CNA study guide
Long Term Care Centers - Designed for persons who cannot care for themselves: Medical, nursing,
dietary, recreational, rehabilitative, and social services are provided
Residents - Persons in long-term care centers; Center is their permanent or temporary home; Most
residents are older and have chronic diseases, poor nurtrition, or poor health; Some residents are
disabled from birth defects, accidents, or diseases;
Alert, oriented residents - Resident knows who & where they are, the year, and time of day. They
have physical problems. Disability level affects the amount of care required. Some require complete
care, others need help with daily activities
Confused & disoriented residents - Resident is mildly to severely confused & disoriented. Some
simply have trouble remembering where the dining room is, the month, or year. Others are more
confused & disoriented--they do not know who or where they are. Sometimes the problem is short
term. For others it is permanent and becomes worse
Complete care residents - Residents who are disabled, confused, and disoriented. They cannot meet
their own needs or tell you what they need. They need to be kept clean, safe, and comfortable
Short-term residents/Respite Care - Residents who need to recover from surgery, fractures, or
illnesses and regain strength & mobility to return to their former living situations. Home care-giver is
given a rest.
Life-long Residents - Residents with birth defects & childhood injuries & diseases can cause
disabilities such as mental retardation & Down syndrome. Person has limited function in at least 3
ares: self-care, understanding, or expressing language, learning, mobility, self-direction, independent
living, & financial support. Person needs lifelong assistance, support and special services.
Developmental Disability - A disability occurring before 22 years of age; May be a physical
impairment, intellectual impairment, or both
Mentally ill residents - Residents with problems coping or adjusting to stress affecting behavioral and
function.
,Terminally ill residents - Residents who are going to die from terminal illness (cancer, AIDS,
liver/heart/kidney/respiratory disease.
Nursing Team - RN's, LPN's (LVN's), & Nursing Assistant's
Nursing Process - 1) Assessment - Collects information. 2) Nursing Diagnosis - Describes health
problems. 3) Planning - Setting priorities and goals. 4) Implementation - Carries out the plan (goals).
5) Evaluation - Measures if the goals of the planning step were met.
Medicare - A federal health insurance program for persons 65 yrs of age or older
Medicaid - A health care payment program sponsored by federal & state governments
OBRA-Residents Rights - Right to all his or her information records; Right to refuse treatment; Right
to privacy & confidentiality; Right to personal choice; Right to voice concerns, questions, &
complaints about care; Right to not have to work for care, care items, or other things or privileges;
Right to form & take part in resident & family groups; Right to keep and use personal items; Right to
be free from all abuse, mistreatment, & neglect; Right to be free of restraint; Right to a quality of life
that promotes dignity & self esteem; Promotes physical, psychological, and mental well-being for
quality of life
Quality of Life Activities - Nursing center provides activity programs that allow personal choice. They
must promote physical, intellectual, social, spiritual, & emotional well being. Religious services
promote spirtual health
Quality of Life Environment - Nursing centers environment must promote quality of life by being
clean, safe & as home-like as possible.
OBRA Requirements for Dignity & Privacy - 1. Courteous & Dignified Interactions (right tone of voice,
good eye contact, stand or sit close, use proper name & title, gain attention before interacting with
resident, use touch IF person approves, respect social status, listen with interest, DO NOT yell, scold,
or embarrass resident) 2. Courteous & Dignified Care (grooming, dressing, clothing is personal
choice, promote independence & dignity in dining, respect private space & property, assist with
walking, transfers, bathing & hygiene preferences) 3. Privacy & Self-Determination (avoid exposure
& embarrassment, keep person properly draped at all times, use curtains & screens during all care &
procedures, knock before entering, close bathroom door when person uses it) 4. Maintain Personal
Choice & Independence (Person smokes in allowed areas, takes part in activities according to
, interests, involved in scheduling activities & care, gives input to care plan about preferences &
independence, involved in room or roommate change)
OBRA Requirements (all 50 states) - Nursing Assistant training and competency evaluation program
must be completed to work in nursing centers and hospital long-term care units.
OBRA Training Program - Requires at least 75 hours of instruction (16 hrs are supervised practical
training); includes knowledge & skills needed to give basic nursing care; takes place in a laboratory
or clinical setting
OBRA Competency Evaluation - After training program you take a written test that has multiple-
choice questions and a skills test that is performing certain skills learned in training program. OBRA
allows at least 3 attempts to successfully complete the evaluation
OBRA Nursing Assistant Registry - An official record or listing of persons who have successfully
completed a competency evaluation; Each state must have a nursing assistant registry; all
information stays in registry for at least 5 years
OBRA other requirements & provisions - Retraining & new competency evaluation program are
required for NA who have not worked for 2 consecutive years. It does not matter how long you
worked, it is how long you did NOT work: Requires new competency evaluation OR Both retraining &
new competency evaluation; Nursing agencies must provide 12 hrs of educational programs to NA's
every year
Delegation - RN's can delegate tasks to LPNs/LVNs, & NA's (Right Task, Right Circumstances, Right
Person, Right Directions & Communication, Right Supervision)
Refusing a Task - Have the right to refuse when: Task is beyond legal limits of your role, Is not in your
job description, You were not prepared to perform the task, Task could harm the person, Person's
condition has changed, You do not know how to use the supplies or equipment, directions are
unethical, illegal, or against agency policy, directions are unclear or incomplete, nurse is not
available for supervision
Ethical Aspects - Knowing difference between right & wrong conduct; behaves and acts in the right
way and does not harm anyone; not being prejudiced or biased
Good Work Ethics - Caring, Dependable, Considerate, Cheerful, Empathetic, Trustworthy, Respectful,
Courteous, Conscientious, Honest, Cooperative, Enthusiastic, Self-aware