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Wyoming CNA practice questions

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Question 1Resident Rights and Independence

According to federal nursing home regulations, when must a resident be informed of their rights?

  1. Only if the resident asks for a copy
  2. When a complaint has been filed
  3. After the first quarterly care conference
  4. At admission and whenever the rights change Correct answer.

Explanation

Residents must be told their rights in writing at admission and given updated information whenever those rights change, and a summary must be posted in the facility. Informing residents from day one is what makes it possible for them to exercise those rights.

Question 2Resident Rights and Independence

A resident tells her CNA, "Please call me Mrs. Alvarez, not Ana." What is the best response?

  1. Rotate between both names to keep things friendly
  2. Use her first name to make her feel at home
  3. Use the name she has chosen, Mrs. Alvarez Correct answer.
  4. Ask her daughter which name the family prefers

Explanation

Being treated with dignity includes honoring the way a resident wishes to be addressed. The resident's own preference controls, and family members do not decide this for her.

Question 3Resident Rights and Independence

A CNA is about to give a bed bath. Which action protects the resident's privacy?

  1. Leaving the door open so other staff can see in
  2. Asking the roommate to stay at the bedside and help
  3. Bathing the resident in the hallway shower when it is empty
  4. Closing the door and curtain and covering exposed areas Correct answer.

Explanation

Privacy during personal care means screening the space and keeping the body covered except for the part being washed. Exposing a resident to view violates the right to personal privacy and dignity.

Question 4Resident Rights and Independence

A resident's family brings in a photo album and a favorite pillow. What should the CNA do?

  1. Label the items and keep them with the resident Correct answer.
  2. Explain that the room is too small to keep extra items
  3. Give the pillow to another resident who needs one
  4. Store the items in the facility storage room until discharge

Explanation

Residents have the right to keep and use personal possessions, and staff should help protect those items, for example by labeling them. Removing belongings without consent interferes with that right.

Question 5Resident Rights and Independence

A resident's personal mail arrives at the front desk. What should the CNA do?

  1. Hold it until a family member visits
  2. Deliver it to the resident unopened Correct answer.
  3. Open it to check for prohibited items
  4. Read it aloud so the resident can hear it

Explanation

Residents have the right to send and receive mail unopened and to read it privately. Staff may open or read correspondence only when the resident specifically asks them to.

Question 6Resident Rights and Independence

A resident who uses a wheelchair asks to attend the chapel service on Sunday. What should the CNA do?

  1. Help the resident get ready and go to the service Correct answer.
  2. Suggest that watching the service on television is easier
  3. Tell the resident services are only for ambulatory residents
  4. Ask the nurse to decide whether the resident may attend

Explanation

Residents have the right to practice their religion, and the CNA's role is to make attendance possible rather than create barriers. Offering a substitute or referring the decision elsewhere does not honor that right.

Question 7Resident Rights and Independence

A resident repeatedly turns away the evening medication. What is the correct CNA action?

  1. Warn that refusing will lead to discharge
  2. Respect the refusal and report it to the nurse Correct answer.
  3. Skip documenting it since the medication was not given
  4. Hide the pill in applesauce so the resident gets it

Explanation

A resident may refuse treatment, including medications, and the CNA must honor that choice. The nurse needs to know so the reason can be explored and the refusal properly documented.

Question 8Resident Rights and Independence

A resident says she is afraid to file a complaint because staff might ignore her call light afterward. What should the CNA say or do?

  1. Advise her to wait until she moves to another facility
  2. Explain that retaliation is prohibited and help her file the grievance Correct answer.
  3. Promise that no staff member will ever be told about the complaint
  4. Agree that complaining usually causes problems

Explanation

Residents have the right to voice grievances without fear of retaliation or interference. The CNA should reassure the resident and help her use the complaint process.

Question 9Resident Rights and Independence

A CNA discusses a resident's diagnosis with a friend in the elevator. Which right does this violate?

  1. The right to keep and use personal belongings
  2. The right to move about freely inside and outside the facility
  3. The right to choose a personal physician and pharmacy
  4. The right to confidential personal and health information Correct answer.

