CNA Certification (Written Exam) practice questions
235 free questions with answers and explanations.
- 1.A nurse aide is setting up a meal tray for a resident who is blind. Using the clock method, the aide should describe food locations by:Communication and Psychosocial Needs
- 2.A resident has a living will stating she does not want to be placed on a mechanical ventilator, but she has no DNR order on file. The resident stops breathing and has no pulse. What should the nurse aide do?Resident Rights and Legal/Ethical
- 3.While bathing an elderly resident, a nurse aide notices the skin on the back of the resident's hand remains 'tented' for several seconds after being gently pinched. What should the nurse aide do?Basic Nursing Skills
- 4.A resident is in hospice care for a terminal illness. What is the primary goal of hospice care?Communication and Psychosocial Needs
- 5.A nurse aide overhears another staff member refusing to answer a resident's call light because 'that resident is always demanding and speaks broken English.' This behavior is an example of:Resident Rights and Legal/Ethical
- 6.A family member of a terminally ill resident repeatedly insists, 'The doctors are wrong, she's going to be just fine,' despite a confirmed terminal diagnosis. This reaction most likely reflects which stage of grief, and how should the nurse aide respond?Communication and Psychosocial Needs
- 7.A resident from a culture that values modesty asks to have same-gender staff assist with bathing. The nurse aide should:Communication and Psychosocial Needs
- 8.A resident is placed on droplet precautions for suspected pertussis. What must the nurse aide do regarding the resident's door and signage?Infection Control and Safety
- 9.A nurse aide notices that a dying resident has stopped eating and is taking very little fluid over the past two days. What is the most appropriate action?Communication and Psychosocial Needs
- 10.A resident who is alert and oriented refuses to take a shower today. The nurse aide has already explained the importance of hygiene. What should the aide do next?Resident Rights and Legal/Ethical
- 11.A new nurse aide is washing hands with soap and water before a meal service. Which action is part of the correct handwashing technique?Infection Control and Safety
- 12.A resident's shift output included 350 mL of urine, 4 oz of vomitus, and 100 mL from a wound drainage collection device. What is the total output in milliliters that the nurse aide should record?Basic Nursing Skills
- 13.Before helping a resident bathe, the nurse aide should first:Resident Rights and Legal/Ethical
- 14.A resident's family member asks the nurse aide to insert a urinary catheter because the nurse is busy. What should the aide do?Resident Rights and Legal/Ethical
- 15.A nurse aide is assigned to care for a resident with confirmed active tuberculosis. Before entering the room wearing an N95 respirator, what must the aide do to ensure the mask is providing adequate protection?Infection Control and Safety
- 16.A nurse aide takes a resident's oral temperature and obtains a reading of 98.6°F. How should this finding be interpreted?Basic Nursing Skills
- 17.A nurse aide is taking a resident's blood pressure while the resident is lying down, then again after the resident stands up, to check for orthostatic hypotension. What symptom should the nurse aide watch for that would confirm this condition?Basic Nursing Skills
- 18.A resident tells the nurse aide she is unhappy with the food served at the facility and wants to file a formal complaint. What should the nurse aide do?Resident Rights and Legal/Ethical
- 19.A nurse aide is collecting a clean-catch midstream urine specimen from a female resident. Which step is essential for an accurate specimen?Basic Nursing Skills
- 20.A fire alarm sounds while a nurse aide is assisting a resident in the shower room. Using the RACE fire response protocol, what is the FIRST action the aide should take?Infection Control and Safety
- 21.A nurse aide sustains an accidental needlestick injury while disposing of a used syringe. What is the FIRST action the aide should take?Infection Control and Safety
- 22.A nurse aide caring for a dying resident notices a breathing pattern of rapid, shallow breaths alternating with periods of no breathing lasting several seconds. What is this pattern called, and what should the aide do?Communication and Psychosocial Needs
- 23.A resident's intake for the shift includes 240 mL of water, 180 mL of coffee, and 120 mL of soup. What is the total fluid intake in milliliters?Basic Nursing Skills
- 24.A nurse aide enters a resident's room and finds them unresponsive and not breathing. The resident's chart clearly states a valid Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order. What should the aide do?Resident Rights and Legal/Ethical
