LATEST PATIENT CARE TECHNICIAN
ONLINE NATIONAL CERTIFICATION
EXAM | Q&A WITH RATIONALES
1. A patient care technician is assigned to
obtain vital signs on a postoperative patient.
Which vital sign change should be reported
immediately to the nurse?
A) Temperature of 37.1°C (98.8°F)
B) Pulse of 82 bpm
C) Respiratory rate of 16/min
D) Blood pressure of 86/54 mmHg
Correct answer: D
Rationale: Hypotension after surgery may
indicate bleeding, shock, or fluid imbalance and
requires immediate nursing evaluation.
2. Which infection control practice is most
effective in preventing healthcare-associated
infections?
A) Wearing gloves at all times
B) Proper hand hygiene
,C) Wearing a mask
D) Using sterile gowns
Correct answer: B
Rationale: Proper hand hygiene is the single
most effective method of preventing the spread
of infection in healthcare settings.
3. A sitz bath is applied to which area of the
body?
A) Shoulder
B) Knee
C) Perineum
D) Lower back
Correct answer: C
Rationale: A sitz bath is a therapeutic bath used
to cleanse and soothe the perineal area, often
after childbirth, surgery, or for hemorrhoids.
4. All of the following can be reported as
objective information except:
A) Vital signs
,B) Bleeding
C) Edema
D) Headache
Correct answer: D
Rationale: Headache is subjective information
reported by the patient. Vital signs, bleeding,
and edema are objective findings that can be
measured or observed.
5. Equipment used to collect a specimen for a
throat culture would include all of the following
except:
A) Pen light
B) Applicator
C) Syringe
D) Tongue blade
Correct answer: C
Rationale: A syringe is not used for throat
cultures. A pen light, applicator, and tongue
blade are all used to visualize and collect the
specimen.
, 6. The suffix "-rrhagia" means:
A) Pain
B) Excessive flow
C) Inside
D) Small
Correct answer: B
Rationale: The suffix "-rrhagia" means
excessive flow or discharge, as in hemorrhage.
7. The suffix "-lysis" means:
A) Disease
B) Around
C) Destruction or breakdown
D) Inflammation
Correct answer: C
Rationale: The suffix "-lysis" means destruction,
breakdown, or separation, as in paralysis.
8. The abbreviation OS means:
ONLINE NATIONAL CERTIFICATION
EXAM | Q&A WITH RATIONALES
1. A patient care technician is assigned to
obtain vital signs on a postoperative patient.
Which vital sign change should be reported
immediately to the nurse?
A) Temperature of 37.1°C (98.8°F)
B) Pulse of 82 bpm
C) Respiratory rate of 16/min
D) Blood pressure of 86/54 mmHg
Correct answer: D
Rationale: Hypotension after surgery may
indicate bleeding, shock, or fluid imbalance and
requires immediate nursing evaluation.
2. Which infection control practice is most
effective in preventing healthcare-associated
infections?
A) Wearing gloves at all times
B) Proper hand hygiene
,C) Wearing a mask
D) Using sterile gowns
Correct answer: B
Rationale: Proper hand hygiene is the single
most effective method of preventing the spread
of infection in healthcare settings.
3. A sitz bath is applied to which area of the
body?
A) Shoulder
B) Knee
C) Perineum
D) Lower back
Correct answer: C
Rationale: A sitz bath is a therapeutic bath used
to cleanse and soothe the perineal area, often
after childbirth, surgery, or for hemorrhoids.
4. All of the following can be reported as
objective information except:
A) Vital signs
,B) Bleeding
C) Edema
D) Headache
Correct answer: D
Rationale: Headache is subjective information
reported by the patient. Vital signs, bleeding,
and edema are objective findings that can be
measured or observed.
5. Equipment used to collect a specimen for a
throat culture would include all of the following
except:
A) Pen light
B) Applicator
C) Syringe
D) Tongue blade
Correct answer: C
Rationale: A syringe is not used for throat
cultures. A pen light, applicator, and tongue
blade are all used to visualize and collect the
specimen.
, 6. The suffix "-rrhagia" means:
A) Pain
B) Excessive flow
C) Inside
D) Small
Correct answer: B
Rationale: The suffix "-rrhagia" means
excessive flow or discharge, as in hemorrhage.
7. The suffix "-lysis" means:
A) Disease
B) Around
C) Destruction or breakdown
D) Inflammation
Correct answer: C
Rationale: The suffix "-lysis" means destruction,
breakdown, or separation, as in paralysis.
8. The abbreviation OS means:
