Skill testing questions

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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I now understand how lazy and negligent CNA's get passed, at least with this examiner we had. Thrilled that I passed but disappointed in the examiner and my instructor, for that matter, because she is aware of it.

Does anyone know if examiners have to pass a certain percentage or have a 'quota' of people they pass/fail?

I would really love to hear how other Skills testings were done if you care to share. Ie: if skills were on a resident, fellow classmate or manequin, if other students were in the same room as you while doing the skills, if skill was peri care on a classmate how that was done, etc.

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The examiner as far as I know does not have to pass a percentage of anyone. They bases their decision totally on what they see as you do your skills test. Some examiners just understand that people are going to make mistakes while testing because they are nervous. And my examiner said you can make a few mistakes and still pass. So your examiner just has a heart, and if a few mistakes where done, she still can pass people, and they can go on still being compitent caring CNAs

There was no other testers in the room while I was testing. Just me, the examiner, and the person playing the resident.

There was manequins in the room if I needed to do a skill with them, but my skills did not require using them. I did not have peri care, but if someone has peri care it is always done on a manequin not a person

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Yrs ago when I had finished bursting school there was a shortage of skills examiners & we were asked to help out. Only a 30 minute briefing, then we were independently testing CNA skills.

I was shocked at how little education the CNA's had received.. They truly didn't even know how to take VS.

I was extremely grateful my hosp (lrg pediatric hosp (my specialty was heme/ONC) hired only CNAs w/ minimum if 1 yr experience..

Shocking, isn't it?).

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

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For vital signs and height and weight, we used an actual person. All other skills were performed on a mannequin. There is one examiner to watch 2 people doing skills at the same time.

Our test has 5 skills and 70% of steps have to be performed correctly to receive a passing score. We also have "critical steps" which must be performed with 100% accuracy. They can not be any of the steps missed. Critical steps pertain to safety and infection control for the patient and the CNA.

I don't feel that the examiners go in intending to pass or fail any certain number of people. I think the incompetent people you are speaking of are ones whose heart is not in their jobs and just don't care about doing the job correctly...they are doing it as just that, a job.

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I was extremely grateful my hosp (lrg pediatric hosp (my specialty was heme/ONC) hired only CNAs w/ minimum if 1 yr experience..

But this makes it difficult for us new CNA's (who DO know how to do vs and everything else AND who don't care about the pay, like me, to be able to work and do what they want to do- HELP) who don't have working experience to be able to GET any working experience. :(

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If all else fails for getting working experience, you can always volunteer at places like hospitals or nursing homes to get contacts and stuff. It makes a world of difference, you won't be getting paid for it but it will still count. Plus it looks good for possible employers!

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When I tested we were broken up into groups of three. Three of us went back to test and were in the room while eachother was being tested. On some of the stuff we used eachother and some stuff we used a manequin. We had two different evaluators. One of them did handwashing and a skill, the other did two skills. The first of the two was very lacks. The other much more stern. I passed.

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Our examiners talked through our entire written test... mine walked out of the room when I was doing my hand washing skill... but the other one seemed pretty tough on the other test takers. We had a piece of wood to use as our "call light" and used pillow cases as wash cloths. What scares me the most is that there are classes taught at the facility where I took my test. EEK!

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