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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
Why does a resident sit on the edge of the bed for a short time (dangle) before standing?
ATo stretch the muscles of the lower back before standing up
BTo give the bed time to lower itself
CTo let the blood pressure adjust and prevent dizziness
DTo warm the feet before putting on shoes
2.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledgeHard
A resident who is choking becomes unresponsive while the nursing assistant gives abdominal thrusts. What should the nursing assistant do next?
AProp the resident in a chair and give sips of water
BKeep giving abdominal thrusts while holding the resident upright until help comes
CSweep a finger blindly through the mouth to find the object
DLower the resident to the floor, call for emergency help and start CPR
3.Nursing math & unit conversionsMedium
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A patient is 152 cm tall. Using 1 in = 2.54 cm, find the height h in inches. Round to one decimal place.
152 cm1 in = 2.54 cm
h = in
4.Nursing math & unit conversionsHard
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). During a shift a patient takes ½ tsp of cough syrup, 1 tbsp of liquid supplement, ¾ cup of tea, 1½ fl oz of juice. Using the equivalents given, find the total oral intake V in mL.
1 tsp = 5 mL1 tbsp = 15 mL1 cup = 8 fl oz = 240 mL1 fl oz = 30 mL
V = mL
3Solutions
1.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledge
Answer: C · To let the blood pressure adjust and prevent dizziness
Why this is the answer
Dangling gives the body time to adjust to the change in position. This lowers the risk of orthostatic hypotension, where blood pressure drops on standing and the resident becomes dizzy and may fall.
Answer
C · To let the blood pressure adjust and prevent dizziness
2.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledge
Answer: D · Lower the resident to the floor, call for emergency help and start CPR
Why this is the answer
When a choking adult becomes unresponsive, ease them to the floor, call for help (activate the emergency response) and begin CPR. Look in the mouth before breaths and remove an object only if you can see it; blind finger sweeps can push it deeper.
Answer
D · Lower the resident to the floor, call for emergency help and start CPR
3.Nursing math & unit conversions
Answer: h = 59.8 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 = 152/2.54 = 59.84 ≈ 59.8 in
Answer
h = 59.8 in
4.Nursing math & unit conversions
Answer: V = 242.5 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.