Help! What to wear for CNA State test?!?!

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I'm taking my PA CNA state test tomorrow and my class is arguing about what to wear and what not to wear. The Red Cross never addressed this but the letter for the testing site specifically states: Please wear tank top, sleeveless shirt or loose fitting shirt with short sleeves.

The state exam book states to wear Easy to slide off shoes with non-skid soles.

Half the girls say they are wearing scrubs and the other half, active wear and easy slide on shoes.

Another girl I know who took the test a while ago says that her teacher told her how you dress gets factored into the test and you have to presentable for skills test in scrubs ONLY.

Any advice or clarification needed please. If scrubs were mandatory wouldn't the PA state exam just simply state that is the dress code? What gives with this confusion and vague instructions?

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Specializes in Long term care.

Play it safe and go with the "loose fitting shirt with short sleeves" aka scrub top.

wear slip on sneakers or other comfortable easy slip on shoes. I'd be sure they have some sort of back on them. I've never heard it be said that wearing "clog" type shoes are acceptable in any work place.

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To clarify, The Red Cross is who taught the CNA class and we are not taking the test at The Red Cross. It's at some testing site in Center City.

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Also, if I'm personally not comfortable in my scrubs (Plus size) does it change what advice you have?

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Specializes in Long term care.
Also, if I'm personally not comfortable in my scrubs (Plus size) does it change what advice you have?

Well, if you are not comfortable in scrubs I would think a short sleeve shirt (not a t-shirt) would be ok.

Keep in mind, if you're going to be a CNA, chances are you will be required to wear scrubs....so you will have to learn to be comfortable in them.

I have been doing this for more than 20 years and have worked in pretty much every type of setting. Only once have I been asked NOT to wear scrubs and that was in a private home for one particular client.. All other places have required scrubs.

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Trying to picture what on earth someone would be doing that would require a sleeveless shirt or tank top. Neither of those items have ever been permitted as workwear ANYWHERE I have ever heard, so...what's the purpose?

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Wear scrubs and sneakers.

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Specializes in mental health / psychiatic nursing.
Trying to picture what on earth someone would be doing that would require a sleeveless shirt or tank top. Neither of those items have ever been permitted as workwear ANYWHERE I have ever heard, so...what's the purpose?

The sleeveless shirt/tank top is for under the scrub top, so that when practicing bed bath skill the person testing can wash the arm all the way up with out undressing the person playing the patient.

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Specializes in HH, Peds, Rehab, Clinical.

What does the test site say? Or your instructor?

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.
I'm taking my PA CNA state test tomorrow and my class is arguing about what to wear and what not to wear. The Red Cross never addressed this but the letter for the testing site specifically states: Please wear tank top, sleeveless shirt or loose fitting shirt with short sleeves.

The state exam book states to wear Easy to slide off shoes with non-skid soles.

Following directions is an important CNA skill. Dress stated above is so that candidates can be used as pretend patient during CNA exam which includes bathing and patient transfers. Flip-flops not permitted. :)

Issue should be resolved today since post test date. Hope you passed.

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I did pass thank you!

Good thing I wore the shoes that I did, because I had to play the part of a "patient receiving foot care" and the poor girl performing the skill was running out of time. If I would have had sneakers on it would of used up too much of her 30 min for 5 skills time limit. She appreciated that I put thought into getting a pedi, shaving my legs and wearing shoes that slip on/off easily to make the stressful day run a tad bit smoother.

FYI: we no no longer have contact with the instructor as our class ended almost 2 months ago. The main office handles coordinating the test sites and mailed the letter containing the information out very late. They never had useful information regarding this stuff. Actually they didn't even get the name of the test location right and my poor classmates were lost in center city. Point is-the limited information given by such a large organization is always too vague and interpretated differently by different people. Also most of us can't afford new comfy scrubs just yet, we only have our school uniform scrubs which are very uncomfortable to do a all day testing in. Only 3 of us have jobs so far and they are per diem.

Outcome:They (RN test proctors) didn't seem to care what anyone was wearing, just as long as we can move quickly, follow their directions and not run the clock down with time wasters like shoelaces.

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Side note: I can beleive they actually had us use real soap and water on the manaquins! I had peri-care (only skill not on a real person), positioning a client in the side, weighing an ambulatory client, compression stocking and obviously hand washing.

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