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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 help residents take their tablets without water
BTo make swallowing safer in residents with dysphagia
CTo reduce the amount of urine the resident produces
DTo add calories for residents who are slowly losing weight
2.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledgeHard
A resident has had hip replacement surgery. Which instruction is commonly part of the care plan?
ALet the resident bend forward to pick things up from the floor
BKeep the legs tightly together with the knees touching
CHave the resident sit in low, soft chairs so that the hip can rest
DAvoid crossing the legs and use an abduction pillow if ordered
3.Nursing math & unit conversionsMedium
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A drip-rate calculation gives 100.661 gtt/min. The rule in this exercise is that drip rates are rounded to the nearest whole drop. What value x do you record?
100.661 gtt/min
x = gtt/min
4.Nursing math & unit conversionsHard
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). An infusion starts at 20:50 and finishes at 08:25 the next morning (24-hour clock). How many hours t did it run? Give the answer in hours as a decimal, rounded to two decimal places.
20:5008:25
t = h
3Solutions
1.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledge
Answer: B · 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
B · To make swallowing safer in residents with dysphagia
2.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledge
Answer: D · Avoid crossing the legs and use an abduction pillow if ordered
Why this is the answer
After many hip replacements, crossing the legs, bending the hip too far and turning the leg inward can dislocate the joint; the exact limits depend on the type of surgery. An abduction pillow keeps the legs apart, and raised toilet seats and firm chairs limit bending. The care plan gives the exact precautions.
Answer
D · Avoid crossing the legs and use an abduction pillow if ordered
3.Nursing math & unit conversions
Answer: x = 101 gtt/min
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 ones place
100.661 → 0
Only the next digit decides
100.661 → 6
6 is 5 or more, so round 0 up.
The digits after it (61) are ignored: round once, never step by step.
Round
x = 101 gtt/min
Answer
x = 101 gtt/min
4.Nursing math & unit conversions
Answer: t = 11.58 h
24-hour clock: from 1 PM onwards add 12 to the hour (3:45 PM = 15:45). Midnight to 12:59 AM is 00:00–00:59, and 12:00–12:59 PM stays 12:00–12:59. Going back, subtract 12 from hours 13–23 and add PM; hours 00 become 12 AM. Count time across midnight in two parts: up to 24:00 (00:00), then from 00:00 on.
Before midnight
20:50 → 24:00 = 190 min
After midnight
00:00 → 08:25 = 505 min
Total
190 + 505 = 695 min
t = 695/60 = 11.58 h
Answer
t = 11.58 h
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