National Certified Patient Care Technician (NCPCT) Exam Practice Tests and PDFs

If a patient is having trouble sleeping at night, the patient should avoid drinking coffee in the evening because it is high in caffeine, a stimulant. Other foods or drinks high in caffeine include cola and many other carbonated drinks, chocolate, energy drinks, and tea (black and green). Herbal tea is usually decaffeinated and is not actually made from tea leaves.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) occurs when the atria contract rapidly and irregularly, resulting in an absence of P waves but a rapid series of chaotic fibrillatory waves. Ventricular contractions are irregular as well, although the QRS complex may appear fairly normal. With persistent AF, the atrial rate may exceed 400 bpm while the ventricular rate usually ranges from 100 to 150. If the rate is lower than 100, the AF is considered to be controlled. The radial pulse is usually lower than the apical pulse because some contractions are weak.

The most common reason for rejecting a specimen for chemistry is hemolysis, whereas the most common reason for hematology' is clotting. Other reasons that specimens may be rejected include overfilling or underfilling a tube because this alters the required ratio of additive to specimen and can interfere with the testing results. Specimens transported and handled in the wrong collection tube, at the wrong temperature, with the wrong additive, or with exposure to light (if photosensitive) may also be rejected.

The patient care technician should include objective data on the ECG report prepared for other healthcare team members. These include demographic data and descriptions of the heart rate, rhythm, P wave, PR interval, QRS duration, QT interval, ST segment, T wave, and axis. The technician should also include the results of any ECG interpretation software but should avoid making personal interpretations, clinical impressions, or recommendations. The patient care technician should carefully review the ECG to ensure that it has captured all necessary information.

When entering the room of a patient who is completely blind, the PCT should stop and state his or her name, title, and purpose: "Mrs. Brown, this is Sally Smith, your patient care technician. I'm here to help you take your shower." If the patient is in a single room, the PCT should stop at the door. If the patient is in a double room, the PCT should stop at a distance from the bed. People who are blind can often sense or hear the presence of another person and may be startled if the PCT approaches too closely before speaking.

If a patient has scattered personal belongings around the room and bathroom, resulting in a cluttered space, the PCT should ask the patient for permission to organize the personal belongings. The PCT should not handle any personal belongings without permission and should insist on moving items only if they pose a safety hazard, such as when items are placed on the floor.

If an older patient has been sitting up in bed but has slid down the bed about 6 inches, the patient is at risk for both friction (skin rubbing against sheet) and shear (skin and tissue staying in one place while body moves), which can lead to a pressure sore. Any redness should be immediately reported to the nurse and the patient positioned on the side. Reddened areas should not be massaged as this may cause further tissue injury.

If a patient with diabetes mellitus, type 1, (insulin-dependent) takes insulin and does not eat adequately, the patient is at risk for an insulin reaction, which can be life threatening, so the PCT should use the emergency light to call the nurse and remain with the patient until the nurse arrives. Signs of insulin reaction (hypoglycemia or low sugar) include confusion, trembling, cold clammy skin, numbness/tingling, and blurred or double vision. The nurse may delegate the PCT to provide the patient juice, candy or other food.

If a patient repeatedly coughs while the PCT is feeding the patient, the PCT should stop feeding the patient and tell the nurse so that the nurse can examine the patient to determine if the patient is aspirating, which means that some of the food and/or fluid is entering the lungs instead of the stomach. Other signs of aspiration may include pain when swallowing, difficulty initiating a swallow, wheezing, excessive saliva, and chest discomfort.

Response C applies to CDC recommendations for use of Standard Precautions, but the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard goes further to include the items in response D.