Explanation

Residents have a right to confidentiality of their personal and clinical information, and staff may share it only with those who need it to provide care. Talking about a resident in a public area like an elevator breaks that confidentiality.

Question 10Resident Rights and Independence

Which action best supports a resident's right to take part in care planning?

  1. Inviting the resident to the conference and asking about goals Correct answer.
  2. Writing the care plan before the meeting to save time
  3. Sharing the plan only if the resident asks to see it
  4. Having the family decide everything without the resident

Explanation

Residents have the right to participate in their own care planning, and the plan should reflect their goals and preferences. Preparing the plan in advance without the resident, or letting others decide, undercuts that right.

Question 11Resident Rights and Independence

A resident tells the CNA she does not want to see her daughter today, and the daughter is waiting at the front desk. What should the CNA do?

  1. Tell the daughter her mother is asleep and cannot be woken
  2. Bring the daughter in anyway because family visits are important
  3. Ask the daughter to wait until the resident changes her mind
  4. Respect the resident's wish and tell the daughter she is not up to visiting Correct answer.

Explanation

Residents may choose whom they see, and refusing a visit is a valid exercise of that right. The CNA should carry out the resident's decision honestly rather than pressuring her or inventing a reason.

Question 12Resident Rights and Independence

A facility holds a resident's spending money in trust. Which statement is correct?

  1. The resident must receive a record of transactions and access to funds Correct answer.
  2. The facility may spend the money on the resident without asking permission
  3. Staff may borrow it as long as the amount is repaid
  4. The money becomes the property of the facility after six months

Explanation

Residents have the right to manage their own financial affairs, and a facility that holds funds must provide a written accounting and access to the money on request. The funds never become the facility's property or the staff's to use.

Question 13Resident Rights and Independence

A resident keeps sliding down in a chair, and a coworker suggests using a lap belt to hold her in place. What should the CNA do?

  1. Ask the roommate to watch and push her back up
  2. Tie the belt loosely so it does not count as a restraint
  3. Try other positioning and report the problem Correct answer.
  4. Apply the belt and describe it as a safety device

Explanation

The right to be free from restraints means the CNA must look for alternatives such as repositioning or a different chair and involve the nurse. A device that limits movement may not be applied without a proper order and monitoring.

Question 14Resident Rights and Independence

A CNA sees another aide grab a resident's arm roughly and yell at him. What should the CNA do?

  1. Report the incident to the charge nurse right away Correct answer.
  2. Say nothing unless the resident complains later
  3. Ask the other aide to apologize and drop the matter
  4. Wait to see whether it happens a second time

Explanation

All staff are responsible for reporting suspected abuse promptly so the resident can be protected and the situation investigated. Waiting or handling it informally leaves the resident at ongoing risk.

Question 15Resident Rights and Independence

A resident in a wheelchair says he does not want to go to the group bingo game today. What should the CNA do?

  1. Respect his choice and offer another activity he might enjoy Correct answer.
  2. Tell him he must attend because it is on the activity calendar
  3. Take him anyway so he does not become isolated
  4. Report him to the social worker as uncooperative

Explanation

Residents have the right to choose how to spend their time, and activities should be offered rather than required. Concerns about isolation are addressed by offering alternatives, not by forcing participation.

Question 16Resident Rights and Independence

A resident insists on wearing the same red sweater every day. The sweater is clean and right for the weather. What should the CNA do?

  1. Tell her other residents will notice she wears it daily
  2. Ask the family to bring different clothes and hide the sweater
  3. Honor her choice and help her keep the sweater clean Correct answer.
  4. Remove the sweater from the room so she chooses something else

Explanation

Personal choice about clothing and appearance is part of the right to dignity and self-determination. The CNA's job is to support the choice and keep the garment clean, not to override it.

Question 17Resident Rights and Independence

Staff place a resident alone in a room away from others and do not let him leave, as punishment for yelling. What does this describe?

