Physical Care Skills
Core areas
Physical care questions test whether you can keep a resident safe, clean, nourished, mobile, and observed. Know the sequence for hand hygiene and glove use: wash hands before and after every resident contact and after removing gloves, and use standard precautions for all body fluids. Study the order of perineal care-front to back, cleaning from the least contaminated area outward-and always use a fresh washcloth for each stroke. Review bed making, oral care for an unconscious resident (side-lying, suction available), and denture care (clean over a basin lined with a towel, not over a sink).
Mobility and positioning
Understand body mechanics: wide base, bend at knees, keep load close, pivot rather than twist. Know turning schedules, pressure-relief devices, and that reddened skin over a bony prominence is reported, never massaged. Range of motion should be gentle and within comfort; stop at resistance or pain.
Nutrition, elimination, and vitals
Know aspiration precautions (upright, chin tuck, small bites), what NPO means, and intake/output in milliliters. Vital signs: report abnormal values rather than interpreting them.
Traps
Questions often reverse a step or tempt you to chart a diagnosis. You observe and report; you do not assess or decide. Also watch for 'always' answers that skip checking the care plan.
Worked rule
1 fluid ounce = 30 mL. A resident drinks 4 oz of juice and 180 mL of water: 4 × 30 = 120; 120 + 180 = 300 mL. Record the total, not each sip.