TheoryCNA Study Guide
Study for the CNA with exam topics, practice questions, a free PDF, video walkthrough and timed mock exam links.
How to study for CNA
- Read the topic list so you know what the exam is likely to cover.
- Answer the free practice questions and read every explanation.
- Download the PDF for offline review.
- Use timed mock exams when your untimed practice feels comfortable.
Topics to review
- Safe and effective care environment
- Health promotion and maintenance
- Psychosocial and physiological integrity
- Pharmacology, infection control and patient safety
Try CNA questions now
Q1If a sterile washcloth fell on the floor, it is now:
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✓ Correct answer: contaminated.
Anything that comes into contact with or mixes with something that is unclean, like the floor, is considered contaminated.<br/><br/>Disinfected (choice B) is a less-deadly process than sterilization because it kills certain bacteria and viruses from surfaces and eliminates and reduces harmful germs.<br/><br/>To be infected (choice C) means that an organism has entered the body and caused disease. To be sterile (choice D) means that the process of killing all germs has occurred.
Q2Mrs. Walker was diagnosed with colon cancer, and a descending colostomy was created.<br/><br/>Which statement about ostomies is false?
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✓ Correct answer: Feces are always liquid.
Feces are not always liquid. Stool consistency depends on the colostomy site. Consistency ranges from liquid to formed. The more colon remaining to absorb water, the more solid and formed the stool. If the colostomy is near the start of the colon, stools are liquid. A colostomy near the end of the colon results in formed stools.
Q3Which site for taking a patient’s temperature is the least reliable and is used mainly when the other sites cannot be used?
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✓ Correct answer: axillary site
The axillary site is less reliable than the other sites. It is used mainly when the other sites cannot be used. The axillary temperature is taken under the arm. The site must be dry when the temperature is taken.
Q4In order to get an accurate reading, how long should you wait after a client smokes or drinks coffee before taking his or her blood pressure?
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✓ Correct answer: 30 minutes
You should wait 30 minutes to take the client’s blood pressure. Cigarette smoking and coffee cause vasoconstriction. Vasoconstriction leads to increased BP. Allowing the client to rest for 30 minutes will facilitate the return of normal blood circulation and can provide accurate BP reading.
Q5A type of quantitative data collection is:
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✓ Correct answer: questionnaires.
Questionnaires are a way to collect data in a quantitative manner. Observations (choice A), focus groups (choice C), and oral histories (choice D) collect data in a qualitative way.�.
Q6You are doing hospice care for Mr. Jones.<br/><br/>Which of the following symptoms will let you know his death is near?
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✓ Correct answer: Cheyne stokes respirations, pulse rate 42-60 irregular, skin cool and moist, pulse oximetry of 76%
Cheyne Stokes respirations are a sign of impending death. A pulse rate as low as 42-60 and irregular is a sign of cardiac issues. Skin being cool and moist may indicate shock. Lastly, a pulse oximetry that low indicates poor air exchange. The other answers have irregular vital signs but are not definitive signs of impending death.
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