CPCT/A Patient Care Quiz

A patient care technician is applying antiembolism stockings for a patient who is postoperative. Which of the following actions should the technician take

Slide the stocking up over the foot and heel

After fitting the patient's toes into the tip of the stocking, the technician should slide the foot portion of the stocking over the foot, making sure the heel fits into the heel portion of the stocking, and then slide or pull the rest of the stocking up over the calf

A patient care technician is removing a bedpan after a patient has defecated. Which of the following characteristics of the stool should the technician observe for and report to the nurse?

Liquid stool

The technician should report diarrhea to the nurse for assessment of the patient.

A patient care technician is measuring a patient's blood pressure. Which of the following actions should the technician take?

Place the cuff about 2.5 cm above the inner crease of the elbow

The technician should place the cuff around the patient's upper arm, with the lower edge of the cuff about 2.5 cm (1 in) above the brachial pulse point, which is generally at the crease of the inner elbow.

A patient care technician is calculating a patient's fluid intake for the previous hour. The patient received 50 mL of IV fluid, 6 oz of tea, 6 oz of chicken broth, and 8 oz of water. Which of the following amounts should the technician document?

650 mL

The technician should first convert ounces to milliliters. 1 oz = 30 mL. 6 oz tea x 30 mL = 180 mL, 6 oz chicken broth x 30 mL = 180 mL, and 8 oz water x 30 mL = 240 mL. The technician should then add all of the milliliters together to calculate the patient's intake for the previous hour. 50 mL IV fluid + 180 mL tea + 180 mL chicken broth + 240 mL water = 650 mL.

A patient care technician enters a patient's room and finds the patient motionless on the floor. Which of the following findings indicates that the patient requires CPR?

The patient does not respond when shaken and asked, "Are you all right?"

Before initiating CPR, the technician should determine whether the patient is unresponsive. This can be achieved by tapping or shaking the patient and asking if they are all right.

A patient care technician is caring for a patient who has a new diagnosis of advanced lung cancer. The tells tells the technician, "I know I'll be fine because I've never smoked." The technician should identify that the patient is experiencing which of the following stages of greif?

Denial

The technician should identify that the patient is demonstrating the denial stage of grief. During the denial stage, the patient does not believe the loss is happening. The patient might deny the existence of the illness and refuse to discuss therapeutic interventions.

A patient care technician is providing care for a patient who has a leg wound. The technician should identify that which of the following colors of discharge indicates a wound infection?

Green

The technician should identify that yellow, tan, green, or greenish-brown discharge indicates a wound infection. The technician should report this finding to the nurse immediately.

A patient care technician is assisting a nurse to replace a patient's ileostomy pouch of the first time following surgery. After the skin protective wafer is cut, the technician should expect the opening to have which of the following characterisitics?

The opening is 1/16 inch larger then the stoma

This is the right amount of skin to leave inside the pouch around the stoma to minimize the risk for skin breakdown and constricting circulation to the stoma.

A patient care technician is transferring a patient who is weight-bearing from the bed to a wheelchair. Which of the following actions should the technician take?

Apply a gait belt while the patient sits at the side of the bed.

The technician should have the patient sit on the side of the bed prior to ambulation to help reduce dizziness when the patient stands. While the patient is sitting on the side of the bed, the technician should apply a gait belt.

A patient care technician is caring for a patient who had a blood specimen collected and is actively bleeding from the venipuncture site. Which of the following actions should the technician take?

Use a gauze pad to apply pressure to the venipuncture site.

According to first aid recommendations, the technician should use a gauze pad to apply pressure to the bleeding site. The technician should maintain pressure on the bleeding site for several minutes until the bleeding has stopped.

A patient care technician is caring for a 6-year-old child who reports abdominal pain. Which of the following pain rating scales should the technician use to determine the child's level of pain?

FACES

The Wong-Baker FACES pain rating scale was developed to determine pain levels for children and patients who have difficulty using numbers to express the severity of their pain. Therefore, the technician should use this pain rating scale to determine the child's level of pain.

A patient care technician is using a gait belt to assist a pateint who had a stoke to ambulate. Which of the following actions should the technician take?

Hold onto the gait belt while walking slightly behind the patient.

The technician should assist the patient to ambulate by walking slightly behind the patient toward their affected side for optimal support.

