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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
When a restraint has been ordered and applied, how is it usually secured?
ATo the mattress so it moves when the bed moves
BWith a quick-release knot to the movable part of the bed frame
CWith a knot that the resident can easily reach and untie when needed
DWith a tight double knot to the side rail
2.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledgeHard
A resident avoids looking the nursing assistant in the eye during care. What should the nursing assistant keep in mind?
AEye contact customs differ by culture, so it may not mean rudeness
BThe resident cannot hear and needs a hearing aid
CThe resident must be depressed and should be reported to the nurse for it
DThe resident is being rude and should be told so
3.Nursing math & unit conversionsMedium
Practice exercise (made-up values, not clinical guidance). A patient is 5 ft 0 in tall. Using 1 ft = 12 in and 1 in = 2.54 cm, find the height h in centimetres, to the nearest whole centimetre.
5 ft 0 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 3 tsp of cough syrup, 1½ tbsp of liquid supplement, 1 cup of tea. Using the equivalents given, find the total oral intake V in mL.
1 tsp = 5 mL1 tbsp = 15 mL1 cup = 8 fl oz = 240 mL
V = mL
3Solutions
1.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledge
Answer: B · With a quick-release knot to the movable part of the bed frame
Why this is the answer
A restraint is secured with a quick-release knot (or buckle) out of the resident's reach, to the movable bed frame, not the side rail. Tying it to the side rail can injure the resident when the rail is lowered.
Answer
B · With a quick-release knot to the movable part of the bed frame
2.Nursing assistant (CNA) knowledge
Answer: A · Eye contact customs differ by culture, so it may not mean rudeness
Why this is the answer
In some cultures, avoiding direct eye contact is a sign of respect. The nursing assistant avoids assumptions, respects the resident's customs and reports only real changes in behavior or mood.
Answer
A · Eye contact customs differ by culture, so it may not mean rudeness
3.Nursing math & unit conversions
Answer: h = 152 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
5·12 + 0 = 60 in
Inches to centimetres
h = 60·2.54 = 152.4 ≈ 152 cm
Answer
h = 152 cm
4.Nursing math & unit conversions
Answer: V = 277.5 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.