Basic Nursing Skills
What candidates must know
Basic nursing skills are the measurements and procedures a CNA performs under nurse supervision: temperature, pulse, respirations, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, height and weight, intake and output, specimen collection, and simple treatments such as heat and cold applications and non-sterile dressing changes.
Temperature routes differ. Axillary readings run lower than oral, and rectal readings run slightly higher, so compare like with like when reporting. Pulse is counted in beats per minute and described by rate, rhythm, and volume. Respirations are counted for rate, depth, and character without announcing it, because awareness changes breathing. Blood pressure is recorded as systolic over diastolic and should be taken with the resident seated and the arm supported at heart level.
Traps in questions
- Counting respirations while pretending to still hold the wrist for pulse, so the resident does not alter breathing.
- Using a cuff that is too small, which falsely raises the reading.
- Recording only urine when output also includes emesis, wound drainage, or liquid stool.
- Mixing ounces and milliliters when adding intake.
- Charting a value that was never reported to the nurse.
Worked rule
To convert Celsius to Fahrenheit, multiply by 1.8 and add 32. A temperature of 38.5 C becomes 38.5 x 1.8 = 69.3, plus 32 = 101.3 F, which is a fever and must be reported. Intake and output are recorded in milliliters, and 1 ounce equals 30 mL.