Actual Residents on CNA Test....

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Did anyone else have to test on live patients for their CNA certification?

During my exam I had three different residents and all of them were totally dependent. If I would have dropped one of them during ambulation I wonder how the facility would have handled such an incident considering I'm not an employee. The instructor wasn't even close enough while testing to truly help and even if she was close she could barely walk herself much less help me lower a patient to the floor. I know one girl I was testing with was doing a bed bath, turned the resident on her side (very close to the edge) and walked away to get water. She failed that skill of course, but considering we were just testing I don't think its right to have actual residents.

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Specializes in CNA.

Hi, In Rhode Island we do our skills on other students for the certification.Thank goodness.

What State are you from?

Did you pass?

Pam

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I'm from Texas. Yes I did pass on the 27th of October. I was so nervous and I really wanted to see how everyone else would do first, but I was the first one to go. The proctor wouldn't let me finish a single skill she kept advising me to move on to next skill even when I was in the middle of mouthcare on a person, and the person they gave me to ambulate had a walker, but turns out he can't ambulate anymore he's strictly wheelchair. So after complaining of pain I was able to stop the skill there.

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Specializes in CNA.

Congrats.

In RI, we are given 5 skills, one is hand washing, and you have 5 mins to complete each skill. The evaluator will not speak with you once the skill begins, they must be asked before the skills test begins.

Best wishes

Pam

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Congratulations! I passed mine on the 26th.

I'm in GA and we tested with a classmate for our "resident".

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I'm in Florida, I just finished my class and passes. I am taking the state exam in a couple of weeks. We test 3 skills, and graded on hand washing, communication, recording vitals. At our prometric test center the others waiting to take the test are asked to volunteer as patients. I am not looking forward to being a volunteer -- but perhaps if I am not one of the first it will give me a chance to see what it is like and what to expect. We are not allowed to hold conversations with the testing nurses either...

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I'm in MA....still waiting to hear when my state test will be. But we have to bring our own "patient", a comb & a toothbrush. The worst part is is that we have the written test first in the morning and then they will say come back in 4 hours for the skills part......UNLESS everyone finishes the written test early, then we will use each other. This means that our "patient" is on standby all day long. Plus all the people I know work every day except my one friend who lives an hour away so I have to hold her up all day and then maybe not even use her - it just would be easier if we could use each other since we are already there. Whew sorry for the long rant!!!!

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I agree if u think about it it is kind of sad to use people for our own career advancements..but we have to learn how to take care of them properly..

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I do agree we should learn how to take care of these people properly, I just feel it put way too much risk for the actual patients to have a student transferring them, feeding them, and do other cares. Someone could have seriously been injured and they are not like the pretend residents found in most of these test they were actual total dependent people that truly could not stop you if you were about to injure them, I just feel having real patients is not appropriate for testing purposes.

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