Mississippi CNA common mistakes
Mississippi CNA · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
Candidate puts on gloves and moves straight from one resident to the next without performing hand hygiene, treating gloves as a substitute for washing or sanitizing.
Under time pressure and test-day nerves, gloves feel like a complete barrier, so the candidate skips the step they know is required and hopes the evaluator will not notice.
What to do instead
Build a fixed doorway ritual: sanitize hands before entering, don gloves, remove gloves before leaving, sanitize again. Say the step out loud each time until it becomes automatic.
After completing bed care, the candidate walks away leaving the bed at working height with the near side rail down and the call light out of reach.
Attention is on finishing the task itself, and the 'put it back' steps come after the task feels done, so they get dropped.
What to do instead
Adopt a closing checklist you perform every time before leaving the room: bed low, wheels locked, rails as ordered, call light in hand, floor clear, resident's items within reach.
During a resident interview or care interaction the candidate answers questions for the resident, uses baby talk or 'we' statements, and calls the resident 'honey' or 'sweetie' instead of their name.
Silence feels awkward, the resident may be slow to respond, and the candidate wants to keep the interaction moving, so they fill the gap themselves.
What to do instead
Ask the question to the resident, then count to five in your head before speaking again. Use the resident's name, plain adult language, and 'you' rather than 'we'.
Candidate opens the door or draws back the curtain, starts washing or exposing the resident, and begins care without knocking, announcing themselves, or explaining the procedure.
The candidate is focused on the skill steps and the clock, and privacy behaviours are not graded as one distinct step, so they get compressed or skipped.
What to do instead
Verbalize a fixed opening every time: knock, state name, ask permission to enter, close door or curtain, explain what you are about to do before touching the resident.
Candidate obtains a temperature, pulse, respiration, blood pressure or weight that is outside normal limits or clearly different from the resident's usual values and says nothing, or mentions it only to the next aide in passing.
The candidate is afraid of being wrong or of 'bothering' the nurse, and does not have a clear picture of which findings must be reported immediately.
What to do instead
Memorize the reportable thresholds and report any value outside them plus any sharp change from the resident's baseline, using a short SBAR: who the resident is, what you found, what you are concerned about, what you need.
During perineal care the candidate wipes back to front, uses the same part of the washcloth for multiple strokes, or fails to rinse and dry the area thoroughly.
The front-to-back sequence is a rule the candidate can recite but has not practiced, so under the pressure of the skills check the wiping direction reverts to the more natural motion.
What to do instead
Rehearse the sequence out loud with each stroke: front to back, one clean area of cloth per stroke, front to back again, rinse, pat dry, and observe the skin while doing it.
Candidate feeds a resident who is lying flat or only slightly raised, puts food on the weak side of the mouth, and loads the spoon with a large bite.
The resident may be tired or the candidate is in a hurry, and the link between positioning, side of mouth, and choking risk is not firmly connected in the candidate's mind.
What to do instead
Before the first bite: raise the head of the bed to high Fowler's or seat the resident upright, ask about swallowing problems and diet texture, place food on the stronger side, use a small spoon, and stop if the resident coughs or voice sounds wet.
Candidate transfers a resident by pulling on the arms or under the arms, with the wheelchair unlocked and no gait belt, and pivots without telling the resident what is happening.
The candidate wants the transfer to look smooth and quick, and grabbing the resident feels more secure than taking the extra seconds to lock, belt, and cue.
What to do instead
Do the same three setup steps every transfer: lock the wheels, apply the gait belt, tell the resident the plan and count to three. Pivot with the resident's feet, never lift by the arms.
Candidate applies a restraint or a lap belt that the resident cannot release without an order, ties it to a side rail or other movable part, and does not check or release it on schedule.
The candidate genuinely believes it protects the resident from falling and does not fully separate 'reminder' devices from restraints under the rules.
What to do instead
Never apply any device that limits movement without a current order. Attach only to the fixed frame, never a movable part, and follow the ordered release, repositioning and circulation-check intervals, documenting each one.
Candidate measures blood pressure with the cuff over clothing or over a sleeve, uses a cuff that is too small for the arm, lets the arm hang unsupported, or takes a single reading immediately after the resident walked in.
The candidate learned the steps but not the conditions that make the reading valid, so technique errors feel like harmless shortcuts.
What to do instead
Before inflating: bare arm, correct cuff size chosen by arm circumference, arm supported at heart level, feet flat, and a five-minute rest. If the reading is unexpected, wait and repeat before reporting it.