CNA steps

[fmac88]

I am about to take my CNA test this upcomming Sunday and just had a few questions? In the CNA hand book the last steps for the skills usually states to give the client the call light then wash your hands. Will they fail you if you hand them the call light then go finish your task such as washing the basin drying it then putting it in the dirty utility section and washing your hands in the end? Thank you!!

[KimberlyRN89, BSN, RN]

I would follow the steps exactly how they are in the manual. For the handwashing thing however, it all depends, but when I took my exam we only had to wash our hands once (the first step) and then when we completed the rest of our skills we verbally stated "now I will wish my hands", but were not required to physically wash them.

[fmac88]

yes i believe thats what my instructor also told us that you can just verbally state "wash hands" after the first skill. It just doesn't seem right that you would leave your client in bed then leave to wash your basin etc. then come back and hand them the signal light then wash your hands. Or is it just me??:confused:

[KimberlyRN89, BSN, RN]

Sometimes they're a little strange, but that's how the skills are written lol. But in real life you wouldn't do it like that

[ijh6890]

It's better to over wash your hands then to fail by not washing your hands enough. You won't fail for washing your hands more than you are supposed to. You are supposed to wash your hands at least between each task.

[CoffeemateCNA]

As long as the task isn't one that involves bodily fluids (ie, brief change + peri care), you could probably get away with using hand sanitizer [i did this for my exam].

I know if I had washed my hands every single time I was supposed to, by the end of the exam my hands would have been washed away and all that would have remained were little nubs at the ends of my wrists.