf pain, swelling, or numbness.

Intake and Output Volume Conversions

Standard volume equivalents used for charting: $1\,\text{tsp} = 5\,\text{mL}$, $1\,\text{oz} = 30\,\text{mL}$, $1\,\text{cup} = 240\,\text{mL}$, $1\,\text{pint} = 480\,\text{mL}$, and $1\,\text{quart} \approx 1000\,\text{mL}$.

Peripheral IV Removal Protocol

Stopping the infusion, clamping tubing, removing dressing, withdrawing the catheter slowly parallel to the skin under gauze, applying pressure for $2\text{--}3\,\text{minutes}$, and inspecting the catheter tip to ensure it is intact.

Catheter Care

Hygiene performed by cleaning from the urinary meatus downward along the tubing away from the body, maintaining the drainage bag below bladder level and off the floor, and keeping the system closed.

Patient Repositioning Schedule

Changing a bed-bound patient's position at least every $2\,\text{hours}$ to relieve pressure over bony points such as the sacrum, heels, hips, elbows, shoulder blades, back of head, and ears.

Passive ROM

Joint range of motion exercises performed entirely by the technician without patient effort, supporting above and below the joint, stopping at resistance or pain, with approximately $3\text{--}5\,\text{repetitions}$.

Body Weight Conversion

A standard unit conversion in patient assessment where $1\,\text{kg} = 2.2\,\text{lb}$.

Cheyne-Stokes Respiration

An irregular breathing pattern characterized by alternating deep breaths and apnea, recognized as a clinical sign of approaching death.

Five Stages of Grief

The psychological sequence experienced during loss: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

Ileostomy

A surgical opening in the small intestine producing liquid stool that is irritating to the surrounding skin.

Colostomy

A surgical opening in the large intestine producing firmer, formed stool output.

Healthy Stoma

An intestinal stoma that appears moist and pink to red in color; requires emptying when $\frac{1}{3}$ to $\frac{1}{2}$ full.

Splinting Rule

The practice of immobilizing the joint above and the joint below an injury in the exact position found, never attempting to straighten a deformity.

Sterile Field Border

The outer $1\,\text{inch}$ margin of a sterile drape or wrap, which is considered non-sterile and contaminated.

RACE

The healthcare fire response protocol standing for Rescue, Alarm, Contain, and Extinguish/Evacuate.

PASS

The operational sequence for using a fire extinguisher standing for Pull, Aim, Squeeze, and Sweep.

Airborne Precautions

Infection control measures for airborne pathogens (such as TB, measles, and chickenpox) requiring an N95 respirator, a closed negative-pressure room, and standard precautions.

Droplet Precautions

Infection control measures for droplet-transmitted illnesses (such as influenza, pertussis, and meningitis) requiring the use of a surgical mask.

Contact Precautions

Infection control measures for contact-transmissible organisms (such as MRSA, VRE, and C. diff) requiring the donning of a gown and gloves.

PPE Donning Sequence

The designated order for putting on personal protective equipment: gown, mask, eye protection, and gloves.

PPE Doffing Sequence

The designated order for removing personal protective equipment: gloves, eye protection, gown, mask last, followed by immediate hand hygiene.

Sharps Disposal Container

A puncture-resistant safety receptacle used for immediate needle disposal without recapping, which must be replaced when $\frac{3}{4}$ full.

Order of Draw

The standard sequence of blood tubes during venipuncture: blood cultures (yellow), light blue, red/gold, green, lavender, and gray.

Tourniquet Application

Placement applied $3\text{--}4\,\text{inches}$ above the venipuncture site and left on for no longer than $1\,\text{minute}$.

Antecubital Vein Hierarchy

The preferred order of vein selection for venipuncture: median cubital first, cephalic second, and basilic third.

Infant Capillary Puncture

Dermal blood collection indicated for infants under $1\,\text{year}$ of age, performed exclusively on the medial or lateral plantar borders of the heel.

QNS

An abbreviation for Quantity Not Sufficient, indicating a preanalytical specimen rejection caused by an underfilled tube, particularly critical for light blue sodium citrate tubes.

Chain of Custody

A legal tracking process used for forensic tests, drug screens, and blood alcohol levels requiring signatures, dates, times, and tamper-evident sealing at every transfer.

Ventricular Fibrillation (V-fib)

A chaotic, pulseless cardiac dysrhythmia requiring immediate CPR, calling a code, and rapid defibrillation.

Ventricular Tachycardia (V-tach)

A wide, fast, regular cardiac rhythm that is managed by calling for help if a pulse is detected, or treated as cardiac arrest if pulseless.

Asystole

The absence of cardiac electrical activity presenting as a flat line on an EKG; treated with lead confirmation and CPR, and classified as a non-shockable rhythm.

Cardiac Conduction Waves

Components of an EKG tracing representing heart physiology: P wave (atrial depolarization), QRS complex (ventricular depolarization), and T wave (ventricular repolarization).

EKG Paper Speed and Calibration

Standard machine settings running at $25\,\text{mm/s}$ with a voltage calibration of $10\,\text{mm} = 1\,\text{mV}$.

EKG Grid Time Intervals

Horizontal time measurements on an EKG tracing where one small box equals $0.04\,\text{s}$ and one large box equals $0.20\,\text{s}$.

Lead V1 Placement

The precordial electrode positioned in the fourth intercostal space (4th ICS) just to the right of the sternum.

Lead V4 Placement

The precordial electrode positioned in the fifth intercostal space (5th ICS) along the left midclavicular line.