CNAs or STNAs in a state where Headmaster administers the CNA exam may be tested on the CNA skill of an abdominal thrust on a conscious patient. Dealing with a resident or a patient that is choking may occur and it is critical to have the CNA skill of performing an abdominal thrust in this situation.
To learn all the necessary steps for this skill, please watch this CNA Skills Abdominal Thrust on a conscious patient video for a complete demonstration of the skill.
CNA Skill – Abdominal Thrust
The process for performing an abdominal thrust on a conscious patient during the CNA skills exam is as follows:
- When you approach the resident, ask the resident “Are you choking?”
- If the resident cannot speak, and/or if they have their hands to their throat, this is a sign that that are choking.
- Call for help.
- Raise the patient off the bed or chair and get behind the patient.
- Place your fist between the sternum and navel.
- Verbalize that you go in and up on the patient three times, making a motion of rolling in and up.
- You will need to ask your model if they are still choking. They will say “no”.
- Your evaluator may ask what your next action may be if the patient was still choking.
- You would repeat the rolling up and in procedure until it was successful.
- Or, if the the procedure was still unsuccessful, place the patient in a recovery position.
- At that point, lay the patient on their side on a bed.
* Please be sure to consult the testing materials provided by the skills test provider in your state to ensure that these steps for CNA Skill Abdominal Thrust are in compliance. The procedure in different states and from different test providers can vary slightly and greatly affect your score.