  1. Involuntary seclusion, which violates the resident's rights Correct answer.
  2. A permitted time-out agreed to by the family
  3. An acceptable behavior management plan
  4. A restraint that requires only a doctor's order

Explanation

Involuntary seclusion means separating a resident from others against his will as discipline or for staff convenience, and it is prohibited. Restrictive measures of any kind require a physician's order with strict limits and monitoring, and punishment is never a valid basis.

Question 18Resident Rights and Independence

A resident has a signed do-not-resuscitate order in the chart. The CNA finds him unresponsive and not breathing. What should the CNA do?

  1. Wait for the family to arrive before doing anything
  2. Start CPR immediately, since the order is only a guideline
  3. Begin rescue breathing but skip chest compressions
  4. Call for the nurse and follow the facility's DNR procedure Correct answer.

Explanation

A valid DNR order means CPR should not be started, and the CNA's role is to summon the nurse immediately and follow facility policy. The order reflects the resident's own decision about end-of-life treatment.

Question 19Resident Rights and Independence

A facility plans a non-emergency discharge of a resident to a different care setting. What is the minimum advance written notice the resident must receive?

  1. 14 days
  2. 7 days
  3. 60 days
  4. 30 days Correct answer.

Explanation

Federal law requires at least 30 days' written notice before a facility-initiated transfer or discharge so the resident can prepare and exercise appeal rights. Shorter notice is allowed only in limited situations such as an emergency.

Question 20Resident Rights and Independence

A resident's son tells the CNA, "Don't tell my mother she has cancer." What should the CNA do?

  1. Agree to keep the diagnosis secret from the resident
  2. Ask the other staff to avoid the topic whenever she is nearby
  3. Refer the son to the nurse; the resident has a right to know Correct answer.
  4. Tell the resident the news right away himself

Explanation

Residents have the right to be informed of their own medical condition and to decide who else is told. The CNA should not promise secrecy or disclose the information personally, but should route the request to the nurse, who can address it with the family and resident.

Question 21Safety and Emergency Response

In the fire response acronym RACE, what does the letter R stand for?

  1. Report the fire to the fire department
  2. Remove oxygen equipment from the room
  3. Restrict visitors from entering the area
  4. Rescue anyone who is in immediate danger Correct answer.

Explanation

RACE stands for Rescue, Alarm, Contain, and Extinguish or Evacuate. The first priority is to get people out of immediate danger before alarming others or containing the fire.

Question 22Safety and Emergency Response

When using a fire extinguisher with the PASS technique, what does the P stand for?

  1. Position yourself upwind
  2. Point the nozzle at the base of the fire
  3. Pull the pin Correct answer.
  4. Press the handle down

Explanation

PASS stands for Pull, Aim, Squeeze, and Sweep. Pulling the pin breaks the tamper seal and makes the extinguisher ready to use.

Question 23Safety and Emergency Response

A resident begins to fall while you are helping them walk. What is the safest action?

  1. Step away quickly so you are not pulled down too
  2. Ease the resident to the floor while protecting their head Correct answer.
  3. Grab the resident under the arms and try to hold them upright
  4. Call for help and wait for others before touching the resident

Explanation

Trying to catch a falling person can injure both the resident and your back. The safest approach is to lower the resident in a controlled way and shield the head from injury.

Question 24Safety and Emergency Response

A resident suddenly stops speaking, has a panicked look, and clutches their throat with both hands. What is this most likely?

  1. A heart attack
  2. A seizure
  3. A fainting episode
  4. A choking emergency Correct answer.

Explanation

Clutching the throat with both hands is the universal sign of choking, meaning the airway is blocked. The nursing assistant should activate the emergency response and begin choking relief measures per training.

Question 25Safety and Emergency Response

When performing CPR on an adult, at what rate should chest compressions be delivered?

  1. About 60 to 80 per minute
  2. About 40 to 60 per minute
  3. About 100 to 120 per minute Correct answer.
  4. As fast as possible, over 140 per minute

Explanation

Adult chest compressions should be given at a rate of 100 to 120 per minute. This rate keeps blood moving while allowing the chest to recoil between compressions.

