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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
When are anti-embolism (elastic) stockings usually put on?
AIn the morning, before the resident gets out of bed
BOnly at night, while the resident sleeps
CAfter the resident has walked for a while
DWhenever the legs start to look swollen
2.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledgeHard
Before helping a resident from a wheelchair to bed, the nursing assistant finds that one wheelchair brake does not hold. What should the nursing assistant do?
AAsk the resident to hold the bed rail and pull
BHold the wheelchair still with one foot during the transfer
CUse a different wheelchair and report the broken brake
DDo the transfer quickly before the wheelchair moves
3.Nursing math & unit conversionsMedium
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A patient is 147 cm tall. Using 1 in = 2.54 cm, find the height h in inches. Round to one decimal place.
147 cm1 in = 2.54 cm
h = in
4.Nursing math & unit conversionsHard
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A prescription reads 1 tbsp of an oral suspension four times a day for 14 days. The suspension comes in 150 mL bottles. Using 1 tbsp = 15 mL, how many whole bottles N must be supplied so the course is complete?
1 tbspfour times a day14 days150 mL1 tbsp = 15 mL
N =
3Solutions
1.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledge
Answer: A · In the morning, before the resident gets out of bed
Why this is the answer
The stockings are applied while the resident is still lying down, before the legs have swelled. They must be smooth, without wrinkles or rolled tops, and the skin is checked when they are removed.
Answer
A · In the morning, before the resident gets out of bed
2.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledge
Answer: C · Use a different wheelchair and report the broken brake
Why this is the answer
A wheelchair whose brakes do not lock can roll away during a transfer. The nursing assistant takes it out of use, gets safe equipment and reports the problem so it can be repaired.
Answer
C · Use a different wheelchair and report the broken brake
3.Nursing math & unit conversions
Answer: h = 57.9 in
Household measures and weight: nursing exams use rounded equivalents: 1 teaspoon (tsp) = 5 mL, 1 tablespoon (tbsp) = 15 mL = 3 tsp, 1 fluid ounce (fl oz) = 30 mL = 2 tbsp, and 1 cup = 8 fl oz = 240 mL. For weight, 1 kg = 2.2 lb and 1 lb = 16 oz; for length, 1 inch = 2.54 cm. Set the conversion up so that the unit you do not want cancels out.
Centimetres to inches
h = 147/2.54 = 57.87 ≈ 57.9 in
Answer
h = 57.9 in
4.Nursing math & unit conversions
Answer: N = 6
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.