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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
BWith a chair, wheelchair or bed scale, as the facility provides
CBy asking the resident to stand on the upright scale anyway, with help
DBy guessing the weight from the resident's height
2.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledgeHard
A busy nurse asks the nursing assistant to give a resident the pills in a medicine cup. What should the nursing assistant do?
AGive the pills but not write anything down
BGive the pills only if the resident clearly agrees to take them
CPolitely decline: giving medicines is outside their scope
DGive the pills, because the nurse is the supervisor
3.Nursing math & unit conversionsMedium
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A newborn weighs 5 lb 15 oz. Using 1 lb = 16 oz and 1 kg = 2.2 lb, find the weight m in kilograms. Round to two decimal places.
5 lb 15 oz1 lb = 16 oz1 kg = 2.2 lb
m = kg
4.Nursing math & unit conversionsHard
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). An order reads 8 mcg/kg/min for a patient who weighs 93 kg. Express the dose rate D in mg/h. Round to two decimal places.
8 mcg/kg/min93 kg
D = mg/h
3Solutions
1.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledge
Answer: B · 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
B · With a chair, wheelchair or bed scale, as the facility provides
2.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledge
Answer: C · Politely decline: giving medicines is outside their scope
Why this is the answer
Nursing assistants do not give medicines (unless they hold a separate medication aide qualification where the state allows it, which is not the case here). They politely refuse a task outside their scope, explain why and offer help with tasks they may do. Doing it anyway puts the resident at risk and the nursing assistant's certification in danger.
Answer
C · Politely decline: giving medicines is outside their scope
3.Nursing math & unit conversions
Answer: m = 2.7 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
15 oz/16 = 0.9375 lb
5 + 0.9375 = 5.938 lb
Pounds to kilograms
m = 5.938/2.2 = 2.699 ≈ 2.7 kg
Answer
m = 2.7 kg
4.Nursing math & unit conversions
Answer: D = 44.64 mg/h
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.
Set up the chain
D = 8 mcg/kg/min × 93 kg × (60 min/1 h) × (1 mg/1000 mcg)
Calculate
D = 8·93·60/1000 = 44.64 mg/h
Answer
D = 44.64 mg/h
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