Oklahoma CNA common mistakes
Oklahoma CNA · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
When a resident asks a question, the candidate answers the family member in the hallway instead of speaking directly to the resident and does not check that the resident understood.
The candidate is nervous or rushed and assumes the family member is the decision-maker, so they bypass the resident.
What to do instead
Face the resident, use their name, make eye contact at eye level, answer the resident first, allow silence, and ask the resident to repeat back or show understanding; involve family only with the resident's permission.
The candidate removes gloves, then touches the door handle, wheelchair, or clean linen before performing hand hygiene.
The candidate treats gloves as a substitute for hand hygiene and focuses on finishing the task rather than on the sequence of clean-to-dirty contact.
What to do instead
Treat gloves as task-specific: remove gloves, perform hand hygiene immediately, and only then touch clean equipment, clean linen, or the environment; verbalize the sequence during skills practice.
The candidate begins a bed-to-chair transfer without locking the bed and wheelchair brakes and without lowering the bed to a safe height first.
The candidate concentrates on the grip and the resident's movement and skips setup steps under time pressure.
What to do instead
Pause at the bedside and use a fixed setup check: lock brakes, lower bed, clear the path, apply gait belt if indicated, and use a count or team signal before moving the resident.
The candidate chooses the resident's clothing, meal items, or activity for them 'to save time' without asking the resident's preference.
The candidate equates efficiency with good care and falls into paternalism, especially when the resident is slow to decide.
What to do instead
Offer two acceptable choices, wait for the resident's response, honor refusal, and document the preference; prompt and assist rather than take over.
During perineal care, the candidate uses one washcloth for the entire area or returns to the front after cleaning the anal area.
The candidate memorized the general task but not the clean-to-dirty stroke sequence, so contamination is not recognized.
What to do instead
Use separate washcloths, clean the urethral area first, wash front to back, change the cloth after each stroke or area, and never return to the front after the anal area.
The candidate feeds a resident who is lying flat or only slightly reclined and places food in the mouth without checking for swallowing or coughing.
The candidate focuses on getting intake completed and does not connect positioning and swallowing safety to aspiration risk.
What to do instead
Raise the head of the bed to at least 90 degrees unless contraindicated, check alertness, offer small bites, allow time to swallow, stop if coughing or pocketing occurs, and report changes.
When a resident says they feel hopeless, the candidate says 'You're fine, don't worry' and changes the subject.
The candidate is uncomfortable with distress and believes reassurance is helpful, so they shut down the resident's disclosure.
What to do instead
Stay with the resident, listen without interrupting, acknowledge the feeling, ask directly about safety if self-harm is hinted at, and report the statement to the nurse.
The candidate argues with a resident who insists it is 1985 and repeats orientation facts louder and more slowly.
The candidate believes reality orientation must always be enforced and becomes frustrated when the resident does not comply.
What to do instead
Avoid arguing, acknowledge the resident's feeling, redirect to a safe activity or familiar routine, use a calm tone, and reorient briefly only if the resident tolerates it.
During passive range of motion, the candidate forces a joint to the point of pain and bounces at the end of the range.
The candidate confuses 'full range' with force and has not practiced recognizing the painless endpoint.
What to do instead
Support the joint above and below, move slowly to the point of resistance or pain, stop at pain, never bounce, and report any new pain, swelling, or change in motion.
The candidate documents a task as complete before performing it or signs for care that another aide provided.
Time pressure and misunderstanding of documentation and scope of role lead the candidate to chart by anticipation or by proxy.
What to do instead
Document immediately after care, record only what the candidate personally performed, never chart for someone else, and report changes or refusals to the nurse.