- 25.A nurse aide is about to help a resident with morning care. According to standard precautions, when should the aide perform hand hygiene?Infection Control and Safety
- 26.A nurse aide is preparing to enter the room of a resident on contact precautions to provide wound care. Which order is correct for donning personal protective equipment (PPE)?Infection Control and Safety
- 27.A fire breaks out in a resident's room, and the nurse aide is the first to discover it. Following the RACE protocol, what is the FIRST action the aide should take?Infection Control and Safety
- 28.A nurse aide finds a small trash can fire in the resident's room and decides it is safe to use a fire extinguisher. Using the PASS technique, what should the aide do immediately after pulling the pin?Infection Control and Safety
- 29.A facility wants to discharge a resident because her family stopped paying privately and she is transitioning to Medicaid. Under resident rights regulations, this type of involuntary discharge is:Resident Rights and Legal/Ethical
- 30.A confused resident becomes agitated and combative during care. The nurse gives the resident a sedative not ordered for a diagnosed condition, specifically to make the resident easier to manage. This is an example of:Resident Rights and Legal/Ethical
- 31.A nurse aide notices a resident's room floor is wet from a recently mopped area. What is the priority action to prevent a fall?Infection Control and Safety
- 32.A family member of a resident who died says calmly, 'I know she is at peace now, and I'm grateful I got to say goodbye.' This statement reflects which stage of grief?Communication and Psychosocial Needs
- 33.A nurse aide is caring for a resident with moderate dementia who becomes agitated when asked multiple questions at once. What is the best approach when giving instructions?Communication and Psychosocial Needs
- 34.A nurse aide needs to collect a stool specimen from a resident who also needs to urinate. What is the correct action?Basic Nursing Skills
- 35.A nurse aide is transferring a weak resident from the bed to a wheelchair. Which action best helps prevent a fall during this transfer?Infection Control and Safety
- 36.A physician needs to perform a new procedure on a resident that was not previously explained. Who is responsible for obtaining informed consent from the resident before the procedure?Resident Rights and Legal/Ethical
- 37.A nurse aide is asked to check a resident's apical pulse. Where should the stethoscope be placed?Basic Nursing Skills
- 38.A nurse aide is teaching a new coworker about proper hand hygiene. What is the minimum amount of time hands should be scrubbed with soap and water to effectively remove germs?Infection Control and Safety
- 39.After finishing wound care on a resident with a known infection, a nurse aide removes PPE. Which item should be removed FIRST?Infection Control and Safety
- 40.A resident's oral temperature is measured at 101.6°F. What should the nurse aide do?Basic Nursing Skills
- 41.When weighing a resident on a standing scale to track weight changes over time, which practice ensures the most accurate comparison between readings?Basic Nursing Skills
- 42.A resident with dementia becomes increasingly confused, restless, and agitated every day around 4:00–5:00 PM. This pattern is best known as:Communication and Psychosocial Needs
- 43.A nurse aide notices that a resident from a different cultural background avoids direct eye contact during conversations. The aide should understand that this behavior:Communication and Psychosocial Needs
- 44.A nurse aide observes that a resident's respirations are 32 breaths per minute and shallow. What should the nurse aide do first?Basic Nursing Skills
- 45.A resident's hearing aid is not working properly, and she says she cannot hear well today. What should the nurse aide check first?Communication and Psychosocial Needs
- 46.While riding the elevator at the facility, two nurse aides discuss a resident's recent diagnosis where other visitors can overhear. This is an example of a violation of:Resident Rights and Legal/Ethical
- 47.A resident begins coughing forcefully into the open air during a group activity. According to respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette, what should the nurse aide teach the resident to do?Infection Control and Safety
- 48.A nurse aide is preparing to count a resident's respirations. Which technique is correct?Basic Nursing Skills
- 49.A nurse aide is assisting a resident who has no known infections with routine bathing. Under standard precautions, how should the aide treat the resident's blood and body fluids?Infection Control and Safety
- 50.While assisting with a procedure, a nurse aide's protective eyewear becomes dislodged and a small amount of a resident's blood splashes directly into the aide's eye. What is the FIRST action the aide should take?Infection Control and Safety