Hello all, Yesterday I did my first American Redcross certification test to become a CNA. I passed the written portion of the exam, but did not pass the skills. I am considering challenging the test results, here's why: The skill was "serving the meal tray/feeding the paralyzed resident". The Evaluator posed as my resident, not really a big deal to me although she changed the dynamics of the skill (I rolled with and that part of the skill wasn't problematic). The pseudo "meal tray" was a laminated booklet. The cover posed as both the diet card and the lid to the plate. The cover was busy, had a dark brown background, artwork, and different styled and sized font. When you flip the cover over you see another laminated page displaying various food items that were held onto the page by velcro (it was not apparent that the items were bound to the page by velcro) the items were not raised (oddly enough) and so removal of the items, I suspected, wasn't possible. I searched the cover page of the booklet and could not located resident names (which I'm sure were there, but due to the busyness of the cover I was unable to see it) so I therefore made the assumption that all 3 of the "meal trays" posed as the resident's and I was to correctly select the tray in accordance to the allergies and dislikes listed. The RN did not orient me on how to navigate the meal tray booklet and she did not provide clarification for my confusion with it. The tray that I selected I verbalized that I selected the tray in accordance to what was listed to be the residents allergies and dislikes. I carefully observed the diet type and noted the allergies listed were not seen on the tray. In performing my skill I correctly did the opening/closing procedures and correctly completely all other aspects related to my skill. The other skills I was asked to perform I did correctly in addition to handwashing and passing the written test. I noticed also that for all the other skills, the supplies needed were the actual supplies. My skill appeared to be the only skill in which the real supplies were not provided (I was told by instructors in my area that with that specific skill I would be given multiple trays for the same resident and asked to essentially do exactly as I did, make sure that the allergies and dislikes listed were not on the tray). I was not oriented on the makeshift pseudo meal tray, I did not know how to navigate and find all the information I needed, I could not easily find it, nor was I made aware that items on the inside could be removed (which played a role in my tray selection, as well). So essentially I served the resident another residents tray, which admittedly is a big error and I am aware of it. I know serving various things to various people can become a life threatening ordeal. However, given the assumption I was under and the misconception the skill, that error aside, was performed correctly. There was a pretty big misunderstanding on what I was being asked to do with the meal tray they provided me and with me unable to locate any names, I was under the assumption that they were only looking for me to review allergies/dislikes (that was all I could see on the diet card). Is this grounds for a grievance letter to have my result evaluated for other nurses? I know had the meal tray been 3D and replicated more what an actual meal tray looks like or had I been oriented on the makeshift one they provided, I would have successfully done the skill and passed.

I'm not a nurse, but I have severe food allergies. A mix-up could kill me. That being said, I would have asked direct questions during the skills portion.
As a teacher, just because you pass the written portion of a test, doesn't mean you can teach. We teach sample lessons prior to receiving any type of employment offer.
Hopefully, clarification from J-9, our nurse on AMHD will help you with specifics.

In a facility or other work place environment, the mistake (though I am sure is still commonly made) is more easily avoidable as the diet cards are placed in clear sight and you familiarize yourself pretty quickly with the people you work with (I knew all of my assigned residents and most of the wing I worked on within a week and after that was able to assist in dining passing trays to residents who did not wear name bands to confirm that the tray was assigned to them). So the error is a fundamental error and one in which the gravity of cannot be stressed enough. Allergies or health conditions can be severely worsened if you wrongly give a person someone else's tray. The mistake was not something I was absent minded of, but rather faulty supplies provided by ARC.

I think it goes without saying that a laminated booklet and a food tray have some pretty distinguishable differences, not that I was anticipating real food but more so what I had been told would be provided (an actual tray with plastic food).

Maybe that clarifies the situation a bit?

If you feel that you were wrongly failed, then file a grievance. State why you feel you should have passed, and they'll review it. They'll either agree with your point of view, or they won't.

I don't know what tolerance they specifiy where you are for CNA. We don't have this designation in Ontario; it is provided with Certified Personal Support Worker. When I took my course at Sir Sandford Fleming College in Peterborough l7 years ago this was not covered, nor did it have to be. As an additional course outline we worked in a nursing home for 206 hours and that included the dining room. Anyone who had dietary restrictions were handled personally by the dietician in the kitchen. There were very few of these and anyone with this problem were normally in lock down where they had a separate dining room facility.

I don't think you have any recourse for greivance actually. It is what it is and if you did fail that part, then I assume you will have to go back and do everything over again.

In the Personal Support Worker course you are expected to come out with no less then 99%.

Yes, good suggestion to see what J-9 has to say.

I'm going to admit that without paragraphs, this was very hard for me to read and understand while reading it on my iPad mini.

I wouldn't waste time on a grievance, it could go either way, likely NOT your way, so focus on redoing, and passing the test. Figure out where YOU went wrong, and correct it.