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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 measure often helps a resident with osteoarthritis?
AComplete bed rest for several weeks
BWarm baths or showers and gentle range-of-motion exercise
CKeeping the painful joints still in one position all day long
DLifting heavy weights to strengthen the joints
2.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledgeHard
After a stroke, a resident ignores the food on the left side of her tray. Which approach can help, if it is in the care plan?
AAssume she is not hungry and take the tray away after a few minutes
BTell her where the food is and prompt her to look to the left
CFeed her everything without letting her try
DRemove the food from the left side of the tray
3.Nursing math & unit conversionsMedium
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A patient is 6 ft 2 in tall. Using 1 ft = 12 in and 1 in = 2.54 cm, find the height h in centimetres, to the nearest whole centimetre.
6 ft 2 in1 ft = 12 in1 in = 2.54 cm
h = cm
4.Nursing math & unit conversionsHard
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A serum creatinine result is 2.5 mg/dL. Using 1 mg/dL = 88.4 µmol/L for creatinine, find c in µmol/L to the nearest whole number.
2.5 mg/dL1 mg/dL = 88.4 µmol/L
c = µmol/L
3Solutions
1.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledge
Answer: B · Warm baths or showers and gentle range-of-motion exercise
Why this is the answer
Osteoarthritis causes joint pain and stiffness. Warmth, gentle exercise, rest periods, assistive devices and pain relief as ordered help keep the joints moving. Long periods without movement increase stiffness.
Answer
B · Warm baths or showers and gentle range-of-motion exercise
2.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledge
Answer: B · Tell her where the food is and prompt her to look to the left
Why this is the answer
Some residents after a stroke neglect one side of their body and surroundings. Reminding them to turn the head and scan that side, or turning the plate, helps them eat. The care plan describes the approach.
Answer
B · Tell her where the food is and prompt her to look to the left
3.Nursing math & unit conversions
Answer: h = 188 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
6·12 + 2 = 74 in
Inches to centimetres
h = 74·2.54 = 188 cm
Answer
h = 188 cm
4.Nursing math & unit conversions
Answer: c = 221 µmol/L
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 = 2.5·88.4 = 221 µmol/L
Answer
c = 221 µmol/L
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