Virginia Testing Rules
12%of exam
Physical Care Skills
57%of exam
Infection + Safety
15%of exam
Role + Rights
33%of exam
ScopeDelegationReportingRightsLegal
Psychosocial Care
10%of exam
DementiaBehaviorCultureGriefCommunication
Quick Facts
- Credential
- Virginia CNA
- Regulator
- Virginia Board Nursing
- Vendor
- Credentia NNAAP
- Written
- 70 questions
- Time
- 2 hours written
- Skills
- 5 in 30 min
- Fees
- $45 + $95
- Training
- 120+ approved hours
- Clinical
- 40 hours minimum
- Renewal
- Annual $30
Written vs Oral
Written
- 70 multiple-choice
- English text
- Two hours
Oral
- 60 questions
- 10 reading items
- Requested at registration
Choose one format
Exam Facts
- Exam
- Virginia NNAAP
- Written
- 70 multiple-choice
- Oral
- 60 plus 10 reading
- Time
- Two hours
- Skills
- Five assigned skills
- Skills time
- Thirty minutes
- Handwashing
- Always tested first
- Measurement
- One skill included
VA Rules
- DHP
- Health Professions
- Board
- Virginia Nursing
- Training floor
- 120 approved hours
- Clinical
- 40 hours minimum
- Modern programs
- Often 140 hours
- Initial fee
- Zero dollars
- Renewal
- Annual thirty dollars
- Registry listing
- Required before title
Eligibility
- Age
- Sixteen or older
- Background
- Criminal check required
- E1
- VA program graduate
- E2
- RN/LPN student
- E3
- Nursing graduate
- E4
- Lapsed VA aide
- Light duty
- No skills test
- Three fails
- Retraining required
Weak Side Dressing
Dress worst first, undress best first.
Dress weakUndress strongProtect joints
Dressing vs Undressing
Dressing
- Weak side first
- Protect joints
- Support limb
Undressing
- Strong side first
- Reduce pulling
- Keep covered
Weak in, strong out
Skills Picker
- Instruction card given→Follow listed order
- First skill starts→Handwashing first
- Measurement assigned→Record exact result
- Resident stands→Lock wheels first
- Care ends→Call light near
- Mistake noticed→Correct out loud
ADLs + Personal Care
- Drape
- Expose only area
- Bath order
- Clean to dirty
- Face
- Plain water
- Eyes
- Inner to outer
- Perineal
- Front to back
- Dentures
- Cool labeled container
- Weak arm
- Dress first
- Diabetic nails
- Do not trim
Dehydration vs Aspiration
Dehydration
- Low intake
- Dry mouth
- Dark urine
Aspiration
- Coughing meals
- Wet voice
- Airway risk
Fluids low vs airway
Vitals + Measurements
- Temperature
- Report abnormal value
- Pulse
- Rate and rhythm
- Respirations
- Count unnoticed
- BP
- Systolic over diastolic
- Radial pulse
- Wrist artery
- Weight
- Zero scale first
- Urine output
- Measure milliliters
- Recording sheet
- Exact candidate result
Nutrition + Hydration
- Diet card
- Follow exactly
- NPO
- Nothing by mouth
- Dysphagia
- Swallowing difficulty
- Aspiration
- Food enters airway
- Feeding
- Small slow bites
- Fluids
- Offer within plan
- I&O
- Intake and output
- Dehydration
- Report dry mouth
Mobility + Body Mechanics
- Base
- Feet shoulder-width
- Lift
- Bend knees
- Twisting
- Avoid; pivot feet
- Gait belt
- Snug over clothing
- Dangling
- Sit before standing
- Weak side
- Support during ambulation
- Cane
- Strong side
- Walker
- Move walker first
Skills Critical
- Start
- Address client by name
- Introduce
- Give your name
- Privacy
- Curtain or door
- Explain
- Clear slow direct
- Safety end
- Bed low locked
- Signal
- Within reach
- Correction
- Say mistake promptly
- New skill
- Cannot go back
Fire Response
RACE protects residents before equipment.
RescueAlarmContainExtinguish/Evacuate
Clean vs Dirty
Clean
- Fresh supplies
- Clean gloves
- Before body fluids
Dirty
- Used linen
- Soiled gloves
- Body-fluid contact
Prevent cross-contamination
Emergency Picker
- Resident falls→Call nurse first
- Chest pain→Report immediately
- Trouble breathing→Call for help
- Fire seen→RACE
- Small fire trained→PASS
- Abuse suspected→Report immediately
Hand Hygiene
- Friction
- At least 20 seconds
- Fingernails
- Clean against palms
- Fingertips
- Point downward
- Sink
- Do not touch
- Faucet
- Paper towel barrier
- Gloves off
- Wash hands again
- Visible soil
- Soap and water
- Clean task
- Before contact
Extinguisher
PASS only after residents are safe.
PullAimSqueezeSweep
Precautions + Safety
- Standard
- Every resident
- Contact
- Gloves and gown
- Droplet
- Mask near resident
- Airborne
- Special room mask
- Dirty linen
- Hold away
- Bed
- Low and locked
- Call light
- Within reach
- Fall found
- Call, do not move
Nurse Report
SBAR keeps urgent reports organized.
SituationBackgroundAssessmentRecommendation
Report vs Record
Report
- Tell nurse
- Changes now
- Safety concerns
Record
- Chart facts
- After care
- No opinions
Urgent vs permanent
Scope Picker
- Need assessment→Report to nurse
- Medication question→Tell nurse
- Care refused→Respect and report
- Unclear assignment→Clarify before care
- Condition changes→Report promptly
- Documentation due→Facts only
Scope + Delegation
- CNA role
- Delegated basic care
- Nurse
- Assesses and plans
- Care plan
- Follow exactly
- Diagnosis
- Never CNA duty
- Medications
- Not routine scope
- Sterile task
- Ask nurse first
- Refusal
- Respect and report
- Unsafe task
- Pause and clarify
Subjective vs Objective
Subjective
- Resident says
- Pain nausea
- Quote if needed
Objective
- You observe
- Measured data
- Visible signs
Stated vs measured
Rights + Legal
- Privacy
- Body and records
- Dignity
- Respectful care
- Choice
- Resident preferences
- Confidentiality
- Need-to-know only
- Abuse
- Report immediately
- Neglect
- Care omitted
- Misappropriation
- Property taken
- Advance directive
- Care wishes document
Restraint vs Alarm
Restraint
- Requires order
- Not convenience
- Monitor skin
Alarm
- Alerts staff
- Still needs rounds
- Does not prevent falls
Limit vs alert
Communication + Reporting
- Knock
- Before entering
- Identify
- Name and role
- Explain
- Before each skill
- Active listening
- Attend and reflect
- Objective
- Observed or measured
- Subjective
- Resident states
- SBAR
- Structured nurse report
- Charting
- After care only
Common Traps
CNA Scope
Assist and report ≠ Assess and diagnose
Skills Timing
Thirty minutes total ≠ Thirty minutes each
Critical Steps
Must perform correctly ≠ Optional polish steps
Gloves
Protect during exposure ≠ Replace hand hygiene
Resident Refusal
Respect and report ≠ Force needed care
Registry Title
Use after listing ≠ Use after score report
Measurements
Record exact result ≠ Round from memory
Last Minute
- 1.ID matches CNA365 exactly
- 2.Arrive thirty minutes early
- 3.Know E-route window
- 4.Handwashing always first
- 5.One measurement skill appears
- 6.Call light always reachable
- 7.Bed low and locked
- 8.Respect refusal, report nurse
- 9.Chart facts after care
- 10.Use CNA title after registry
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