What Everyone Should Know About CNA Examinee Failures
CNA examinees received a failing grade on their Clinical Skills Examination because they often forgot to demonstrate Indirect Care. What is indirect care? It emphasizes the examinee behaviors that are part of each skill assessed on the Clinical Skills Test. The skills exam is a timed test that lasts 30-35 minutes. In a real testing environment, time constraints add to the pressure that examinees feel. It can be a stressful experience because someone will be watching you all the time and taking note of your every move. Remember to take a deep breath and not to panic. Why? Most testers aren’t too meticulous about how you do things; so stay calm and focused. The evaluators are more concerned about their hygiene and behavior. Always keep in mind the fact that indirect care is extremely important because:
(1) It is the nominal performance,
(2) Has separate scoring classifications, and
(3) It greatly affects the examinee’s overall performance during the skills test.
Pay attention to your behavior in terms of communicating with the resident, valuing resident rights, providing resident safety and comfort, and following proper infection control (standard precautions). It is one of the most important among the five skills required during the skills test. Remember: The nursing assistant evaluator will observe and also evaluate your performance based on your behavior!
Here are the methods to perform indirect attention: (Remember this: it will help you pass the skills test)
1. Communications. Communicate with the resident in a respectful and dignified manner:
- Greet the resident appropriately (eg, “Good morning, Mrs. Smith”).
- Introduce yourself to the resident
- Explain to the resident why you are there and what care you will perform
- Explain each step of the process to the resident prior to care (eg, “Now I’m going to turn it on its side”).
2. Rights of residents
- Call before entering the resident’s room
- Provide privacy for the resident by lowering the curtain before performing care.
- Always pay attention to your language and actions while providing care to the resident
- Ask the resident about their preferences, such as nail length, hairstyle, or food choices.
- Avoid addressing residents with nicknames such as “Honey”, “Darling”, “Honey”, etc.
3. Security and Comfort.
- Always check the resident’s bed to see if he or she is in a safe sleeping position.
- Adjust the resident’s sleeping position to a safer one, if necessary.
- Lower the bed while performing care.
- Wear a seat belt when moving
- Make sure side rails are up before letting resident off
- Always place the call light within reach of the resident (Very important!)
- Always lock the casters on the bed before helping the resident into or out of a chair.
4. Infection control.
- Always wash your hands before and after performing care. (Highly important!)
- Wear gloves if necessary, especially during perineal care, catheter care, drainage bag care, denture and mouth care (tooth brushing), assisting with urinal use, measuring and urine output report.
- Dispose of gloves in a hazardous waste container.
- Follow the dirty item disposal method correctly
- Avoid direct contact with the ground when making the bed
- Make sure the resident’s personal items are not dirty or contaminated.
- Offer to go to the bathroom during potty use
- Using soap and water on the resident during perineal care
- Use clean equipment when performing care
Note: Do not forget:
- Knock on the door before entering the resident’s room.
- Lower the curtain (if you are performing perineal care or giving the resident a bath)
- Always put the call light within reach of the resident
- Wash your hand before and after performing care.
It is important to take into account the Indirect Care procedures. Many examinees FAILED their Clinical Skills Examination because they were not well prepared and often forget to remember the Indirect Care approach to meeting resident needs. You don’t have to learn fast, but you do need to remember all the rules and standard precautions you’ve learned in your training classes. Evaluators allow corrections; in case you have forgotten something, you are free to correct it and immediately move on to the other skills. As long as you keep your cool and make sure you think about skill sets, passing the CNA clinical exam should be a piece of cake.