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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?
AAfter the resident has walked for a while
BOnly at night, while the resident sleeps
CWhenever the legs start to look swollen
DIn the morning, before the resident gets out of bed
2.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledgeHard
A resident who fell last month refuses to walk with the nursing assistant, saying she is afraid. What is the best response?
ALet her stay in bed and say nothing to anyone
BAccept her fear, explain the safety steps and tell the nurse
CTell her she will never walk again if she refuses
DTell her she must walk now, because walking is written in her care plan
3.Nursing math & unit conversionsMedium
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A weight conversion gives 122.6001 kg. The rule in this exercise is that weights are rounded to the nearest tenth of a kilogram. What value x do you record?
122.6001 kg
x = kg
4.Nursing math & unit conversionsHard
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). During a shift a patient takes 3 cups of tea, 1½ tbsp of liquid supplement, 8 fl oz of juice, ½ tsp of cough syrup. Using the equivalents given, find the total oral intake V in mL.
1 cup = 8 fl oz = 240 mL1 tbsp = 15 mL1 fl oz = 30 mL1 tsp = 5 mL
V = mL
3Solutions
1.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledge
Answer: D · 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
D · In the morning, before the resident gets out of bed
2.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledge
Answer: B · Accept her fear, explain the safety steps and tell the nurse
Why this is the answer
Fear of falling can lead to inactivity and loss of strength. Listening, explaining how she will be kept safe and reporting the refusal lets the team address it, for example with physical therapy. Her right to refuse is respected.
Answer
B · Accept her fear, explain the safety steps and tell the nurse
3.Nursing math & unit conversions
Answer: x = 122.6 kg
Rounding: look at the digit just after the place you round to: 5 or more rounds up, 4 or less leaves the digit as it is. Round only the final answer, never the steps. Typical exam rules: volumes of 1 mL or more to the nearest tenth, volumes below 1 mL to the nearest hundredth, drip rates to whole drops and weights to one decimal place; always follow the rule the question states.
Digit in the tenths place
122.6001 → 6
Only the next digit decides
122.6001 → 0
0 is 4 or less, so 6 stays.
The digits after it (01) are ignored: round once, never step by step.
Round
x = 122.6 kg
Answer
x = 122.6 kg
4.Nursing math & unit conversions
Answer: V = 985 mL
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.
Each item in mL
3 cups = 3·240 = 720 mL
1½ tbsp = 1.5·15 = 22.5 mL
8 fl oz = 8·30 = 240 mL
½ tsp = 0.5·5 = 2.5 mL
Add
V = 720 + 22.5 + 240 + 2.5 = 985 mL
Answer
V = 985 mL
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