CNA Drill

Basic Nursing Skills: practice questions

5 original questions · 5 editor-approved · every choice explained.

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Blueprint-mapped questions with full rationales for every choice.

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Basic Nursing SkillsDifficulty 2/5

A nurse aide measures a radial pulse well outside the resident's usual range. What should the aide do?

  1. AReport the finding to the licensed nurse without interpreting it
  2. BRecord the finding in the chart and continue with the assigned care
  3. CRecheck the pulse repeatedly until a value in the usual range appears
  4. DExplain to the resident what the abnormal reading is likely to mean
Show answer and rationale

Correct: A. Federal curriculum 483.152(b)(2)(iv) names recognising abnormal changes and the importance of reporting them to a supervisor. The aide observes and reports; the licensed nurse assesses and decides.

  • B — Charting is not escalating. An abnormal finding needs both the record and the report.
  • C — Repeating until a convenient number appears discards the finding rather than reporting it.
  • D — Interpreting a clinical finding for a resident is outside the nurse aide's scope.
Basic Nursing SkillsDifficulty 1/5

Which measure is the single most important for preventing the spread of infection?

  1. ADisinfecting the floor of the resident's room at the start of each shift
  2. BHand hygiene performed before and after contact with each resident
  3. CWearing gloves continuously throughout the entire working shift
  4. DPlacing every resident with an infection in a private isolation room
Show answer and rationale

Correct: B. Hand hygiene is why it is the one skill always included in the NNAAP practical evaluation. Infection control is also among the areas federal rule requires before any direct resident contact.

  • C — Gloves worn continuously carry organisms between residents exactly as unwashed hands do.
  • D — Isolation is used selectively and does not address transmission by staff hands.
  • A — Environmental cleaning matters, but hands are the principal route of transmission.
Basic Nursing SkillsDifficulty 2/5

An aide has finished a procedure at the bedside. Which closing actions are scored steps?

  1. ABed in the high position, signalling device on the bedside table, door closed
  2. BVital signs recorded, family notified of the procedure, chart left at the bedside
  3. CSignalling device within reach, bed in the low position, hands washed
  4. DCurtains opened fully, bed rails raised on both sides, lights switched off
Show answer and rationale

Correct: C. These three recur at the end of nearly every NNAAP skill checklist. They are safety steps, which is why they are scored even when the procedure itself went perfectly.

  • D — Raising both rails can constitute a restraint, which federal rule directs aides to avoid.
  • A — Leaving the bed high is a fall risk, and the device must be within the resident's reach.
  • B — Charting and family contact are separate duties, not the closing safety steps of a skill.
Basic Nursing SkillsDifficulty 2/5

Which of the following does federal rule name among the content required before any direct resident contact?

  1. ADental radiography and the charting of periodontal disease stages
  2. BAdministration of prescribed medication by the oral and topical routes
  3. CInterpretation of laboratory results and reference ranges for adults
  4. DSafety and emergency procedures, including the Heimlich maneuver
Show answer and rationale

Correct: D. Section 483.152(b)(1) requires at least 16 hours covering communication, infection control, safety and emergency procedures including the Heimlich maneuver, promoting independence, and residents' rights, before any direct resident contact.

  • A — Dental radiography belongs to other health occupations and is not in the nurse aide curriculum.
  • B — Medication administration is outside the nurse aide scope and is separately regulated.
  • C — Interpreting laboratory results is a licensed function, not a nurse aide one.
Basic Nursing SkillsDifficulty 2/5

To which residents do standard precautions apply?

  1. AAll residents, regardless of known or suspected infection status
  2. BResidents who have a confirmed infection documented in the record
  3. CResidents who have been placed in isolation by the facility
  4. DResidents who are receiving antibiotics at the time of care
Show answer and rationale

Correct: A. Standard precautions are the baseline for everyone, because infection status is frequently unknown. Transmission-based precautions are added on top for airborne, droplet and contact situations.

  • B — Limiting precautions to documented infections leaves undiagnosed residents unprotected.
  • C — Isolation adds transmission-based precautions; it does not replace the baseline.
  • D — Antibiotic treatment does not determine what precautions a resident requires.

Primary references

  1. 42 CFR Part 483 Subpart D — Requirements That Must Be Met by States and State Agencies, Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation — Office of the Federal Register (eCFR) · government · retrieved 2026-09-22, verified 2026-09-22
  2. The 2024 National Nurse Aide Assessment Program (NNAAP) Written (Oral) Examination Content Outline — Credentia Nurse Aide LLC · primary · retrieved 2026-09-22, verified 2026-09-22
  3. Colorado Nurse Aide Written (or Oral) Examination and Skills Evaluation Candidate Handbook — Credentia Services LLC, in partnership with the Colorado Board of Nursing · primary · retrieved 2026-09-22, verified 2026-09-22