Georgia CNA common mistakes
Georgia CNA · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
Removing gloves and then leaving the room without performing hand hygiene, or putting on gloves without first cleaning hands.
The candidate treats gloves as a substitute for hand hygiene and is rushing to finish the task.
What to do instead
Use a fixed hand-hygiene sequence: clean hands before donning gloves, after removing gloves, and between residents; say the steps aloud during practice until automatic.
Giving a bed bath while leaving the resident's chest, abdomen, or legs uncovered for long periods.
The candidate focuses on completing the task and forgets dignity, privacy, and warmth.
What to do instead
Use a bath blanket and uncover only the body part being washed; explain each step and re-cover the area immediately after washing.
Transferring a resident by pulling on the arms or weak side, or moving the bed without locking the wheels.
The candidate is hurried or underestimates the resident's fall risk and own body mechanics.
What to do instead
Lock wheels, lower the bed, use a gait belt, stand on the resident's weaker side during ambulation, and get help when the care plan requires it.
Waiting until the end of the shift to report a new change such as confusion, refusal to eat, or a small skin tear.
The candidate thinks only dramatic events need immediate reporting.
What to do instead
Report any change from baseline immediately to the nurse using time, measurements, and objective observations; document after reporting.
Answering questions for the resident, finishing the resident's sentences, or using childish terms such as 'honey' and 'good boy.'
The candidate is trying to be efficient or believes it is comforting.
What to do instead
Allow silence and extra time, use adult-to-adult language, ask open-ended questions, and confirm the resident's meaning before responding.
Tucking a sheet tightly over a resident or raising bed rails to keep the resident from getting up without an order.
The candidate fears a fall or wants to save time and does not recognize this as a restraint.
What to do instead
Never use a restraint without a provider order and care-plan direction; use least-restrictive alternatives and report the resident's behavior or fall risk.
Ignoring or delaying a call light for toileting because the candidate is completing another task.
The candidate prioritizes the task list over the resident's immediate needs and dignity.
What to do instead
Answer call lights promptly, offer scheduled toileting, and tell the resident when you will return if you must leave.
Performing range-of-motion exercises or ambulating a resident without checking the care plan or asking about pain.
The candidate assumes all residents follow the same routine and overlooks individual limits.
What to do instead
Check the care plan and orders first, ask about pain, support joints during range of motion, and stop if the resident reports pain or distress.
Cleaning the perineal area from back to front or using the same wipe for multiple strokes.
The candidate uses a habitual wiping motion and does not think about moving from clean to dirty.
What to do instead
Clean front to back, use a new wipe for each stroke, and wash from the cleanest area to the dirtiest area.
Leaving a resident alone after a fall or during chest pain while going to look for a nurse.
The candidate panics or does not know the emergency response sequence.
What to do instead
Stay with the resident, call for help using the call system or nearby staff, avoid moving the resident unless there is immediate danger, and report what happened.