Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Exam Safety and Emergencies Summary

Before you leave, put the bed in the low position, lock the wheels, and place the call light within reach. Also leave water and needed items close by. These steps lower the risk of falls and let the resident call for help.

Wrong choices

• Turn off all the lights: A dark room makes falls more likely.
• Raise the bed to its highest position: A high bed makes falls more dangerous.
• Put the call light on the dresser: The resident may not be able to reach the dresser to call for help.

RACE = Rescue, Alarm, Contain, Extinguish. First move residents in immediate danger away from the fire, then sound the alarm, close doors to contain it, and use an extinguisher only if it is safe and you are trained.

Wrong choices

• Activate the alarm: The alarm comes right after rescuing people in danger.
• Extinguish the fire: Extinguishing is the last step in RACE.
• Contain the fire by closing doors: Containing comes after rescue and alarm.

Holding the throat and being unable to speak or cough means the airway is blocked. Call for help and give abdominal thrusts (the Heimlich maneuver) until the object comes out or the resident becomes unresponsive.

Wrong choices

• Give the resident a glass of water: Water can make the blockage worse and cannot be swallowed if the airway is blocked.
• Lay the resident down and leave to find the nurse: Leaving a choking person can be fatal.
• Wait a minute to see if it clears: A blocked airway is an emergency that needs action right away.

You cannot stop a fall once it starts. Keep your back straight, widen your stance, and ease the resident down to the floor, protecting her head. Then stay with her and call the nurse before moving her.

Wrong choices

• Pull her up by her arms: Pulling on the arms can injure her shoulders.
• Hold her up with all your strength: Trying to stop a fall can injure both of you.
• Let go and step back: Letting go means she falls with no protection.

After a fall, the resident may have a broken bone or head injury. Do not move her. Stay with her, keep her calm, and call for the nurse, who will check her before she is moved. Report every fall.

Wrong choices

• Help her up, then tell no one if she feels fine: Every fall must be reported, even if the resident seems fine.
• Help her back into bed right away: Moving her may make an injury worse before the nurse checks her.
• Give her a drink of water: She might have an injury, and the nurse needs to check her first.

PASS = Pull the pin, Aim at the base of the fire, Squeeze the handle, Sweep from side to side. Aiming at the base puts out the burning fuel.

Wrong choices

• Aim at the top of the flames: Spraying the top of the flames does not put out the fuel.
• Alert the fire department: Alerting is part of RACE, not PASS.
• Activate the alarm: The alarm is part of RACE, not PASS.

Always identify the resident before giving care by checking the ID band or the facility's approved method, such as a photo. Room numbers and answers from confused residents are not reliable.

Wrong choices

• Call out the name and see who answers: A confused resident may answer to any name.
• Go by the room and bed number: Residents can change rooms or sit in another bed.
• Ask the roommate who the resident is: A roommate is not a reliable source.

A person who can cough forcefully and speak still has air moving. Coughing is the best way to clear the airway. Stay, encourage coughing, and call for help. Start abdominal thrusts only if the resident can no longer cough, speak, or breathe.

Wrong choices

• Give abdominal thrusts right away: Thrusts are for a blocked airway when the person cannot cough or speak.
• Slap the resident's back as hard as possible: Strong coughing is clearing the airway, and hitting can make things worse.
• Give the resident water to wash the food down: Water can be inhaled while the resident is coughing.

Oxygen makes fires start easily and burn fast. No smoking, flames, or sparks near oxygen, and keep tanks secured. The aide does not change the flow rate; report breathing problems to the nurse.

Wrong choices

• Lighting a candle is fine if a window is open: An open flame near oxygen is a serious fire risk.
• Let the tank stand loose on the floor: A loose tank can fall and be damaged.
• Turn the flow up if the resident looks short of breath: Changing the oxygen flow rate is not the nurse aide's job; tell the nurse.

During a seizure, call for help, stay with the resident, protect the head, move objects away, and loosen tight clothing. Do not hold the resident down or put anything in the mouth. After the seizure, turn the resident on the side and note how long it lasted for the nurse.

Wrong choices

• Give the resident water to drink: The resident cannot swallow safely during a seizure.
• Hold the resident's arms and legs still: Holding the limbs can injure the resident.
• Put a spoon between the teeth: Objects in the mouth can break teeth or block the airway.