Question 26Safety and Emergency Response

Which action best helps prevent falls when you leave a resident's room?

  1. Turn off the room light so the resident will rest
  2. Place the call light and needed items within reach Correct answer.
  3. Raise all four side rails on the bed
  4. Raise the bed to its highest position for easier access

Explanation

A resident who can reach the call light and personal items is less likely to try to get up alone. The bed should be kept low, the brakes locked, and the area free of clutter.

Question 27Safety and Emergency Response

During a resident's seizure, which action is correct?

  1. Place a spoon between the resident's teeth
  2. Protect the head and clear nearby objects Correct answer.
  3. Hold the resident's arms and legs still
  4. Pour a small amount of water into the mouth

Explanation

The goal during a seizure is to prevent injury by cushioning the head and moving hard objects away. Restraints, objects in the mouth, and fluids can all cause harm and must be avoided.

Question 28Safety and Emergency Response

A resident suddenly develops facial drooping on one side, arm weakness, and slurred speech. What should the nursing assistant do?

  1. Assume the resident is tired and document it at end of shift
  2. Stay with the resident and call for emergency help at once Correct answer.
  3. Give the resident aspirin and a glass of water
  4. Help the resident lie flat and wait to see if symptoms pass

Explanation

These are classic signs of a stroke, and treatment is time-sensitive. The nursing assistant should stay with the resident, note the time symptoms began, and summon emergency help immediately without giving food or fluids.

Question 29Safety and Emergency Response

A resident has a deep cut on the forearm that is bleeding heavily. What should you do first?

  1. Wash the wound with soap and water for five minutes
  2. Put on gloves and apply firm direct pressure to the cut Correct answer.
  3. Apply a tourniquet above the elbow right away
  4. Elevate the arm and wait for the bleeding to stop on its own

Explanation

Standard precautions require gloves before contact with blood, and direct pressure with a clean dressing is the first-line way to control heavy bleeding. A tourniquet is a last resort when direct pressure fails.

Question 30Safety and Emergency Response

A resident spills hot coffee and has a small, red, painful burn on the hand. What is appropriate first aid?

  1. Rub the area with ice for ten minutes
  2. Apply butter or petroleum jelly to the burn
  3. Hold the area under cool running water Correct answer.
  4. Pop any blisters that form to relieve pressure

Explanation

Cool running water removes heat from the tissue and limits the depth of the burn. Greasy ointments, ice, and popping blisters can worsen tissue damage or infection.

Question 31Safety and Emergency Response

A resident may have swallowed a household cleaning product. What should the nursing assistant do?

  1. Make the resident vomit to empty the stomach
  2. Give the resident milk to neutralize the chemical
  3. Call poison control and follow their directions Correct answer.
  4. Wait an hour to see if any symptoms appear

Explanation

Poison control or emergency services should guide care because the correct action depends on the substance involved. Inducing vomiting or giving home remedies can cause additional injury.

Question 32Safety and Emergency Response

Which action is safe when a resident is receiving supplemental oxygen?

  1. Allow the use of petroleum-based ointment on the nose
  2. Keep oxygen equipment away from flames and sparks Correct answer.
  3. Use an alcohol-based hand rub next to the oxygen tank
  4. Store the oxygen cylinder lying flat on the floor

Explanation

Oxygen supports combustion, so flames, sparks, and smoking must be kept away from the equipment. Cylinders must be secured upright and petroleum products and alcohol rubs avoided near the tank.

Question 33Safety and Emergency Response

Before helping a resident transfer from a wheelchair to the bed, what should you do?

  1. Place the wheelchair at the foot of the bed facing away
  2. Stand in front of the chair and pull the resident by the shoulders
  3. Remove the footrests and tilt the chair backward
  4. Lock the wheels and raise the footrests out of the way Correct answer.

Explanation

Locking the wheels prevents the chair from rolling during the transfer, and moving the footrests clears the path for the resident's feet. The chair should be positioned close to the bed and angled toward it.