A patient care technician is removing a patient's peripheral IV catheter. Which of the following actions should the technician take?

Move the roller clamp on the tubing to the closed position.

The technician should move the roller clamp on the tubing to the closed position to avoid spilling IV fluid.

A patient care technician is caring for a patient who has heart failure. Which of the following manifestations should the technician expect?

Edema in the legs

The technician should expect a patient who has heart failure to have edema, or swelling, in the legs.

A patient care technician is using a mechanical lift to transfer a patient who is non-weight-bearing from a bed to a wheelchair. Which of the following actions should the technician take?

Lock the wheels on the bed, wheelchair, and lift.

For the safety of the patient and technician, it is essential to lock the wheels on all three pieces of equipment before transferring the patient.

A patient care technician is applying sequential compression device (SCD) sleeves for a patient who is postoperative following knee surgery. Which of the following actions should the technician take?

Place the opening of the SCD sleeve at the back of the patient's knee.

The technician should place an SCD sleeve under each leg, with the popliteal opening at the level of the patient's knee, and then securely wrap the sleeve around the leg.

A patient care technician is preparing to serve a meal tray to a patient who has vision loss. Which of the following actions should the technician take?

Use the numbers of a clock to describe the food on the plate to the patient.

The technician should use the numbers of a clock to describe the location of food on the plate to the patient. Patients who have vision loss can locate foods by imagining a clock's face and using the technician's description of the food's location.

A patient care technician is caring for a patient who has lower denture and requires assistance with oral hygiene. Which of the following actions should the technician take?

Remove the denture by turning it sideways and lifting it up.

The technician should use a square gauze pad to grasp the lower denture, then turn it sideways and lift it up to remove it from the patient's mouth.

A patient care technician is weighing a patient using an upright mechanical scale. Which of the following actions should the technician take?

Move the large weight to the point where it is closest, but still below the patient's estimated weight.

The technician should move the largest weight first, to the point closest to the patient's estimated weight or to the patient's last recorded weight, but still below it.

A patient care technician is providing instructions to a patient about using a walker. Which of the following instructions should the technician include?

"Position the handgrips level to your hips."

The technician should instruct the patient to position the handgrips of the walker level to their hips.

A patient care technician is replacing a colostomy appliance for a patient. Which of the following actions should the technician take?

Wash the skin around the stoma with warm water.

The technician should wash the skin around the stoma with warm water, then pat dry.

A patient care technician is caring for a patient who has a terminal illness. The patient tells the technician, "I've had a difficult life, so it's okay that I am going to die." The technician should identify that the patient is demonstrating which of the following coping mechanisms?

Rationalization

The technician should identify that the patient is demonstrating rationalization. With rationalization, patients construct an explanation that makes something negative or unacceptable seem justifiable or acceptable.

A patient care technician is observing a pressure ulcer on a patient's heel. The technician notes that the skin layers are worn away and the subcutaneous fat is visible. The technician should identify that

the pressure ulcer is in which of the following stages?

Stage 3

The technician should identify that the patient has a stage III pressure ulcer. With a stage III pressure ulcer, there is full-thickness loss of skin layers, and the underlying fat and tissue are visible. There might also be drainage from the ulcer.

A patient care technician is assigned to perform a sterile dressing change on a patient's pressure ulcer. Which of the following of the Five Rights of Delegation should the technician be concerned about

violating?

Right task

The technician should identify that performing a sterile dressing change is outside their scope of practice and should clarify this assignment with the nurse. With the right task, the technician should consider whether they can legally perform the task and whether they have been trained to perform the task.

A patient care technician is caring for a patient who requires supplemental oxygen via nasal cannula. Which of the following actions should the technician take?

Place cotton between the cannula's tubing and the patient's ears.

The technician should pad the area between the nasal cannula's tubing and the patient's ears with gauze or cotton. This prevents skin breakdown due to friction and improves patient comfort.

While changing a dry-gauze dressing, a patient care technician finds that the gauze is adhering to the patient's skin. Which of the following actions should the technician take?

Apply sterile water to the gauze.

When a gauze dressing adheres to the wound, the technician should moisten the gauze with sterile water or 0.9% sodium chloride to help release the adhesion.

