Areas Tested on the Nurse Aide Skills Test

You will be asked to perform five (5) skills randomly selected from this list. For a copy of the steps required in each of these skills, contact your instructor or employer.

Basic Nurse Aide Skills

1. Wash hands
2. Follow isolation procedures (handling of soiled linen)
3. Measure resident's urinary output
4. Assist resident with use of bedpan
5. Provide perineal (skin) care for incontinent resident
6. Take oral temperature
7. Take rectal temperature
8. Take radial pulse and count respirations
9. Measure weight of ambulatory resident
10. Apply waist restraint

Personal Care Skills

11. Make an occupied bed
12. Make an unoccupied bed
13. Give complete bed bath
14. Give shower
15. Give back rub
16. Provide foot care
17. Provide fingernail care
18. Provide mouth care
19. Provide denture care
20. Shave resident
21. Dress resident
22. Feed dependent resident

Basic Restorative Services

23. Transfer resident from bed to wheelchair
24. Assist resident to move up in bed
25. Position resident on side
26. Assist resident to ambulate
27. Passive range of motion (ROM) for right or left shoulder
28. Passive range of motion (ROM) for right or left lower extremity

Areas Tested on the Nurse Aide Written Test

The nurse aide written test is based on the following subject areas. Also shown are the percentages of questions on the test that come from each subject area.

% of Questions

18%   I. Environmental needs of the resident

1. Infection Control
2. Safety practices
3. Emergency and disaster plans
4. Isolation techniques

10%   II. Psychosocial needs of the resident

1. Emotional needs
2. The aging process and effects of institutionalization
3. Recreational needs
4. Spiritual needs
5. Death and dying

50%   III. Physical needs of the resident

1. Resident comfort and safety
2. Transfer, positioning, and exercise
3. Observation and reporting of physical changes
4. Bathing
5. Mouth care
6. Skin care
7. Hair care
8. Dressing and undressing of residents
9. Morning and evening care, rest and sleep
10. Nutrition
11. Elimination
12. Vital signs
13. The dying resident and postmortem care
14. Protective devices
15. Weighing
16. Specimens
17. Bedmaking

4%     IV. Role of the nurse aide

1. Ethical aspects of behavior
2. Importance of proper appearance
3. Personal health
4. Nurse aide as a member of the health care team

10%   V. Communication skills

8%     VI. Resident rights