Basic Nursing Skills
21%of exam
VitalsI&OPositioningNutritionSkin Safety
Infection + Safety
23%of exam
Personal Care
6%of exam
BathingPerineal CareCatheter CareDressing
Role + Rights
14%of exam
ScopeDelegationRefusalRegistryTesting Rules
Communication + Data
11%of exam
SBARObjective DataReportingDocumentation
Cognitive + Disease Care
24%of exam
DementiaMental HealthDisease ProcessRestorative Care
Quick Facts
- Exam
- Minnesota CNA
- Vendor
- D&S Headmaster
- Knowledge
- 70 questions
- Written time
- 120 min
- Pass
- 52/70
- Skills time
- 30 min
- Attempts
- 4 knowledge, 3 skills
- Training
- 75 hours minimum
- Registry
- MDH NAR
Care Picker
- Weak side dressing→Dress weak first
- Weak side undressing→Undress strong first
- Thin-liquid coughing→Stop and report
- Red bony area→Report redness
- Abnormal BP→Retake, report
- Diabetic toenails→Do not cut
- Confused resident→Calm redirect
- Wandering resident→Ensure safety
Knowledge Plan
- Basic nursing
- 15 questions
- Safety
- 8 questions
- Infection
- 8 questions
- Care impaired
- 6 questions
- Rights
- 5 questions
- Role
- 5 questions
- Communication
- 4 questions
- Data collection
- 4 questions
Basic Skills
- Temperature
- Report abnormal
- Pulse
- Rate and rhythm
- Respirations
- Count quietly
- BP
- Retake unusual reading
- Pain
- Resident reports
- I&O
- Measure in mL
- Edema
- Report swelling
- Skin
- Report redness
Mobility
- Gait belt
- Transfer support
- Weak side
- Guard closely
- Dangling
- Sit before standing
- Bed brakes
- Lock before transfer
- Wheelchair
- Lock before sitting
- Cane
- Strong side
- Walker
- Move walker first
- ROM
- Move gently
Nutrition + Elimination
- Aspiration
- Airway entry
- Dysphagia
- Swallowing difficulty
- Feeding
- Small bites
- Upright
- Safer meals
- NPO
- Nothing by mouth
- Bedpan
- Center correctly
- Output
- Eye-level reading
- Specimen
- Label promptly
RACE Fire
Rescue, Alarm, Confine, Extinguish.
RescueAlarmConfineExtinguish
Standard vs Contact
Standard
- Every resident
- Expected exposure
Contact
- Gown and gloves
- Room signage
Follow posted precautions
Skills Picker
- Urine output task→Measure at eye level
- Catheter task→Clean away(Closed system)
- PPE task→Remove dirty first
- Perineal care→Front to back
- Ambulation task→Gait belt(Non-skid first)
- Stocking task→Check toes
- Bedpan task→Lower head first
- Possible mistake→Correct before finished
Infection Control
- Hand hygiene
- Best prevention
- Soap water
- Visible soil
- Sanitizer
- Dry completely
- Gloves
- Body fluid risk
- Gown
- Splash barrier
- Standard
- Every resident
- Contact
- Gown and gloves
- Linen
- Bag when soiled
PASS Extinguisher
Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep.
PullAimSqueezeSweep
Safety + Emergency
- Call light
- Always within reach
- Bed low
- Fall prevention
- Non-skid
- Before standing
- RACE
- Fire response
- PASS
- Extinguisher steps
- Oxygen
- No flames
- Choking
- Call for help
- Incident
- Report promptly
Skills Test
- Mandatory first
- Embedded handwashing
- Key steps
- Never miss
- Non-key
- 80 percent
- Corrections
- Demonstrate before finished
- Order words
- BEFORE or AFTER
- Verbal only
- Does not count
- Call light
- End safety
- Interpersonal
- Always respectful
Dressing Weakness
Dress weak; undress strong.
Dress weakUndress strong
Clean vs Dirty
Clean
- Face first
- Unused supplies
Dirty
- Perineal last
- Soiled linen
Prevent contamination
Personal Care
- Privacy
- Close curtain
- Draping
- Expose only area
- Bathing
- Clean to dirty
- Perineal
- Front to back
- Catheter
- Clean away
- Dressing
- Weak side first
- Undressing
- Strong side first
- Dentures
- Line basin
Knowledge vs Skills
Knowledge
- 70 computer questions
- 52 correct passes
- Four attempts
Skills
- 3 or 4 tasks
- Key steps required
- Three attempts
Pass both parts
Scope Picker
- New symptom→Report nurse
- Medication request→Notify nurse
- Care refused→Respect, report
- Family asks results→Refer nurse
- Resident falls→Stay, call nurse
- Abuse suspected→Report immediately
- Care plan conflict→Ask nurse
- Private information→Protect HIPAA
Exam Format
- Knowledge
- 70 items120 min
- Passing
- 52 correct74%
- Skills
- 3 or 4 tasks
- Skills time
- 30 minutes
- Retakes
- Failed portion only
- TMU
- Scheduling record
- Audio
- Request when scheduling
- Languages
- English, Spanish, Somali, Hmong
State vs In-Facility
MN State
- College test sites
- MinnState scheduling
In-Facility
- MDH-approved sites
- MR TMU server
Stay same server
Minnesota Rules
- MDH
- Registry authority
- NAR
- Nurse Aide Registry
- Training
- 75 hours minimum
- Test window
- 24 months
- Knowledge tries
- Four attempts
- Skills tries
- Three attempts
- Renewal
- Every 24 months
- Paid work
- 8 hours required
Refusal vs Neglect
Refusal
- Resident choice
- Offer alternatives
Neglect
- Care not provided
- Unmet needs
Report both promptly
SBAR Report
Situation before background, assessment, recommendation.
SituationBackgroundAssessmentRecommendation
Objective vs Subjective
Objective
- Seen by aide
- Measured by aide
Subjective
- Resident says
- Pain report
Chart facts clearly
Communication + Data
- Active listening
- Attend and reflect
- Open question
- Encourages detail
- Closed question
- Specific answer
- SBAR
- Structured report
- Objective
- Seen or measured
- Subjective
- Resident says
- Charting
- Facts only
- HIPAA
- Need-to-know only
Cognitive + Disease
- Dementia
- Progressive confusion
- Validation
- Accept feelings
- Sundowning
- Evening confusion
- Wandering
- Guide safely
- Depression
- Report withdrawal
- Stroke
- One-sided weakness
- Diabetes
- Foot risks
- COPD
- Breathing difficulty
Common Traps
Pass Score
Old 76 percent ≠ Current 52 of 70
Server Switching
Start one server ≠ Finish same server
Verbalizing Skills
Saying only ≠ Actually demonstrate
Catheter Care
Disconnect tubing ≠ Keep closed system
Diabetic Nails
Cut toenails ≠ Report foot changes
Resident Refusal
Force care ≠ Respect and report
Last Minute
- 1.Pass knowledge: 52 of 70
- 2.Knowledge time: 120 minutes
- 3.Skills time: 30 minutes
- 4.Bring valid photo ID
- 5.Wear scrubs and closed shoes
- 6.Know TMU login
- 7.Hand hygiene before recording
- 8.Call light within reach
- 9.Respect, explain, provide privacy
- 10.Report changes to nurse
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