A patient care technician is performing postmortem care for a patient. Which of the following actions should the technician take to prepare the body for viewing by the family?

Close the patient's eyes and mouth.

The technician should close the patient's eyes and mouth to create a natural appearance of the face.

A patient care technician is collecting specimens for a patient. Which of the following findings should the technician report to the nurse?

Blood in the stool.

The technician should report this finding to the nurse because blood in the stool can indicate gastrointestinal bleeding.

A patient care technician is performing hourly checks for several patients. To help anticipate and prevent falls, which of the following questions should the technician routinely include?

"Do you need to use the restroom?"

Falls are common when patients who might feel dizzy or confused get out of bed to use the restroom without assistance. By anticipating and meeting patients' toileting needs, the technician is helping prevent falls.

A patient care technician is transporting a patient in a wheelchair. When coming to a curb, which of the following actions should the technician take?

When going down a curb, back the larger rear wheels off the curb and roll them down the curb.

When going down a curb, the technician should back the larger rear wheels off the curb and roll them down the curb.

A patient care technician is caring for a patient who is at risk for pressure ulcers. Which of the following actions should the technician take to prevent pressure ulcers?

Use a draw sheet when moving the patient up in bed.

The technician should use a draw sheet when moving the patient up in bed. Using a draw sheet to move the patient prevents friction and shearing forces, which contribute to the development of pressure ulcers. The technician should also obtain the assistance of another staff member when moving the patient up in bed.

A patient care technician is assisting a patient who is postoperative to use an incentive spirometer. Which of the following statements should the technician make?

"Try to raise the indicator inside the spirometer by inhaling."

Using an incentive spirometer is a breathing exercise that helps prevent respiratory complications for patients who have had surgery. With this device, patients should try to raise the indicator in the chamber by placing their lips around the mouthpiece and inhaling through the device.

A patient care technician is caring for a patient who is 1-day postoperative following abdominal surgery. When assisting the patient to perform coughing and deep breathing exercises, which of the

following actions should the technician take?

Place a pillow over the patient's incision site.

The technician should place a pillow over the patient's incision site to reduce intra-abdominal pressure and stress on the incision site.

A patient care technician is assisting a patient who is postoperative to ambulate. Which of the following actions should the technician take first before assisting the patient to ambulate?

Have the patient sit on the edge of the bed.

The first action the technician should take before assisting the patient to ambulate is to have the patient sit on the edge of the bed. This allows the patient's blood pressure to stabilize and prevents the patient from falling due to orthostatic hypotension.

A patient care technician enters the room of a patient who has a new diagnosis of cancer and finds the patient crying. Which of the following statements should the technician make?

"You seem to be feeling sad. What are your thoughts right now?"

When providing emotional support to a patient, the technician should ask open-ended questions, which require more than a "yes" or "no" answer. This invites patients to share their thoughts and feelings with someone who shows interest in listening.

A patient care technician is performing passive range-of-motion exercises for a patient. Which of the following techniques should the technician use to hyperextend the patient's shoulder?

With the patient's elbow straight, move their arm backwards, behind their body.

The technician should use this technique to hyperextend the patient's shoulder.

A patient care technician is measuring an adult patient's vital signs. Which of the following findings should the technician report to the nurse?

Heart rate 124/min

The technician should identify that this heart rate is above the expected reference range of 60 to 100/min for an adult patient. Therefore, the technician should report this finding to the nurse.

A patient care technician enters a patient's room and finds the patient sitting on the floor. The patient states, "I was getting out of bed when I felt dizzy and slid to the floor." Which of the following actions

should the technician take first?

Notify the nurse.

The first action the technician should take is to notify the nurse immediately for a thorough assessment of the patient.

A patient care technician is preparing a patient of receive an enteral feeding through a nasogastric tube. THe patient is resting on their side in bed. Which of the following actions should the technician take?

Raise the head of the patient's bed to a semi-upright position.

To prevent regurgitation and aspiration during an enteral feeding, the technician should raise the head of the patient's bed to an upright or semi-upright position.

A patient care technician is observing a patient who is using crutches. Which of the following should the technician identify as proper technique when using crutches?

The patient uses the handgrips to support their body weight.

The technician should ensure that the patient is using the handgrips to support their full body weight. The patient should avoid placing their full body weight on the crutches under their arms.