Minnesota CNA common mistakes
Minnesota CNA · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
Entering a resident's room without knocking and waiting for permission before providing care.
Candidates focus on completing tasks quickly and forget that privacy and dignity are resident rights, especially under time pressure during skills checklists.
What to do instead
Make knocking, announcing name and purpose, and waiting for a response a fixed first step before every room entry; practice it until it is automatic.
Performing tasks for a resident that the resident can safely do independently, such as buttoning a shirt or holding a cup.
Doing the task is faster and candidates may worry about a skills checklist requiring completed care, so they over-assist.
What to do instead
Pause and ask what the resident can do; offer choices and allow extra time; assist only with the parts the resident cannot complete.
Speaking to a family member or coworker about the resident instead of directly to the resident, or using childish terms such as 'honey' and 'good boy'.
Candidates feel rushed or uncomfortable and default to whoever answers first, or use overly familiar language to seem friendly.
What to do instead
Address the resident by name, make eye contact at eye level, and direct questions and explanations to the resident first; use adult language.
Leaving the bed at working height or leaving wheelchair wheels unlocked after completing care.
Attention shifts to documenting or leaving the room, and lowering the bed or locking wheels feels like an extra step rather than part of the task.
What to do instead
Build 'bed low, wheels locked, call light within reach' into the final sequence of every care task and say it aloud before leaving the room.
Not washing hands before and after glove use, or touching clean surfaces such as the bed rail or door handle with contaminated gloves.
Candidates treat gloves as a substitute for hand hygiene and lose track of what gloved hands have touched.
What to do instead
Follow hand hygiene before gloving and after glove removal; remove gloves before touching clean items and change gloves between dirty and clean tasks.
Providing perineal care by wiping from back to front or using the same washcloth area repeatedly.
Candidates rush the procedure or copy the direction used for the buttocks without thinking about infection risk to the urinary tract.
What to do instead
Wipe front to back, use a clean portion of the cloth for each stroke, and change gloves or washcloths before continuing.
Telling the resident to 'breathe normally' while counting respirations, or counting for only a few seconds and estimating.
Candidates want to be transparent, but announcing the count changes the resident's breathing pattern and short counts are inaccurate.
What to do instead
Count respirations for a full 60 seconds while the resident is unaware, such as while still holding the wrist for pulse, and record the exact number.
Feeding a resident quickly, giving large bites, or not checking that thickened liquids and diet textures match the care plan.
Candidates want to finish meals on schedule and may not verify the diet card or aspiration precautions before feeding.
What to do instead
Verify the diet order and thickened-liquid level first; offer small bites, allow swallowing between bites, and stop if coughing or pocketing occurs.
Leaving the door open or exposing the resident during toileting, or delaying response to a call light for toileting.
Candidates prioritize finishing another task and may not treat toileting as urgent or private.
What to do instead
Answer toileting calls promptly, close the door or curtain, cover the resident, and keep the call light within reach afterward.
Dragging the resident during a transfer instead of using a gait belt, or moving a resident without locking the wheelchair and raising the footrests.
Candidates underestimate the resident's weight or rush the transfer, leading to unsafe pulling and falls.
What to do instead
Use a gait belt for transfers, lock the wheelchair, raise footrests, and move with the resident's cooperation rather than pulling on the arms or clothing.