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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
A resident has swollen feet and ankles. Which measure is usually helpful, if the care plan allows?
AWrapping the ankles tightly with tape
BRubbing the swollen areas firmly
CHanging the legs down from the bed all day
DRaising the legs on pillows or a footstool
2.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledgeHard
Before lunch, a resident who has diabetes is pale, sweaty, shaky and confused. What should the nursing assistant do?
ATake the resident's temperature and record it at the end of the shift
BLet the resident sleep until lunch arrives
CLeave the resident alone in the room while finding a snack
DStay with the resident and get the nurse at once
3.Nursing math & unit conversionsMedium
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A weight conversion gives 58.8427 kg. The rule in this exercise is that weights are rounded to the nearest tenth of a kilogram. What value x do you record?
58.8427 kg
x = kg
4.Nursing math & unit conversionsHard
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A serum creatinine result is 313 µmol/L. Using 1 mg/dL = 88.4 µmol/L for creatinine, find c in mg/dL. Round to two decimal places.
313 µmol/L1 mg/dL = 88.4 µmol/L
c = mg/dL
3Solutions
1.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledge
Answer: D · Raising the legs on pillows or a footstool
Why this is the answer
Elevating the legs helps fluid drain from the feet and ankles. The swelling is reported to the nurse, and the care plan may also include stockings, daily weights or a low-sodium diet.
Answer
D · Raising the legs on pillows or a footstool
2.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledge
Answer: D · Stay with the resident and get the nurse at once
Why this is the answer
Shakiness, sweating, pallor and confusion suggest hypoglycemia, which can quickly become an emergency. The nursing assistant stays with the resident, calls the nurse immediately and follows the nurse's instructions, for example about giving a sugary drink.
Answer
D · Stay with the resident and get the nurse at once
3.Nursing math & unit conversions
Answer: x = 58.8 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
58.8427 → 8
Only the next digit decides
58.8427 → 4
4 is 4 or less, so 8 stays.
The digits after it (27) are ignored: round once, never step by step.
Round
x = 58.8 kg
Answer
x = 58.8 kg
4.Nursing math & unit conversions
Answer: c = 3.54 mg/dL
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.
Convert
c = 313/88.4 = 3.541 ≈ 3.54 mg/dL
Answer
c = 3.54 mg/dL
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