Question 34Safety and Emergency Response

Which technique best protects your back when lifting a heavy object?

  1. Bend your knees and hold the load close to your body Correct answer.
  2. Bend at the waist and twist to set the object down
  3. Keep your feet together and reach out away from your body
  4. Lift quickly with straight legs and locked knees

Explanation

Bending the knees and keeping the load close uses the leg muscles and reduces strain on the lower back. Twisting, reaching, and lifting with locked knees all increase the risk of injury.

Question 35Safety and Emergency Response

You cannot find a resident who was in their room a few minutes ago and the unit's exit door is ajar. What should you do first?

  1. Search the building alone before telling anyone
  2. Call the resident's family to ask where the resident might go
  3. Wait 30 minutes in case the resident returns
  4. Report the missing resident to the charge nurse at once Correct answer.

Explanation

A missing resident is an emergency, and the facility's elopement protocol begins with notifying the charge nurse so a coordinated search can start. Delaying notification or searching alone wastes critical time.

Question 36Safety and Emergency Response

A resident touches a faulty electrical cord and is being shocked. What should you do first?

  1. Turn off the power before touching the resident Correct answer.
  2. Use a metal pole to push the cord away
  3. Grab the resident's arm and pull them away
  4. Throw water on the cord to stop the current

Explanation

Touching a person who is still in contact with an electrical current can make you part of the circuit. The power source must be shut off before the resident is touched.

Question 37Safety and Emergency Response

A resident has a physician-ordered wrist restraint. Which nursing assistant action is correct?

  1. Check the restraint site every 15 minutes for circulation Correct answer.
  2. Leave the restraint in place during meals to prevent choking
  3. Tie the restraint securely to the side rail so it stays out of reach
  4. Remove the restraint only when the resident's family is visiting

Explanation

Restraints require frequent checks for circulation, skin breakdown, and repositioning, and the resident's condition must be monitored. Restraints are tied to the bed frame, never the side rail, and are removed for meals and personal care.

Question 38Safety and Emergency Response

A fire in the kitchen requires evacuating residents from the adjacent hallway. Which approach is correct?

  1. Have all residents walk down the stairs together in one group
  2. Close all room doors and leave residents in their rooms until the fire department arrives
  3. Use the elevators to move residents quickly to the ground floor
  4. Move residents horizontally past fire doors, then evacuate vertically if needed Correct answer.

Explanation

Horizontal evacuation moves residents through fire doors to a protected area on the same floor, and vertical evacuation follows only if the area is threatened. Elevators are unsafe during a fire.

Question 39Safety and Emergency Response

A resident's clothing catches fire from a space heater. What should you do?

  1. Run with the resident to the nearest bathroom for water
  2. Stop, drop, and roll the resident to smother flames Correct answer.
  3. Wrap the resident in a wool blanket and leave them standing
  4. Fan the flames with a towel to put them out

Explanation

Smothering the flames by stopping, dropping, and rolling cuts off the oxygen feeding the fire. Running or fanning supplies more oxygen and can spread the flames.

Question 40Safety and Emergency Response

A resident falls and hits their head but says they feel fine and has no visible cut. What should you do?

  1. Apply a cold pack and let them sleep for the rest of the day
  2. Help the resident up and document the fall at the end of your shift
  3. Keep them still and report the fall immediately Correct answer.
  4. Give a mild pain reliever and check on them in the morning

Explanation

Head injuries can produce delayed signs such as confusion, vomiting, or unequal pupils, so the resident should be kept still and the fall reported right away. The nurse will assess and monitor for changes in level of consciousness.

Question 41Infection Control and Standard Precautions

Which action is the most effective way to prevent the spread of infection in a long-term care facility?

  1. hand hygiene at the right times Correct answer.
  2. disinfecting the nurses' station each shift
  3. wearing gloves for every task
  4. changing uniforms once a day

Explanation

Hand hygiene is the single most effective way to prevent infection because it removes organisms from the hands and stops them from being carried to residents, surfaces, and the aide. Gloves and environmental cleaning are helpful but do not replace hand hygiene.

