Observation Skills for CNAs

First, make sure you understand the nursing process and how CNA’s fit in with it.
When we think about it, CNA’s are the eyes, ears, hands and nose of the nurses. We use these senses when providing care and with the right skill, we can assist the nurse with valuable patient information that may avert a serious problem. Things get confusing though when we make judgments about the things we’re seeing, feeling, smelling and hearing.

There are two types of observations:
Subjective and Objective

Objective observations are fact. They are measurable.
• Vital Signs
• Bruises
• Open areas and other skin conditions
• Blood in urine
• Urine output from a cath

Objective observations are reported in the same manner by many people. They are not biased and they do not rely on statements and guesswork.

For the second type of observation.

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