Annual DaVita PCT Competency Exam 2026 | Most Tested
Questions & Verified Answers | Latest Update | Graded A+
1. At what point should the independent meters for checking dialysis
conductivity or pH be verified for proper functioning?
Before each patient treatment
Only during emergencies
Once a week
At the end of each month
2. Describe the implications of excessively negative pre-pump arterial pressure
in relation to patient safety during dialysis.
It means that medication levels are appropriate.
It can lead to complications such as inadequate blood flow and
increased risk of clotting.
It indicates that the dialysis machine is functioning optimally.
It suggests that the patient is responding well to treatment.
3. Describe the rationale behind administering epinephrine during an
anaphylactic reaction.
Epinephrine works by constricting blood vessels and opening
airways, counteracting the severe allergic response.
Epinephrine reduces inflammation in the body.
Epinephrine increases blood flow to the heart.
Epinephrine promotes the release of histamines.
,4. One definition of professional boundaries is the limits that protect the space
between the
Professionals training and the patients clinical condition
Professionals vulnerability and patients power
Professionals competence and the patients needs
Professionals power and patients vulnerability
5. If a dialysis clinic has a patient chair with a torn footrest, what steps should be
taken before using it for patient treatments?
The chair can be used as is if it is cleaned thoroughly.
The chair should be repaired or replaced to ensure safety and
infection control.
The chair can be used if the patient is informed about the damage.
The chair should be marked as 'do not use' but can remain in the clinic.
6. What is the recommended method for measuring blood pressure in patients
with irregular heart rates?
Auscultation with a manual sphygmomanometer
Palpation method
Doppler ultrasound method
Automated digital monitor
7. What is the most frequently encountered infectious complication in patients
undergoing hemodialysis?
Pneumonia
Access site infection
, Sepsis
Urinary tract infection
8. Cleaning and disinfecting priming buckets after each treatment:
Is required to decrease gram-negative bacterial growth which may
occur in solutions such as water
Is not necessary because only clean solutions are rinsed into the
bucket
Is only done whenever the bucket is visibly soiled
Is not necessary because 0.9% Normal Saline is considered a
medication so it is a sterile solution
9. If bicarbonate is mixed for too long, CO2 is released from the solution as a
result of over-mixing. How would this change the final dialysate?
The pH reading would be too high
Neither pH nor conductivity would be out of range
The conductivity reading would be too high
Both the pH and conductivity would be out of range
10. You listen to the bruit of the access and instead of hearing the typical
"whoosh" with each heartbeat you detect a distinctive "slam...slam...slam"
sound (a water-hammer pulse):
A water-hammer pulse indicates the patient is fluid/water overloaded
This is a normal sound for a newly placed AV graft until swelling from
the surgery goes down
This is a normal sound for a newly placed AV fistula until the vein
matures enough to handle the increased blood flow
, This may indicate a stenosis and should be reported to the nurse
11. The foot rest of a patient chair is torn and the inner foam is exposed. Can it
still be used for patient treatments?
Yes, the chair may be used if the tear is covered with a blue pad
during patient treatments
Yes, the chair may be used as long as the seat and back surface is
intact
No, because the torn surface no longer allows for effective
cleaning and provides a potential for microbial growth
Yes, as long as special attention is given to the tear when cleaning the
foot rest, i.e. spraying disinfectant solution onto the exposed foam
12. If the conductivity alarm sounds during a dialysis session, what immediate
action should the healthcare professional take to ensure patient safety?
Notify the patient to remain calm and continue treatment.
Turn off the dialysis machine immediately.
Increase the blood flow rate to compensate.
Assess the dialysate and check the conductivity monitor for errors.
13. DaVita policy states to place a hypotensive patient into a flat supine position
instead of Trendelenburg because:
The patient's blood pressure may increase too rapidly when first
placed in the Trendelenburg position
The chair manufacturer no longer recommends the chair be placed in
the Trendelenburg position
Leg cramping is more likely to occur in the Trendelenburg position
Questions & Verified Answers | Latest Update | Graded A+
1. At what point should the independent meters for checking dialysis
conductivity or pH be verified for proper functioning?