Question 42Infection Control and Standard Precautions

Standard precautions should be used:

  1. for every resident, whatever the diagnosis Correct answer.
  2. only in acute care hospitals
  3. only when blood is visible on the skin
  4. only for residents with a diagnosed infection

Explanation

Standard precautions treat all blood and body fluids as potentially infectious, so they apply to every resident at every contact. A diagnosis cannot be used as a guide because many residents are colonized or not yet diagnosed.

Question 43Infection Control and Standard Precautions

A nurse aide is about to empty a resident's urinary drainage bag. Which personal protective equipment is the minimum needed?

  1. a sterile gown and mask
  2. clean gloves Correct answer.
  3. no protective equipment if the aide is careful
  4. goggles and shoe covers

Explanation

Urine is a body fluid and emptying a drainage bag can splash onto the hands, so clean (non-sterile) gloves are the minimum. A gown or eye protection is added when splashing or spraying is likely.

Question 44Infection Control and Standard Precautions

After giving an injection, what should the nurse aide do with the used needle?

  1. throw it in the regular trash
  2. bend the needle before disposal
  3. put it in a sharps container Correct answer.
  4. recap it using one hand

Explanation

Used needles go directly into a puncture-resistant sharps container without recapping or bending. Recapping and bending cause most needlestick injuries, and sharps are never placed in regular trash.

Question 45Infection Control and Standard Precautions

Which equipment protects the nurse aide's eyes during a task that may splash blood?

  1. a surgical mask
  2. a paper gown
  3. goggles Correct answer.
  4. clean gloves

Explanation

Splashes to the eyes and other mucous membranes can transmit bloodborne pathogens, so goggles or a face shield are worn whenever splashing is likely. Masks, gloves, and gowns protect other areas of the body.

Question 46Infection Control and Standard Precautions

How should soiled linen be handled?

  1. shaken out to remove debris
  2. bagged while held away from the body Correct answer.
  3. sorted on the utility room floor
  4. rinsed in the resident's sink first

Explanation

Soiled linen is bagged at the point of use and held away from the body so it does not contaminate the aide's clothing or the environment. It is never shaken, sorted on the floor, or rinsed in resident care areas.

Question 47Infection Control and Standard Precautions

In which order should a nurse aide put on personal protective equipment before entering a resident's room?

  1. mask, gloves, goggles, gown
  2. gloves, gown, mask, goggles
  3. gloves, gown, goggles, mask
  4. gown, mask, goggles, gloves Correct answer.

Explanation

Donning moves from cleanest to most contaminated: gown first, then mask, then eye protection, with gloves last so they cover the gown cuffs. Removal reverses the order, starting with the gloves.

Question 48Infection Control and Standard Precautions

When leaving a resident's room, which personal protective equipment should be removed first?

  1. the gown
  2. the gloves Correct answer.
  3. the goggles
  4. the mask

Explanation

Gloves are the most contaminated item and come off first, followed by goggles, then the gown, with the mask removed last. The mask stays on longest because it protects the face while the other items are handled.

Question 49Infection Control and Standard Precautions

A resident has a Clostridioides difficile infection. Which hand hygiene method should the nurse aide use?

  1. wash with soap and running water Correct answer.
  2. use either method, they work the same
  3. rub with an alcohol-based hand rub
  4. use a packaged hand wipe only

Explanation

C. difficile forms spores that alcohol does not reliably kill, so soap and running water with friction is required. Alcohol-based hand rub is not an acceptable substitute when caring for a resident with C. difficile.

Question 50Infection Control and Standard Precautions

A resident is on airborne precautions for suspected tuberculosis. Which mask should the nurse aide wear?

  1. a standard surgical mask
  2. a fit-tested N95 respirator Correct answer.
  3. no mask if the door is closed
  4. a cloth mask

Explanation

Airborne precautions require an N95 or higher-level respirator that has been fit-tested to the aide, along with a negative-pressure room and a closed door. A surgical mask does not filter the small droplet nuclei that carry tuberculosis.