CNA Knowledge Test Review Vocabulary

Terms

  • Privacy: Always prioritize resident privacy.
  • Safety: Resident and your safety is paramount.
  • HIPAA (Health Information Portability and Accountability Act): Protects resident privacy and confidentiality.
  • Ombudsman: Legal advocate for resident rights.
  • Delegation: Transferring responsibility for a task.
  • Person-directed care: Encouraging resident choices, dignity, and respect.
  • Care plan: Individualized tasks and goals for residents.
  • Misappropriation of property: Stealing from residents.
  • Abuse: Purposeful mistreatment causing harm; report immediately. Types: physical, sexual, harassment, financial, mental, verbal, & involuntary seclusion.
  • Neglect: Failure to provide needs, resulting in harm.
  • Assault: Threat of touch without consent.
  • Battery: Unauthorized touching.
  • Mandated Reporter: Legally required to report suspected abuse.
  • Slander: False statements injuring reputation.
  • Willful Infliction of Harm: Deliberate harm to another.

Healthcare Teams & Ethics

  • Nursing team: RN, LPN, CNAs.
  • Healthcare Team: All staff (RN, doctor, pharmacist, etc.).
  • Ethics: Knowledge of right and wrong, values, morals.
  • Medicare: Federal health insurance for those 65+.
  • Medicaid: Federal/state health insurance for low-income and disabled.
  • LTC (Skilled Care/Nursing Homes): 24-hour care for disabled, chronic conditions, and/or elderly.
  • Assisted Living: For those needing help with ADLs.
  • Acute Illness: Sudden illness with expected recovery.
  • Chronic Illness: Ongoing, gradual illness with no cure.

Communication

  • Communication involves a sender, receiver, message, and response; clarify to ensure understanding.
    • Verbal: Spoken, signed, or written words.
    • Non-Verbal: Facial expressions, eye contact, gestures, body language.
    • Communication Barriers: Factors blocking communication (e.g., resident difficulty, failure to listen).

OBRA and Resident Rights

  • OBRA (Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act): Federal law protecting LTC residents, regulating CNA training.
    • Supports, improves, and protects residents in LTC.
    • Sets minimum standards for CNA training.
  • UNAR (Utah Nursing Assistant Registry): Maintains CNA standards; Utah requires 76 hours class time and 24 hours clinicals.
  • Renewal: Every 2 years, must work 200 hours and pass tests.
  • CNA Scope of Responsibility: ADLs, reporting changes, following care plans, respecting rights.
  • CNA Restrictions: No sterile procedures, medications, or taking doctor's orders; no inserting objects into body openings; no supervising other CNAs.
  • Abuse must be reported immediately.
  • Delegation must come from nurses only.
  • Utah Nursing Assistant Registry (UNAR) oversees CNA programs and the Abuse Registry.
  • Abuse Registry: Permanent record unless error, not guilty verdict, or death.
  • Goal is to provide quality care and the resident has a right to respect, freedom from abuse, refusal of treatment, privacy, informed consent, phone and mail, etc.
  • Sexual Harassment: Unwanted sexual advances, jokes, touching, or pictures.

Communication & Observation Skills

  • Communicate clearly and kindly, face the resident, and be patient.
  • Objective observations (signs): what you see, hear, touch, or smell.
  • Subjective observations (symptoms): what the patient reports (e.g., headache).
  • Cultural Sensitivity: Treat residents as they wish to be treated.

Guidelines for Communicating

  • Hearing impaired: Ensure hearing aids work, speak clearly and slowly, reduce noise.
  • Vision impaired: Face person, touch gently, use clock references for position, don't rearrange furniture.
  • CVA/stroke: Face person, speak slowly, give simple directions, allow response time, be aware of weak side.

Reporting & Documentation

  • Report immediately: falls, chest pain, severe headaches, breathing trouble, bruises, declining condition.
  • Medical Records/Chart: Legal document with health information.
  • Kardex: Quick reference for patient information and orders.
  • Care plan: Plan of care for the patient.
  • Facilities' policy book: Rules and regulations.
  • Charting: Use black ink, chart only what you do, include date & time, sign entries, chart facts not opinions.

Other Important Points

  • Answer the phone promptly and professionally.
  • Keep call lights within reach.
  • Use military time (24-hour clock).
  • Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: Physical needs, safety, love, self-esteem, self-actualization.
  • Holistic care: Caring for the whole person (physical, spiritual, psychological, social).
  • Encourage dignity, independence, and self-care in the elderly.
  • Maintain confidentiality.

Sexuality, Spirituality, and Family

  • Respect sexual identity and needs; sexual needs continue throughout life.
  • Respect spiritual, cultural, and religious beliefs.
  • Families provide support and encouragement.

Safety Measures

  • Beds low and locked, call lights and water within reach.
  • Identify resident before care using wristband and picture.
  • Use proper body mechanics: bend knees, keep back straight, pivot, use strong muscles.
  • OSHA: Regulates workplace safety; Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for hazardous materials.

Restraints

  • Require doctor's order, not for convenience, release every 2 hours; check every 15 minutes.
  • Use quick-release knot, attach to bed frame.
  • Alternatives: address underlying needs (e.g., lighting, toileting).

Falls & Incident Reporting

  • Lower falling resident to floor, protect head, stay with resident, fill out incident report.
  • Fall prevention: answer call lights, use non-skid shoes, proper lighting, bed alarms.

Fire Safety

  • Requires flammable product, oxygen, and spark.
  • RACE: Remove, Alarm, Contain, Extinguish/Evacuate.
  • PASS: Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep (fire extinguisher).

Emergency Procedures

  • Choking: ask if choking, abdominal thrusts (conscious only).
  • MI/cardiac arrest: call nurse, monitor VS, prepare for CPR.
  • Burn prevention: check water temperature (95-105°F), check warm compress/pack after 5 minutes.
  • CVA (Stroke): identify signs immediately (FAST: Facial drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to call 911).

Infection Control

  • Microorganisms: small living things seen with a microscope that include bacteria, virus, pathogen and non-pathogen.
  • Chain of Infection: Causative agent, reservoir, portal of exit, mode of transmission, portal of entry, susceptible host.
  • Body defenses: intact skin/mucous membranes, digestive juices, antibodies, white blood cells.
  • Asepsis: absence of disease-producing microbes.