Before each patient treatment
Only during emergencies
Once a week
At the end of each month
2. Describe the implications of excessively negative pre-pump arterial pressure
in relation to patient safety during dialysis.
It means that medication levels are appropriate.
It can lead to complications such as inadequate blood flow and
increased risk of clotting.
It indicates that the dialysis machine is functioning optimally.
It suggests that the patient is responding well to treatment.
3. Describe the rationale behind administering epinephrine during an
anaphylactic reaction.
Epinephrine works by constricting blood vessels and opening
airways, counteracting the severe allergic response.
Epinephrine reduces inflammation in the body.
Epinephrine increases blood flow to the heart.
Epinephrine promotes the release of histamines.
,4. One definition of professional boundaries is the limits that protect the space
between the
Professionals training and the patients clinical condition
Professionals vulnerability and patients power
Professionals competence and the patients needs
Professionals power and patients vulnerability
5. If a dialysis clinic has a patient chair with a torn footrest, what steps should be
taken before using it for patient treatments?
The chair can be used as is if it is cleaned thoroughly.
The chair should be repaired or replaced to ensure safety and
infection control.
The chair can be used if the patient is informed about the damage.
The chair should be marked as 'do not use' but can remain in the clinic.
6. What is the recommended method for measuring blood pressure in patients
with irregular heart rates?
Auscultation with a manual sphygmomanometer
Palpation method
Doppler ultrasound method
Automated digital monitor
7. What is the most frequently encountered infectious complication in patients
undergoing hemodialysis?
Pneumonia
Access site infection
, Sepsis
Urinary tract infection
8. Cleaning and disinfecting priming buckets after each treatment:
Is required to decrease gram-negative bacterial growth which may
occur in solutions such as water
Is not necessary because only clean solutions are rinsed into the
bucket
Is only done whenever the bucket is visibly soiled
Is not necessary because 0.9% Normal Saline is considered a
medication so it is a sterile solution
9. If bicarbonate is mixed for too long, CO2 is released from the solution as a
result of over-mixing. How would this change the final dialysate?
The pH reading would be too high
Neither pH nor conductivity would be out of range
The conductivity reading would be too high
Both the pH and conductivity would be out of range
10. You listen to the bruit of the access and instead of hearing the typical
"whoosh" with each heartbeat you detect a distinctive "slam...slam...slam"
sound (a water-hammer pulse):
A water-hammer pulse indicates the patient is fluid/water overloaded
This is a normal sound for a newly placed AV graft until swelling from
the surgery goes down
This is a normal sound for a newly placed AV fistula until the vein
matures enough to handle the increased blood flow
, This may indicate a stenosis and should be reported to the nurse
11. The foot rest of a patient chair is torn and the inner foam is exposed. Can it
still be used for patient treatments?
Yes, the chair may be used if the tear is covered with a blue pad
during patient treatments
Yes, the chair may be used as long as the seat and back surface is
intact
No, because the torn surface no longer allows for effective
cleaning and provides a potential for microbial growth
Yes, as long as special attention is given to the tear when cleaning the
foot rest, i.e. spraying disinfectant solution onto the exposed foam
12. If the conductivity alarm sounds during a dialysis session, what immediate
action should the healthcare professional take to ensure patient safety?
Notify the patient to remain calm and continue treatment.
Turn off the dialysis machine immediately.
Increase the blood flow rate to compensate.
Assess the dialysate and check the conductivity monitor for errors.
13. DaVita policy states to place a hypotensive patient into a flat supine position
instead of Trendelenburg because:
The patient's blood pressure may increase too rapidly when first
placed in the Trendelenburg position
The chair manufacturer no longer recommends the chair be placed in
the Trendelenburg position
Leg cramping is more likely to occur in the Trendelenburg position
