16 Rights, Communication & Role Practice Questions & Answers

1. 1. A resident asks the nurse aide to leave the room and knock before entering while she dresses. What resident right is the nurse aide honoring by complying?

   • A.The right to manage personal finances
   • B.The right to privacy✓ Answer
   • C.The right to refuse medication
   • D.The right to a private telephone line

   Under the OBRA '87 Nursing Home Reform Act, residents have the right to privacy during care, bathing, and dressing; knocking and providing personal space prevents unnecessary exposure of the body and protects the resident's private personal space.

   Source: OBRA '87 Nursing Home Reform Act — Residents' Bill of Rights (right to privacy, 42 CFR 483.10)Report a problem with this question

2. 2. A nurse aide notices unexplained bruises shaped like fingertips on a resident's upper arms and suspects abuse. What is the nurse aide's correct action?

   • A.Wait a few days to see whether more bruises appear
   • B.Ask the resident's family what happened before telling anyone
   • C.Report the observation to the nurse immediately✓ Answer
   • D.Do nothing, because proving abuse is not the aide's job

   Nurse aides are mandated reporters; suspected abuse must be reported to the nurse/supervisor immediately, without delay and without needing proof, because the resident's safety takes priority and the facility is legally required to investigate promptly.

   Source: OBRA '87 / state mandatory reporting laws — nurse aides as mandated reporters of suspected abuseReport a problem with this question

3. 3. A nurse aide fails to reposition an immobile resident for an entire shift, and the resident develops a pressure injury. This is an example of which of the following?

   • A.Verbal abuse
   • B.Financial exploitation
   • C.Neglect✓ Answer
   • D.Physical abuse

   Neglect is the failure to provide the care, services, or supervision needed to prevent harm; not repositioning a resident is an omission of required care that caused injury, which distinguishes neglect from abuse (a deliberate act).

   Source: OBRA '87 — definition of neglect (failure to provide goods/services necessary to avoid harm), 42 CFR 483.5Report a problem with this question

4. 4. A visitor in the hallway asks a nurse aide, "What is Mr. Lee being treated for?" How should the nurse aide respond to protect confidentiality?

   • A.Decline to share the information because it is confidential✓ Answer
   • B.Explain the diagnosis quietly so others do not overhear
   • C.Give a brief summary since the visitor seems concerned
   • D.Refer the visitor to the resident's roommate

   Under HIPAA, a resident's health information is confidential and may not be disclosed to visitors or others without authorization; lowering your voice or judging the visitor's concern does not create legal permission to share protected health information.

   Source: HIPAA Privacy Rule (45 CFR 164) — protected health information may not be disclosed without authorizationReport a problem with this question

5. 5. When communicating with a resident who has a hearing impairment and reads lips, the nurse aide should do which of the following?

   • A.Shout loudly from across the room to be sure of being heard
   • B.Talk to the resident from behind while providing care
   • C.Speak quickly so the conversation does not tire the resident
   • D.Face the resident, speak clearly, and do not cover the mouth✓ Answer

   Facing the resident at eye level, speaking clearly at a normal pace, and keeping the mouth visible lets the resident use lip movements and facial cues; shouting distorts speech and covering or hiding the mouth removes the visual information the resident relies on.

   Source: NNAAP content outline — communication with the hearing-impaired residentReport a problem with this question

6. 6. A resident with dementia becomes agitated and insists it is time to "pick up the children from school." Which response uses the best therapeutic communication?

   • A.Tell her firmly that she is confused and needs to rest
   • B.Acknowledge her feelings calmly and gently redirect her to another activity✓ Answer
   • C."Stop worrying about that. Just sit down and be quiet."
   • D."Your children are grown adults; they don't go to school anymore."

   For a resident with dementia, validating the emotion and gently redirecting reduces distress, whereas arguing with or correcting the resident (reality orientation about grown children) tends to increase agitation because it challenges her reality.

   Source: NNAAP content outline — therapeutic communication with the cognitively impaired resident (validation and redirection)Report a problem with this question

7. 7. A resident is dying and tells the nurse aide, "I'm frightened." Which is the most appropriate response?

   • A.Stay present, listen, and allow the resident to express feelings✓ Answer
   • B.Change the subject to something more cheerful
   • C."There's nothing to be afraid of. You'll be fine."
   • D.Leave the room to give the resident privacy

   Being present and actively listening lets the dying resident express fear and feel supported; false reassurance ("you'll be fine") or changing the subject blocks communication and dismisses the resident's real feelings.

   Source: NNAAP content outline — psychosocial care / care of the dying resident (presence and active listening)Report a problem with this question

8. 8. A resident's family member asks the nurse aide to give the resident an extra dose of a pain medication. What should the nurse aide do?

   • A.Refer the request to the nurse, because administering medication is outside the aide's scope✓ Answer
   • B.Give the extra dose since the family requested it
   • C.Tell the family to give the medication themselves
   • D.Give half a dose as a safe compromise

   Administering medication is outside a nurse aide's scope of practice; the aide must refer the request to the licensed nurse, who is responsible for medication decisions and administration, so any dosing change goes through the proper clinical channel.

   Source: NNAAP content outline / state nurse practice acts — medication administration outside CNA scope of practiceReport a problem with this question

9. 9. The nurse delegates a task to the nurse aide that the aide has never been trained to perform. What is the aide's correct response?

