CNA EXAM written

CNA Exam Study Notes - South Carolina

Legal and Ethical Terms

  • Assault: A threat to harm a person, leading to fear of harm.

  • Battery: Intentional touching of a person without their consent; examples include forcing a resident to bathe or eat.

  • False Imprisonment: Unlawful restraint or restriction of a person’s freedom of movement, such as not allowing a resident to leave a facility.

  • Involuntary Seclusion: Separation from others against the person's will, e.g., forcing a resident to stay in their room.

  • Neglect: Failure to provide necessary care, resulting in physical, mental, or emotional harm.

  • Negligence: Failure to act appropriately, leading to unintended injury, such as forgetting to secure a wheelchair before a transfer.

  • Malpractice: Injury due to professional misconduct through negligence or lack of skill.

  • Ombudsman: A legal advocate for residents, assisting in conflict resolution and disputes.

  • Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA): Federal law requires the protection and privacy of health information. Organizations must implement special measures to safeguard this information.

Documentation and Care

  • Documentation is crucial; if care is not documented, it is legally considered not to have occurred.

Medical Terminology

  • Minimum Data Set (MDS): A detailed form for assessing residents in long-term care, to be completed by nurses within 14 days of admission.

Stroke Recognition

  • Signs of a stroke: Face drooping, arm weakness, speech difficulty. If these occur, call 911 immediately.

Basic Medical Terms

  • Incontinence: Inability to control bladder and/or bowel movements.

  • Derm: Refers to skin.

  • Itis: Indicates inflammation.

  • Dermatitis: Inflammation of the skin.

Vital Signs and Body Functions

  • Brady: Slow.

  • Cardia: Heart.

  • Bradycardia: Slow heartbeat.

  • Pathy: Disease.

  • Neuro: Nervous system.

  • Neuropathy: Disease of the nerves, causing burning, tingling, numbness, and pain, usually in the feet.

Communication Techniques

  • Hearing Impairment: Speak clearly and slowly; use short sentences and maintain a low pitch. Remove background noise and ensure good lighting.

  • Vision Impairment: Speak before touching. Ensure good lighting and do not move personal items; instead, describe their location.

Body Mechanics and Safety

  • Body Mechanics: Refers to how the body's parts work together for movement.

  • Support residents during transfers, especially those falling; do not try to catch them but guide them to the floor.

  • Fire Safety: In case of a fire, follow these steps: pull the pin on the fire extinguisher, aim at the fire's base, squeeze the handle, and sweep back and forth across the base.

  • Oxygen Hazards: Do not apply substances like chapstick or Vaseline to those on oxygen, as they can be fire hazards. Turn off oxygen and remove tanks in the event of a fire.

  • Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): Federal agency establishing rules to protect workers from job hazards.

Emergency Procedures

  • Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR): Medical procedures for use when a person’s heart or lungs stop working.

  • Abdominal Thrusts: A method to remove objects blocking the airway in choking incidents.

  • Cyanotic: Referring to blue-tinted skin, often indicating a lack of oxygen.

  • Shock: Occurs when the body’s organs and tissues do not get adequate blood supply.

Cardiovascular Conditions

  • Myocardial Infarction (MI): A heart attack due to insufficient oxygen reaching the heart muscle caused by blocked blood vessels.

    • Symptoms include sudden severe chest pain and pain in the arms.

  • Syncope: Fainting caused by decreased blood flow to the brain.

  • Insulin Reaction: Occurs with hypoglycemia, resulting from too much insulin or insufficient food intake.

  • Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA): Caused by having too little insulin in the body.

  • Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA): A stroke resulting from blocked or ruptured blood vessels in the brain.

  • Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA): A warning sign of a stroke caused by temporary lack of blood supply to the brain.

  • Hemiplegia: Paralysis on one side of the body.

  • Hemiparesis: Weakness or numbness, especially on one side of the body.

Speech and Communication Disorders

  • Expressive Aphasia: Difficulty in speaking or slurred speech.

  • Receptive Aphasia: Difficulty understanding spoken or written words.

  • Emesis: Vomiting; an emesis basin is specifically designed for this purpose.

Infection Prevention

  • Infection Prevention: Methods practiced to control the spread of disease in healthcare settings.

  • Microorganism: A living organism that is only visible under a microscope.

  • Localized Infection: An infection that is restricted to a specific part of the body, contrasted with systemic infections affecting the entire body.

  • Healthcare-Associated Infection (HAI): Infections acquired while receiving medical care.

