In the print window, choose “Save as PDF” to keep a copy on your device.
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
A resident wears a nasal cannula. Where should the nursing assistant check for skin irritation?
AUnder the arms and around the neck
BOn the soles of the feet and the heels
CBehind the ears and around the nostrils
DOn the back of the hands
2.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledgeHard
A resident whose wife died recently stays in his room, eats little and says he does not want to see anyone. What should the nursing assistant do?
AInsist that he attend every activity today
BSpend time with him, listen and report the changes
CLeave him alone, because he has said that he wants to be alone
DTell him he must cheer up because life goes on
3.Nursing math & unit conversionsMedium
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A newborn weighs 6 lb 9 oz. Using 1 lb = 16 oz and 1 kg = 2.2 lb, find the weight m in kilograms. Round to two decimal places.
6 lb 9 oz1 lb = 16 oz1 kg = 2.2 lb
m = kg
4.Nursing math & unit conversionsHard
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). An order reads 2 mcg/kg/min for a patient who weighs 49 kg. Express the dose rate D in mg/h. Round to two decimal places.
2 mcg/kg/min49 kg
D = mg/h
3Solutions
1.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledge
Answer: C · Behind the ears and around the nostrils
Why this is the answer
Cannula tubing presses on the skin behind the ears, on the cheeks and in and around the nostrils. These areas can become sore and are checked often, with any irritation reported.
Answer
C · Behind the ears and around the nostrils
2.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledge
Answer: B · Spend time with him, listen and report the changes
Why this is the answer
Withdrawal and poor appetite after a loss may be grief or depression. Listening and showing interest supports him, and reporting the changes lets the team assess him. Forcing or dismissing his feelings does not help.
Answer
B · Spend time with him, listen and report the changes
3.Nursing math & unit conversions
Answer: m = 2.98 kg
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.
Ounces to pounds
9 oz/16 = 0.5625 lb
6 + 0.5625 = 6.563 lb
Pounds to kilograms
m = 6.563/2.2 = 2.983 ≈ 2.98 kg
Answer
m = 2.98 kg
4.Nursing math & unit conversions
Answer: D = 5.88 mg/h
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.
Set up the chain
D = 2 mcg/kg/min × 49 kg × (60 min/1 h) × (1 mg/1000 mcg)
Calculate
D = 2·49·60/1000 = 5.88 mg/h
Answer
D = 5.88 mg/h
This is independent practice material. ExamProblems is not affiliated with or endorsed by the organisation that runs this exam, and the exam name is used only to describe the content.