Just a few more skills exam q's, I promise! :)

[BossBadger]

I've been studying like mad, watched all the videos, and I think I'm getting it. I just have a few more quick questions.

1. When rinsing the bedpan, do you just rinse it out in the sink and dry it with paper towels? It also says to remove your gloves before storing the pan...do you dry the pan, take off your gloves, and wash your hands first? Or just take the gloves off, store the pan, and then wash your hands?

2. Pericare and cath care: I'm not really sure how many washcloths to use..seems like you'd need a lot. Cath:One to soap the front, one to rinse, and one for the cath. Then for the pericare add two more for the bottom. Is that right? Just trying to get an idea of how many to grab. I don't want to take too many/too few cloths.

3. MITER CORNERS. I watched the video but the woman went so fast I still can't figure it out. I've been messing with my sheets all night.

4. Do you generally have to use a draw sheet/mattress pad during the test? It also says you need a clean gown. So, do I need to undress the patient and put them in a new gown during the occupied bed skill for the exam? When is the best time to do this? Before the linen change or at the end? Also, I am reading conflicting things about changing the top sheet. When/how do I do that? I assume you just cover the patient with a bath blanket and pull it off, then do the bottom sheet change after that. If there's no bath blanket available, do you just put the clean sheet over the dirty one? (It says that on one of the study guides but I'm not sure if that's allowable in FL or not).

5. Partial bed bath: One soapy washcloth and one rinse cloth for the whole upper body besides the back and face? I assume you are only supposed to do one side at a time to keep the patient well covered, so I'm wondering if you should wash and dry one entire side first and then start anew on the next side with new cloths.

6. Draining urine bag: In the video, it shows the CNA putting a pad on the floor, setting the grad container on it, and draining the bag that way. Is this acceptable for the test?

Thanks again for helping me out, guys.

[NurseCubanitaRN2b, BSN, RN]

You have wayyyyyyyyyyy too many questions and are worrying too much over nothing. The end result always remains, is the patient safe and did you practice infection control. If the answer is yes, then you did it correctly. As long as the outcome is the same you can most likely do it any way. Now regarding the wash cloths, take as many as you need. It's better to have more than not have enough. When I took my CNA I took it at the American Red Cross, and they were so laid back. As long as you let them know what you're doing and why you're doing it that way, you will be fine. They really are focusing on the skill not so much everything else around you. I went as far as to pull the drape (there really wasn't one there) and the nurse who was evaluating me said to me "Don't worry about what's not here, just focus on your task and that you're maintaining patient safety and infection control" and that's what I did and I passed. But it could be that the nurse I got was into the safety and infection control part. They can't ding you on something that wasn't made available to you. Good Luck

[Misslady113]

Ah. I remember being in class trying to get everything perfect, only to find out in the exam that all that little stuff didn't matter. I agree with the above poster. Just make sure you wash your hands properly for 15 sec, provide privacy for patient, raise bed rails when leaving bedside, lower bed when leaving patient, give signal light, make sure wheels are locked, etc. Those are some of the most important things. They are not going to fail you for how many washcloths you have or how did you dry the bedpan. But I will answer your questions based on how my state did it:

1. With the bedpan, you rinse it out, dry it, remove your gloves, wash your hands, then get a clean paper towel and hold the bedpan with it when your returning it that way you dont contaminate your hands.

2. More is better than less. Take as many as you need. If you need five then take five and return the remaining.

3. It's hard to explain the mittered corners on a computer, so I can't help you with that one.

4. We only used a top and bottom sheet. Your state may be different. We didn't have to do a clean gown, but I would assume you would do this after the linen change? Check with your instructor. There should be a bath blanket. I have never heard of there not being one. Where did you hear that? Or are you over thinking things?

5. With the bed bath, with each part you wash, you dry it when your done. You don't wash a whole side and then dry the whole thing. One at a time. You also dont need new cloths. Two or three should be good enough.

6. Yes, that is the way its done. If you somehow forget to bring the pad, just make sure you don't put the graduate on the floor, you hold it as your draining.

Anyways, good luck. And really all the small stuff doesn't matter in the end. Just remember the big stuff and know how to do your skills and you will be fine. You already sound like you have it down.:heartbeat

[BossBadger]

Thanks so much! I know I have been overthinking this thing to death.

I really think I have most of it down. Now it's just practice, practice, practice.

Does anyone in FL know if they allow you to use your own stethoscope for the BP skill? I hate the cheap ones..my ears aren't so great.

[Em CNA2RN]

hi everyone I will be taking my skills exam in florida this saturday. It seems like the closer I get to the exam date the more questions I seem to have. I know this is probably mostly nerves. But my question is do you actually do the hand washing with every skill, or do you do the hand washing once and can just say "now I would wash my hands" to the tester afterward thanks in advance and good luck to everyone I will be praying for is all

[KimberlyRN89, BSN, RN]

Thanks so much! I know I have been overthinking this thing to death.

I really think I have most of it down. Now it's just practice, practice, practice.

Does anyone in FL know if they allow you to use your own stethoscope for the BP skill? I hate the cheap ones..my ears aren't so great.

I'm not in FL & didn't get BP on my test, but I think for that skill they might use that dual head stethoscope like this one here

[FLNA]

Em CNA 2b- I am taking my CNA exam (Florida) on the 4th and I was told they will provide the steth. I would just remember to clean it before and after use. I was told handwashing is to be done before, during and after EACH skill. I think they expect you to do it without being told. I definetly would not skip a handwashing, ever. They can't fail you for washing you hands too many times, but they can fail you if you DONT wash them. I personally don't think you can prepare too much I am like you ,Bossbadger, and I tend to over analyze and think things over too much, but I would rather be over prepared than under prepared. Failing just one skill on the exam is not acceptable to me, and I don't want to have to retake the exam. Again, these are just my personal views and opinions.

[BossBadger]

I was afraid of that. Drat. I really dislike using someone else's steth..I have a hard time hearing the pulse with the cheapos. I hope it's a quality one at least. Or maybe I won't even get the BP skill!

[FLNA]

Maybe you can call your testing site and ask if you can bring your own BP kit.

[NurseCubanitaRN2b, BSN, RN]

Usually they have the dual head. Those aren't bad to be honest, you really can hear the BP. The proctor needs to be able to hear what you're hearing so the dual head will be used.

[FLNA]

ah, this is true.