CNA Safety And Emergency Procedures 4 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When a fire is discovered in the facility, the first action the CNA should take is to:
- Begin evacuating all residents on the unit immediately
- Activate the fire alarm and alert other staff (Correct answer)
- Attempt to extinguish the fire before calling for help
- Wait for the charge nurse to direct all actions
Correct answer: Activate the fire alarm and alert other staff
Activating the fire alarm and alerting staff is the first priority to ensure all personnel and residents are alerted to the emergency.
The RACE protocol guides fire emergency response: Rescue residents in immediate danger, Alarm by activating the fire alarm and alerting others, Contain by closing doors to limit fire spread, and Extinguish or Evacuate. The alarm must be activated first to alert all staff and initiate the facility's emergency response. Individual CNAs should not attempt to fight fires or evacuate without first alerting the entire facility.
Question 2: A resident's call light has been on for 20 minutes and no one has responded. The CNA should:
- Reset the call light since the resident is likely non-urgent
- Respond to the call light immediately as this may be a safety emergency (Correct answer)
- Tell the resident to use the light only for urgent needs
- Report the unresponsive call system to maintenance
Correct answer: Respond to the call light immediately as this may be a safety emergency
Unanswered call lights for any length of time represent potential safety risks and must be responded to promptly.
Call lights must be answered promptly because any call could represent a safety emergency such as a fall in progress, chest pain, or difficulty breathing. A 20-minute delay is completely unacceptable and could result in serious harm. CNAs should respond immediately, assess the resident's need, and report systemic call light response problems to the charge nurse as a patient safety issue.
Question 3: The correct procedure when using a fire extinguisher is remembered by the acronym PASS, which stands for:
- Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep (Correct answer)
- Prepare, Alert, Stop, Secure
- Position, Assess, Spray, Survey
- Protect, Aim, Suppress, Secure
Correct answer: Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep
PASS: Pull the pin, Aim at the base of the fire, Squeeze the handle, Sweep from side to side.
PASS is the standard fire extinguisher technique: Pull the pin to break the tamper seal, Aim the nozzle at the base of the fire not the flames, Squeeze the handle to release the extinguishing agent, and Sweep from side to side at the base of the fire. Fire extinguishers should only be used on small contained fires when the alarm has been activated and an exit is immediately available.
Question 4: Fall prevention strategies for a high-risk resident include:
- Keeping bed at the lowest position only when CNAs are in the room
- Answering call lights promptly, using non-slip footwear, and keeping pathways clear (Correct answer)
- Applying restraints whenever the resident attempts to stand independently
- Leaving the resident in a wheelchair all day to prevent bed falls
Correct answer: Answering call lights promptly, using non-slip footwear, and keeping pathways clear
Non-restraint fall prevention includes prompt call light response, proper footwear, clear pathways, proper bed positioning, and close supervision.
Evidence-based fall prevention combines multiple interventions including keeping beds at the lowest position at all times, answering call lights promptly, ensuring non-slip footwear, keeping pathways clear, using bed and chair alarms, providing regular toileting schedules to reduce urgent nighttime trips, and ensuring adequate lighting. Restraints and prolonged wheelchair sitting are not appropriate fall prevention strategies and cause additional harm.
Question 5: When a resident falls and is found on the floor, the CNA's first action should be to:
- Immediately help the resident back to bed
- Assess for injury, call for help, and do not move the resident until assessed (Correct answer)
- Call 911 before performing any assessment
- Ask the resident to stand up with CNA assistance
Correct answer: Assess for injury, call for help, and do not move the resident until assessed
After a fall, the resident must be assessed for injury before moving, as movement could worsen a spinal or hip injury.
When a resident is found on the floor, the CNA must not move them until assessed for injury. Moving a resident with a hip fracture or spinal injury can cause catastrophic harm. The CNA should call for help, stay with the resident, assess level of consciousness and check for obvious injuries, keep the resident calm and still, and wait for the charge nurse to conduct a formal assessment and give direction about moving the resident.
Question 6: During a disaster or evacuation, residents who cannot ambulate independently should be:
- Left in their rooms with a note on the door until help arrives
- Assisted using evacuation devices, wheelchairs, or carried per facility protocol (Correct answer)
- Moved only after all ambulatory residents have evacuated
- Placed at the end of the evacuation list to minimize staff injury risk
Correct answer: Assisted using evacuation devices, wheelchairs, or carried per facility protocol
Non-ambulatory residents are a priority in evacuations and must be moved using available transfer devices per the facility's emergency plan.
Facility emergency and evacuation plans must include procedures for evacuating all residents including those who are non-ambulatory or bed-bound. CNAs should know the evacuation plan for their unit, including the location of evacuation devices such as evacuation chairs, carry sleds, and wheelchairs, and the designated routes and assembly areas. Leaving non-ambulatory residents in place endangers lives and violates the facility's duty of care.
CNA Safety And Emergency Procedures 4 2
When a fire is discovered in the facility, the first action the CNA should take is to: