10.2 High-Frequency Skills Walkthrough
Key Takeaways
- Hand washing critical steps: wet, soap, lather/friction ~20 seconds, fingertips down, dry, turn off faucet with a paper towel.
- Always lock bed/chair brakes, use a gait belt, and check footwear before any transfer or ambulation skill.
- Perineal and catheter care moves front to back / away from the meatus, uses a clean area of the cloth each stroke, and keeps the catheter secured and the bag below the bladder.
- Measurement skills require an eye-level reading on a flat surface and accurate recording in correct units.
- Range-of-motion is done slowly, supporting the joint, stopping at the point of pain — never force a joint.
Hand Washing (always tested)
This skill is on every Florida test. Memorize the critical steps as a fixed sequence.
| # | Critical Step |
|---|---|
| 1 | Turn on water; wet hands and wrists |
| 2 | Apply soap |
| 3 | Lather with friction on all surfaces, including between fingers and under nails, for about 20 seconds |
| 4 | Keep fingertips pointed down so water runs off the dirtiest area |
| 5 | Rinse thoroughly, fingertips down |
| 6 | Dry hands with a clean paper towel |
| 7 | Turn off the faucet with a clean, dry paper towel (not bare hands) |
| 8 | Dispose of the towel without contaminating clean hands |
Common fails: too short a lather time, touching the sink/faucet with clean hands, fingertips up so dirty water runs back to the wrists.
Measurement Skills (vital signs, intake/output)
Measurement tasks are objective — you either record within tolerance or you do not.
| Skill | Critical Points |
|---|---|
| Radial pulse | Count for a full minute (or per scenario), correct rate, record |
| Respirations | Count without the resident's awareness, full count, record |
| Blood pressure | Correct cuff size and placement, controlled inflation/deflation, accurate systolic/diastolic, record |
| Urine output | Pour into a graduate on a flat surface, read at eye level, record in mL |
| Weight | Balanced scale, resident steps on safely, accurate reading, record |
Record in the correct units on the form provided. Read liquids at eye level on a flat surface — never estimate while holding the container in the air. Do not include rinse water in output.
Transfer, Perineal/Catheter Care, and ROM
Transfer (bed to wheelchair / gait belt)
| Critical Step |
|---|
| Explain; provide privacy; raise/lower bed to safe height |
| Lock the bed and wheelchair brakes |
| Resident wears non-skid footwear |
| Apply the gait belt snugly over clothing |
| Use good body mechanics; block the resident's knees/feet |
| Pivot, lower the resident in control; reposition for comfort |
| Remove gait belt; call light in reach; hand hygiene |
Perineal / Catheter Care
- Glove, provide privacy, expose only the area needed.
- Female perineal care: wash front to back, top to bottom, clean area of the cloth each stroke, never back to front (prevents UTI).
- Catheter care: clean away from the meatus along the catheter, keep the catheter secured to the leg, keep the drainage bag below the level of the bladder and off the floor.
- Rinse, dry, reposition, remove gloves, hand hygiene.
Range of Motion (ROM)
- Support the joint above and below; move slowly and smoothly.
- Perform each motion the ordered number of times.
- Stop at the point of pain or resistance — never force a joint.
- Keep the resident covered; expose only the limb being exercised.
While performing the hand washing skill, after rinsing the candidate turns off the faucet directly with her clean bare hand. On the Florida skills test this is:
Place these critical steps of a bed-to-wheelchair transfer in the correct order.
Arrange the items in the correct order