Chain of Infection

  1. Causative agent: A pathogenic microorganism that causes disease.

  2. Reservoir: The place where the pathogen lives and multiplies.

  3. Portal of Exit: Openings on an infected person that allow pathogens to leave.

  4. Mode of Transmission: The method by which the pathogen spreads.

  5. Portal of Entry: Openings that allow pathogens to enter an uninfected person.

  6. Susceptible Host: An uninfected individual who could become ill.

  • HANDWASHING is emphasized as the most important method for stopping the spread of infections.

  • Medical Asepsis: Measures used to reduce the spread of pathogens (e.g., handwashing).

  • Surgical Asepsis: Also known as sterile technique.

Modes of Transmission

  • Droplet: Transmitted through respiratory droplets (e.g., flu, colds, possibly COVID).

  • Airborne: Spread through the air (e.g., tuberculosis, measles).

  • Contact: Spread through touch (e.g., pink eye, mono, MRSA).

Bloodborne Pathogens and Diseases

  • Standard Precautions: Treating all blood and bodily fluids as if they are infected.

  • Bloodborne Pathogens: Microorganisms in human blood that can cause diseases.

  • Hepatitis: Inflammation of the liver, a common bloodborne disease.

  • Tuberculosis (TB): Highly contagious lung disease, requires droplet precautions.

  • COVID-19: Requires both droplet and airborne precautions.

  • MRSA: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus; requires strict precautions.

  • VRE: Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus, spread through contact.

  • Clostridium difficile (C. diff): A spore-forming bacterium part of normal intestinal flora, can overgrow under certain conditions.

Holistic Care

  • Holistic Care: Approach that cares for the whole person, addressing both mind and body.

End-of-Life Care

  • Five Stages of Grief (Dying Process):

    1. Denial: Refusal to accept that one is dying.

    2. Anger: Emotional response to the diagnosis.

    3. Bargaining: Attempts to negotiate for more time or a different outcome.

    4. Depression: Profound sadness and withdrawal.

    5. Acceptance: Coming to terms with impending death.

  • Advance Directives: Legal documents allowing individuals to state their medical care preferences in case they cannot make decisions.

  • Living Will: Specifies the types of medical care desired.

  • Do Not Resuscitate (DNR): A medical order indicating not to perform CPR.

Respiratory Patterns

  • Cheyne-Stokes Respiration: A pattern of shallow breaths with periods of no breathing.

Measurement Conversions

  • Volume Conversion: 1 oz = 30 mL.

Vital Ranges

  • Temperature Ranges:

    • Oral: 97.6°F - 99.6°F

    • Rectal: 98.6°F - 100.6°F (most accurate)

    • Axillary: 96.6°F - 99.7°F (least accurate)

    • Ear: 96.6°F - 99.7°F

    • Temporal artery: 97.2°F - 100.1°F

  • Normal Pulse Rate: 60-100 bpm.

  • Normal Respiratory Rate: 12-20 breaths per minute.

  • Normal Blood Pressure: 90-119 systolic over 60-79 diastolic (hypo and hyper defined).

Patient Positions

  • Supine: Lying flat on the back.

  • Lateral: Lying on either side.

  • Prone: Lying on the stomach.

  • Fowler's position: Sitting at a 45 to 60-degree angle.

  • High Fowler's: 60-90 degrees.

  • Semi-Fowler's: 30-45 degrees.

  • Sims' Position: Left side-lying.

Patient Assistance Strategies

  • Cane is held on the strong side.

  • Food should be eaten on the strong side of the mouth.

  • Always walk on the weak side next to patients using a cane.

Specialized Care

  • Palliative Care: Designed for seriously ill individuals, focusing on relief from symptoms for comfort and dignity.

  • Metabolism definition: The body’s physical and chemical processes.

  • Largest organ system: Skin.

  • Total bones in the human body: 206 bones.

Muscle Conditions

  • Atrophy: Decrease in muscle size and strength.

  • Contracture: Shortening and stiffening of muscles or tendons, leading to permanent disability.

  • Osteoporosis: Bone density reduction, making bones porous and brittle.

Nervous System

  • Central Nervous System (CNS): Comprises the brain and spinal cord.

  • Peripheral Nervous System (PNS): Includes all nerves outside the CNS.

Assisting Patients with Mobility Issues

  • Lead with the strong side while assisting residents with paralysis.

  • Hold onto the weak side when walking.

Swallowing Difficulties

  • Dysphagia: Difficulty swallowing.

  • When dressing a patient with affected sides, undress the left side first and dress the right side first.

  • Support the weak side while assisting in transfers.