Utah CNA study guide
Utah CNA · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The Utah Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) credential is the entry-level qualification that allows a person to give direct, hands-on care to residents and patients in nursing homes, assisted living communities, home health agencies, and hospital settings across Utah. Candidates usually complete a state-approved nurse aide training program first, then demonstrate competency through a written knowledge test and a hands-on skills evaluation administered by the state's contracted testing vendor. The Utah CNA study guide has 8 sections and about 2,981 words.
01Resident Rights, Independence, and Legal/Ethical Issues
Resident rights are the test the exam uses to see whether you think like a caregiver or like a rule-follower. Under federal law and Utah rules, a resident keeps dignity, privacy, self-determination, and freedom from abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
304 words, about 2 min02Safety and Emergency Procedures
Most safety questions are really fall-prevention questions. Keep the call light within reach, bed low and locked, brakes on, pathways clear, footwear non-skid, and the resident's water and phone reachable.
309 words, about 2 min03Communication and Interpersonal Skills
Professional communication has a purpose: to gather information and to help the resident feel heard. Therapeutic techniques include active listening, open-ended questions, restating, reflecting, clarifying, silence, and offering general leads.
262 words, about 1 min04Infection Control and Standard Precautions
Infection needs a germ, a reservoir, a way out, a way in, and a susceptible host - remove one link and transmission stops. Hand hygiene is the single most effective action.
282 words, about 1 min05Personal Care and Activities of Daily Living
Personal care is where dignity is won or lost. Provide privacy, explain what you are about to do, gather supplies first, and let the resident do every step they can still do - washing the face, holding the toothbrush, choosing the shirt.
322 words, about 2 min06Basic Nursing Skills and Restorative Care
Vital signs: adult temperature 97.6–99.6 F orally; pulse 60–100 and regular; respirations 12–20; blood pressure under 120/80; oxygen saturation 95–100 percent. Count respirations for 30 seconds and double if regular, but do it without announcing it - people change their breathing when watched.
320 words, about 2 min07Nutrition and Hydration
Know the common diets so you can spot a mismatch: regular, mechanical soft (cut or ground, easy to chew), pureed, clear liquid (broth, gelatin, juice - no milk or solid food), full liquid (adds milk, custard, strained cereal), NPO (nothing by mouth), plus therapeutic modifications such as low sodium, consistent carbohydrate, renal, and thickened liquids. Thickened liquids come in levels set by a speech therapist; never thin them out to make them easier to drink - that undermines the whole order.
300 words, about 2 min08Mental Health, Psychosocial Needs, and Care of Persons with Cognitive Impairment
Delirium is acute, fluctuating, and a medical emergency - sudden confusion, inattention, or a change from the resident's baseline, often from infection, dehydration, pain, or medication. Dementia is chronic and progressive.
882 words, about 4 min