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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 are thickened liquids ordered for some residents?
ATo reduce the amount of urine the resident produces
BTo help residents take their tablets without water
CTo add calories for residents who are slowly losing weight
DTo make swallowing safer in residents with dysphagia
2.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledgeHard
A resident's catheter bag has only about 50 mL of dark urine after the whole shift; usually it holds about 600 mL. What should the nursing assistant do first?
ARecord the amount as usual without reporting it
BDisconnect the tubing to see whether urine flows freely
CCheck that the tubing is not kinked or under the resident, then report to the nurse
DEncourage the resident to drink and recheck at the next shift
3.Nursing math & unit conversionsMedium
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A newborn weighs 7 lb 4 oz. Using 1 lb = 16 oz and 1 kg = 2.2 lb, find the weight m in kilograms. Round to two decimal places.
7 lb 4 oz1 lb = 16 oz1 kg = 2.2 lb
m = kg
4.Nursing math & unit conversionsHard
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). During a shift a patient takes 4 fl oz of juice, 1 tsp of cough syrup, ½ cup of tea. Using the equivalents given, find the total oral intake V in mL.
1 fl oz = 30 mL1 tsp = 5 mL1 cup = 8 fl oz = 240 mL
V = mL
3Solutions
1.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledge
Answer: D · To make swallowing safer in residents with dysphagia
Why this is the answer
Thickened liquids move more slowly in the mouth and throat, which reduces the risk of choking and aspiration in residents with dysphagia. The ordered thickness must be followed exactly.
Answer
D · To make swallowing safer in residents with dysphagia
2.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledge
Answer: C · Check that the tubing is not kinked or under the resident, then report to the nurse
Why this is the answer
A kink or a resident lying on the tubing can stop drainage, so the nursing assistant checks the tubing and the bag position. Very low or dark output is still reported to the nurse promptly. The closed system is never disconnected.
Answer
C · Check that the tubing is not kinked or under the resident, then report to the nurse
3.Nursing math & unit conversions
Answer: m = 3.3 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
4 oz/16 = 0.25 lb
7 + 0.25 = 7.25 lb
Pounds to kilograms
m = 7.25/2.2 = 3.295 ≈ 3.3 kg
Answer
m = 3.3 kg
4.Nursing math & unit conversions
Answer: V = 245 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
4 fl oz = 4·30 = 120 mL
1 tsp = 1·5 = 5 mL
½ cup = 0.5·240 = 120 mL
Add
V = 120 + 5 + 120 = 245 mL
Answer
V = 245 mL
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