   • A.Ask another aide to do it instead without telling the nurse
   • B.Perform the task anyway because a nurse gave the order
   • C.Attempt the task and stop if something goes wrong
   • D.Inform the nurse that the aide has not been trained for that task✓ Answer

   A nurse aide should only perform tasks they are trained and competent to do; the aide must tell the delegating nurse they have not been trained, because performing an unfamiliar task can endanger the resident and falls outside safe delegation.

   Source: NNAAP content outline / principles of delegation — CNA performs only trained, competent tasks (right task, right person)Report a problem with this question

10. 10. Which of the following statements recorded by a nurse aide is an example of OBJECTIVE reporting?

    • A."The resident feels much better this morning."
    • B."The resident is probably in a lot of pain."
    • C."The resident seems depressed today."
    • D."The resident ate 50% of breakfast and drank 120 mL of water."✓ Answer

    Objective data is factual, measurable information the aide directly observes, sees, or counts (percentage eaten, mL consumed), whereas words like "seems," "probably," and "feels" are interpretations or the resident's subjective report, not objective observation.

    Source: NNAAP content outline — objective vs. subjective observation and reportingReport a problem with this question

11. 11. A resident tells the nurse aide, "I want to file a complaint about my care." What is the nurse aide's best response?

    • A.Discourage the complaint to avoid getting a coworker in trouble
    • B.Support the resident's right to complain and report the request to the nurse✓ Answer
    • C.Tell the resident that complaining will not change anything
    • D.Tell the resident to keep the concern to themselves

    Residents have the right to voice grievances without fear of retaliation; the aide must support that right and report the request through the proper channel, because facilities are required to help residents file complaints and act on them.

    Source: OBRA '87 Residents' Bill of Rights — right to voice grievances free of reprisal (42 CFR 483.10)Report a problem with this question

12. 12. During morning care, a resident who can partially dress herself asks the nurse aide to "just do it all" to save time. Following restorative care principles, the nurse aide should:

    • A.Skip dressing and move on to the next resident
    • B.Dress the resident completely to finish faster
    • C.Encourage and allow the resident to do the parts she can, assisting only as needed✓ Answer
    • D.Tell the resident she must do all of it herself with no help

    The goal of restorative care is to keep the resident as independent as possible; encouraging her to do what she safely can while assisting only as needed maintains her physical function and self-esteem, which "doing it all for her" would erode.

    Source: NNAAP content outline — restorative/rehabilitative care principles (promote maximum independence)Report a problem with this question

13. 13. What is the nurse aide's primary role regarding a resident's care plan?

    • A.To write and approve the care plan independently
    • B.To decide which medical diagnoses to include in the plan
    • C.To change the care plan whenever the resident requests it
    • D.To carry out assigned tasks and report observations that help update the plan✓ Answer

    The nurse aide implements the tasks assigned in the care plan and reports observations (changes in the resident's condition, intake, mood) to the nurse; because the aide spends the most time with residents, these observations are essential data the care team uses to update the plan, but the aide does not create or change the plan alone.

    Source: NNAAP content outline — role of the nurse aide in the care planning process (implement and observe/report)Report a problem with this question

14. 14. A resident asks the nurse aide, "What is this new pill for and what will it do to me?" What is the most appropriate response by the nurse aide?

    • A.Explain what the medication does based on what other residents have told the aide
    • B.Tell the resident to stop taking the pill until they understand it
    • C.Look up the medication online and read the description to the resident
    • D.Refer the question to the licensed nurse, who is responsible for medication teaching✓ Answer

    Teaching about a medication's purpose and effects is outside the nurse aide's scope of practice; it is a nursing responsibility. The aide should refer such questions to the licensed nurse so the resident receives accurate, authorized information.

    Source: NNAAP Written Exam Content Outline — Role of the Nurse Aide: Member of the Health Care Team (scope of practice)Report a problem with this question

15. 15. When communicating with a resident who is hard of hearing and does not use a hearing aid, which technique is most effective?

    • A.Shout loudly from across the room to make sure the words are heard
    • B.Face the resident at eye level and speak slowly and clearly in a normal to slightly lowered tone✓ Answer
    • C.Cover your mouth and speak softly to avoid embarrassing the resident
    • D.Speak quickly so the conversation is over before the resident becomes confused

    Facing the resident at eye level lets them see your lips and facial expressions, and a slower, clear, normal-to-lower pitch is easier to understand. Shouting raises pitch and distorts sound, which makes speech harder to follow for many people with hearing loss.

    Source: NNAAP Written Exam Content Outline — Role of the Nurse Aide: Communication (sensory impairment)Report a problem with this question

16. 16. While bathing a resident, the nurse aide notices a new reddened area of skin over the tailbone that does not fade. What should the nurse aide do?

    • A.Rub lotion into the area firmly and say nothing about it
    • B.Wait and mention it to the family when they visit
    • C.Assume it is normal and only note it if it is still there next week
    • D.Report the observation to the charge nurse promptly✓ Answer

    The nurse aide's role is to observe and report; a non-blanching reddened area over a bony prominence is an early sign of skin breakdown that the licensed nurse must assess. Prompt reporting through the chain of command lets the nurse direct care before the skin worsens.

    Source: NNAAP Written Exam Content Outline — Role of the Nurse Aide: Member of the Health Care Team (observe and report / chain of command)Report a problem with this question

Practice questions based on the NNAAP written content outline. Not affiliated with Credentia/Pearson VUE or any state nurse-aide registry, and not medical advice. Requirements vary by state. About CNA testing →