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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
How is a resident who cannot stand usually weighed?
ABy weighing the resident's clothes and subtracting
BBy guessing the weight from the resident's height
CBy asking the resident to stand on the upright scale anyway, with help
DWith a chair, wheelchair or bed scale, as the facility provides
2.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledgeHard
A resident's fluid intake for the day is 2400 mL, but her urine output is only 400 mL. What should the nursing assistant do?
ARecord the numbers and take no further action
BChange her intake record so it matches the output
CReport the large difference between intake and output to the nurse
DEncourage her to drink even more fluid to raise the amount of urine she passes
3.Nursing math & unit conversionsMedium
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A patient is 5 ft 4 in tall. Using 1 ft = 12 in and 1 in = 2.54 cm, find the height h in centimetres, to the nearest whole centimetre.
5 ft 4 in1 ft = 12 in1 in = 2.54 cm
h = cm
4.Nursing math & unit conversionsHard
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A prescription reads 1 tbsp of an oral suspension every 8 hours for 10 days. Using 1 tbsp = 15 mL, how many mL V are needed for the whole course?
1 tbspevery 8 hours10 days1 tbsp = 15 mL
V = mL
3Solutions
1.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledge
Answer: D · With a chair, wheelchair or bed scale, as the facility provides
Why this is the answer
Residents who cannot stand are weighed with a chair scale, a wheelchair scale (subtracting the chair's weight) or a bed or lift scale. The same method is used each time for comparison.
Answer
D · With a chair, wheelchair or bed scale, as the facility provides
2.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledge
Answer: C · Report the large difference between intake and output to the nurse
Why this is the answer
A big gap between intake and output can mean fluid is being kept in the body or there is a problem with urine flow. The nurse is told so the resident can be assessed. Records are never altered.
Answer
C · Report the large difference between intake and output to the nurse
3.Nursing math & unit conversions
Answer: h = 163 cm
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.
Height in inches
5·12 + 4 = 64 in
Inches to centimetres
h = 64·2.54 = 162.6 ≈ 163 cm
Answer
h = 163 cm
4.Nursing math & unit conversions
Answer: V = 450 mL
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.
Volume per dose
1 tbsp = 1·15 = 15 mL
Whole course
V = 15 mL × 3/day × 10 = 450 mL
Answer
V = 450 mL
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