Personal Care Skills
What this domain covers
Personal care - bathing, mouth care, grooming, dressing, toileting, and skin care - is the largest part of a nursing assistant's day. Every task is also an opportunity to protect dignity, skin integrity, and safety.
Core principles. Provide privacy (close doors and curtains, expose only the body part being washed), encourage the resident to do whatever they can do for themselves, and explain what you are about to do. Check the water temperature before the resident gets in; about 105 °F (40–41 °C) is comfortable and safe. Wash eyes from the inner corner outward, and always cleanse the perineal area front to back to prevent infection. Bathe the cleanest areas first and the perineum last, changing washcloths and water as needed. Never leave a resident alone in a bathtub or shower.
Skin and pressure care. Look at the skin every time you reposition. Report redness that does not blanch, warmth, swelling, or any break in the skin over bony prominences. Reposition at least every two hours, keep heels and skin dry, and avoid dragging the resident across the sheets.
Special items. Dentures are fragile: clean them over a basin or towel and store them in a labeled cup with water, never wrapped in a tissue. For a diabetic resident, do not cut toenails - report the need to the nurse. Use an electric razor unless the resident can safely use a safety razor. Dress the weak or affected side first and undress it last.
Traps. Test questions punish shortcuts: skipping privacy, using hot water, washing back to front, leaving a call light out of reach, or doing a task for a resident who could do it themselves.
Rule of thumb. "Encourage independence, protect privacy, check the water, and look at the skin" answers a surprising share of personal care questions.