Basic Nursing Skills
What the exam expects you to know
Basic nursing skills cover vital signs, infection control, safety, observation, and specimen handling. Know adult ranges: temperature about 97–99 °F oral, pulse 60–100 beats per minute, respirations 12–20 per minute, blood pressure under 120/80, oxygen saturation 95% or higher. Know correct technique, because technique questions are common: count respirations for a full minute (or 30 seconds times two if regular) while pretending you are still counting the pulse; support the arm at heart level for a blood pressure; count an irregular pulse for a full minute. Handwashing is the single most effective way to prevent infection, and standard precautions mean treating all blood and body fluids as potentially infectious. For personal protective equipment, put gloves on last and take them off first, then eyewear, gown, and mask, washing hands afterward.
Traps built into questions
Questions often ask you to interpret a finding. The aide measures, records, and reports; the nurse assesses and decides. Order questions appear frequently: PPE removal, when to remove gloves, who cleans equipment. Another trap is the word first in report-this-finding items; a new confusion plus fever outranks a complaint about cold coffee. Do not leave a resident alone in a tub, on a bedpan, or in a position they cannot maintain.
Worked example
You take an oral temperature of 102.4 °F on a resident who was fine yesterday. You do not give aspirin, start a cool bath, or wait until the end of the shift. You record the value and time, report to the nurse immediately, and stay with the resident until someone responds.