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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
Which care measure is common for a resident with heart failure?
ARaising the head of the bed to make breathing easier
BKeeping the resident lying flat at all times
CAdding extra salt to the resident's meals
DEncouraging the resident to drink as much as possible
2.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledgeHard
An alert resident tells the nursing assistant that she is leaving the facility today and starts packing. No discharge is planned. What should the nursing assistant do?
AHelp her pack and walk her to the front door
BLock her in her room until she changes her mind about leaving
CTell the nurse right away and stay with the resident
DTake her suitcase away and hide it
3.Nursing math & unit conversionsMedium
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A patient is 4 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.
4 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). During a shift a patient takes 8 fl oz of juice, 2 cups of tea, ½ tsp of cough syrup, 1½ tbsp of liquid supplement. Using the equivalents given, find the total oral intake V in mL.
1 fl oz = 30 mL1 cup = 8 fl oz = 240 mL1 tsp = 5 mL1 tbsp = 15 mL
V = mL
3Solutions
1.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledge
Answer: A · Raising the head of the bed to make breathing easier
Why this is the answer
Residents with heart failure often breathe more easily with the head raised. Care may also include a low-sodium diet, fluid limits, daily weights and watching for swelling, as the care plan directs.
Answer
A · Raising the head of the bed to make breathing easier
2.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledge
Answer: C · Tell the nurse right away and stay with the resident
Why this is the answer
A competent resident has the right to leave, but the nurse must know at once to talk with her, contact the doctor and family and make it safe. Hiding belongings or locking her in would violate her rights.
Answer
C · Tell the nurse right away and stay with the resident
3.Nursing math & unit conversions
Answer: h = 132 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
4·12 + 4 = 52 in
Inches to centimetres
h = 52·2.54 = 132.1 ≈ 132 cm
Answer
h = 132 cm
4.Nursing math & unit conversions
Answer: V = 745 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
8 fl oz = 8·30 = 240 mL
2 cups = 2·240 = 480 mL
½ tsp = 0.5·5 = 2.5 mL
1½ tbsp = 1.5·15 = 22.5 mL
Add
V = 240 + 480 + 2.5 + 22.5 = 745 mL
Answer
V = 745 mL
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