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1Formulas and methods
Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledge
Method
Check whether the resident is in danger right now (not breathing, choking, a fall, chest pain, stroke signs); if so, keep them safe and get the nurse at once.
Ask whether the task is within the nursing assistant’s scope and training; if not, decline politely and tell the nurse.
Respect the resident’s rights: privacy, choice, refusal of care, dignity and freedom from abuse and unneeded restraints.
Apply the basic rules: hand hygiene, body mechanics, bed low and call light within reach, weak side first when dressing.
Observe and report: compare with the resident’s usual state and report changes promptly and objectively.
Nursing math & unit conversions
Metric steps
1 kg = 1000 g, 1 g = 1000 mg, 1 mg = 1000 mcg, 1 L = 1000 mL
Weight and length
1 kg = 2.2 lb, 1 lb = 16 oz, 1 in = 2.54 cm, 1 ft = 12 in
Household measures
1 tsp = 5 mL, 1 tbsp = 15 mL, 1 fl oz = 30 mL, 1 cup = 8 fl oz = 240 mL
Write the given quantity with its unit and the unit you want.
Pick the equivalent: 1000 between kg, g, mg and mcg or L and mL; 1 kg = 2.2 lb; 1 tsp = 5 mL, 1 tbsp = 15 mL, 1 fl oz = 30 mL, 1 cup = 240 mL.
Write it as a fraction so that the unwanted unit cancels; for a rate, use one fraction per unit that changes.
Check the direction: a smaller unit gives a bigger number.
Round only the final answer, to the precision the question names.
2Practice problems
1.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledgeMedium
Which entry is written correctly in a resident's record?
A"Resident was difficult at lunch."
B"Ate well today."
C"Ate 50% of lunch. Drank 240 mL of milk."
D"Seemed to enjoy her lunch very much, as usual."
2.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledgeHard
A resident who receives tube feedings takes nothing by mouth. How often does she need mouth care?
AOften, because the mouth gets dry even without eating
BOnly when her family comes to visit
CNever, because no food or drink goes into her mouth
DOnce a week, at the same time her bed linen is changed
3.Nursing math & unit conversionsMedium
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A patient’s temperature is 95.8 °F. Convert it to degrees Celsius T with °C = (°F − 32) × 5/9. Round to one decimal place.
95.8 °F
T = °C
4.Nursing math & unit conversionsHard
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A blood glucose result is 6.3 mmol/L. Using 1 mmol/L = 18 mg/dL for glucose, find c in mg/dL to the nearest whole number.
6.3 mmol/L1 mmol/L = 18 mg/dL
c = mg/dL
3Solutions
1.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledge
Answer: C · "Ate 50% of lunch. Drank 240 mL of milk."
Why this is the answer
Records must be factual, exact and objective. "Ate 50%" and "240 mL" can be measured, while "ate well" or "difficult" are vague opinions.
Answer
C · "Ate 50% of lunch. Drank 240 mL of milk."
2.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledge
Answer: A · Often, because the mouth gets dry even without eating
Why this is the answer
Residents who are NPO or tube-fed still need frequent mouth care. Without food and drinks, the mouth and lips become dry and coated, which can cause sores, infection and discomfort.
Answer
A · Often, because the mouth gets dry even without eating
3.Nursing math & unit conversions
Answer: T = 35.4 °C
Temperature: °C = (°F − 32) × 5/9 and °F = °C × 9/5 + 32. Subtract 32 before you multiply when going from °F, and add 32 after you multiply when going from °C. A quick check: 37 °C is 98.6 °F, and every 1 °C is 1.8 °F.
Subtract 32
95.8 − 32 = 63.8
Multiply by 5/9
T = 63.8·5/9 = 35.44 ≈ 35.4 °C
Answer
T = 35.4 °C
4.Nursing math & unit conversions
Answer: c = 113 mg/dL
Dimensional analysis: write the given quantity, then multiply by conversion factors written as fractions (for example 60 min/1 h or 1 mg/1000 mcg) so that each unwanted unit appears once on top and once underneath and cancels. When only the wanted unit is left, calculate. Use the equivalents the question gives and round only the final answer.
Convert
c = 6.3·18 = 113.4 ≈ 113 mg/dL
Answer
c = 113 mg/dL
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