CNA exam jitters!

missie1 · Mar 28, 2012

I just wanted to say good luck..and if you did well in class I'm sure you'll do great tomorrow.

I have my test also in a few weeks...and I am nervous too, but I am thinking if I take my time and

think out each skill I am given it should be fine. Can't wait to hear how it went...check back!!

IEDave, ASN, CNA, LVN · Mar 28, 2012

Hi everyone,
Tomorrow I will be taking my nurse assistant exam via the American Red Cross (in Sacramento, CA). I'm not going to lie, I'm stressing out a bit. I'm not worried about the written portion of the exam, but the skills part! We have to do 5 skills, 2 of them being hand washing and communication. For the other 3 skills, we get to draw cards from 3 different stations.
I did very well in my nurse assistant class but this exam is making me so nervous..
I was wondering if anyone has recently taken their exam around this area that would like to share their experience? Also any tips or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Probably a bit late on this one, but I'll comment anyway:

I did the ARC training through another chapter, and it's real, real common to be nervous about the state exam. My take is this - if you don't go in with preconceived notions (i.e. you don't go into the testing with an attitude) and listen carefully to what's being said during the exam you'll be fine. The ones that had the most problems during the testing that I was involved with really fell into 2 groups - the ones with prior hospital experience, and the ones with language issues. Both ended up making mistakes that cost 'em.

Other than that - keep in mind that the examiners tend to be especially on their guard with mistakes made involving patient safety or infection control. Mess up with either one of those, and it's likely gonna cost you. Also, if you make a mistake, and you catch it during the exam - TELL THEM! Odds are good that if you tell the examiners that you made a mistake that you'll pass.

As far as my testing - I make some real boneheaded mistakes (not locking the bed brakes was a perennial favorite, plus missing steps during the preparation & closing standards) and still passed, primarily because I called myself on the mistakes and the few instances where I didn't call myself the issues typically didn't potentially endanger either the patient or myself. Thought I did well on hand washing - nope, got dinged all over the place but again didn't do anything that compromised infection control.

And, it bears repeating - relax (easier said than done) and keep in mind that you can always take the test over. It'll cost you, but I don't know of too many people that didn't nail it on the second try; out of 2 classes I know of only one student that didn't pass on the second attempt - and she blew it on the written.

I won't wish you good luck - I know you'll do just fine.

Take care, and a early congratulations to you...

----- Dave

jaquino96 · Aug 7, 2015

Hey! I wanted to follow up, how was testing in Sacramento? I am soon to test there also and I wanna know how it went with you:)