CNA Practice Test – Emotional And Mental Health Needs

It shows concern for your patient’s needs when you show them genuine care and support.  You will receive a more positive response if you use a calming and comforting manner with your patients.  The other options are more negative and this could escalate the patient’s frustration.  They may even avoid dealing with the issue.

A patient’s family members and visitors must know that even if a patient cannot communicate anymore, they may still be able to hear what is being said to them.  While the other sense may have diminished, the hearing is the last sense to be lost for most dying patients.

When you sit and listen to your patient, they are apt to feeling more comfortable to talk to you about what they are feeling.  The other options would more than likely make your patient feel like you are discounting their feelings of sadness and despair.

Kübler-Ross’s believes that denial is a person’s first natural reaction in the grieving process.  People then move on to the other stages that are listed above, but usually, denial would be the first stage.

Reducing any stimulation around your patient during times where they are felling anxious can bring relief to their anxiety.  The other options will create additional stimulation and add to an already tense environment.  This can cause your patient to feel even more anxious and confused.

Sundowner’s Syndrome is the term that medical professionals use to describe when a patient becomes primarily disoriented at night.  The other options indicate disorientation, but are not specifically consistent with a specific time of day.

The resident must know that you will not allow any further comments of this nature.  This will establish a boundary for their future behavior with you.  You must also inform your supervising nurse immediately so that the incident can be documented.

Patients need to be able to express their feelings in these types of situations.  Allowing them to do so will help them cope better and alert you if further counselling may be necessary.  The other options discredit your patient’s feelings and do not actually help him in any way.

The best thing to do in this kind of situation would be to call your charge nurse.  The nurse may have to medicate your patient to calm him down or even call another member of the medical team to assist with the situation.  The other options given could aggravate the patient and trying to restrain the patient may actually put the nursing assistant in harms way if the patient tries to resist.

A patient’s inability to make decisions would be linked to disease rather than to a normal biological change.  Biologically, during the aging process, bones become thinner and weaker.  Joints become stiffer and less flexible and the movement of food through our digestive system slows down.  These are all normal biological changes.

When a person’s intestinal mobility slows down, they have a higher chance of becoming constipated.  Therefore and increase in intestinal mobility would be an incorrect answer.  Ignoring the urge to go, a lack of fibre in the diet and not drinking enough water, are all common causes of constipation.

If a patient is suffering from depression, their desire to become involved in social activities, would not increase.  In fact that desire would decrease.  An increase in time sleeping, a decrease in appetite and withdrawing from social situations are all signs of depression.

Sometimes your patient may want you to just sit quietly with them, so that they don’t feel alone in dealing with their thoughts.  They may also want someone to listen as they talk about their fears and emotions.  Leaving a patient alone may add to a patient’s feelings of isolation while dealing with this difficult time.

If your patient has lost a loved one, they may need to talk about their feelings of memories of the loss of their loved one.  Sometimes, just sitting with your patient and providing them comfort is all they really need.  If you were to ignore the subject or change the conversation, use humor or even bring other people into the room when they may not feel like talking to anyone, could prevent your patient from actually dealing with their grief.

It can definitely be therapeutic to share similar issues with your co-workers and get advice from your peers; it is inappropriate to talk about your patients, as it is a violation of their privacy.  The best way to release your work stresses, is to do something positive and healthy, such as exercising, getting outside for some fresh air, learning something new or joining a new club.

The best response to any issue is always to listen politely and then share any concerns with your charge nurse.  Any other options do not suggest a resolution therefore removing hope of any positive outcome for the family member.  You don’t want to sound dismissive or block any further communication by suggesting that the family member put their complaints in writing or by telling them that you cannot discuss the issue.  You don’t want to insult them by telling them that you will walk away until they calm down as this implies that they are unjustified in being upset.

A predominant struggle which patients who have to rely on others for assistance tend to have, is dealing with the loss of independence.  This loss affects their personality and overall outlook.  By participating in their own care and activities, your patients will feel a great improvement in their mood.  You don’t want to add pressure on the patient, so do not make them full accountable for everything.  They definitely need your support.  Therefore, allow them to participate but not for the reason to create less tasks for the nursing assistant.

The above issues definitely can all contribute to resentment, however it is mostly felt – and extremely normal and common for your patients to feel abandoned if family members can no longer handle caring for them at home.  Being placed in a stranger’s care can be scary and wouldn’t necessarily be a choice that the patient would make for himself or herself.

All of the statements above are factors, which define empathy.  Empathy towards your patients is one of the most important qualities that a nursing assistant can possess.

Should you notice a change in one of your patient’s mental state, you must immediately report it.  If you do not report these subtle or even overt changes, a more serious situation could arise.  This type of situation could be prevented if the nursing assistant is more aware of the changes in their patients’ behaviors.  Your patient may not notice a change in their own behavior or they may not admit to any changes, so asking him or her would not be a wise decision.  Increasing your level of patience or using your sense of humor, can of course assist in the adjustment to change that your patients have to face, but these should never be a substitution for reporting mental health condition situations.  Always report to your supervisors, anything that a patient does which deviates from normal behavior.