Module 7: Weights and Measures
Statement of Purpose: The purpose of this unit is to introduce a measuring system for weight, length, and volume used by nursing assistant in the clinical setting.
Module 7 Vocabulary Study Tool: https://claude.ai/public/artifacts/f3354c30-ebf5-411e-8330-c1cd7eb0a69d
Performance Standards (Objectives): Define key terminology:
1. Centimeter
2. Fluid ounce (fl oz.)
3. Foot (ft.)
4. Gallon (gal)
5. Gram
6. Greenwich
7. Household system
8. Inch (in)
9. Kilogram (Kg)
10. Liter
11. Meter (M)
12. Metric system
13. Military time (or international time)
14. Milliliter (ml)
15. Millimeter (mm)
16. Ounce (oz.)
17. Pint (pt.)
18. Pound (lb.)
19. Quart
20. Tablespoon (Tbsp.)
21. Teaspoon (tsp.)
22. Yard (yd.)
Patient, resident, and client are synonymous terms referring to the person receiving care
CNA Module 7 Vocabulary Practice Sentences: Weights and Measures
Here are practice sentences for adult English learners studying for the CNA California exam:
1. Centimeter
The nurse asked me to measure the wound, which was 5 centimeters long and 2 centimeters wide.
2. Fluid ounce (fl oz.)
The patient drank 8 fluid ounces of water with breakfast this morning.
3. Foot (ft.)
The resident is 5 feet 6 inches tall according to his admission records.
4. Gallon (gal)
We use about one gallon of disinfectant solution to clean the entire wing each day.
5. Gram
The doctor ordered 500 grams of protein per day for the patient’s special diet.
6. Greenwich
The facility uses Greenwich time with a.m. and p.m. instead of military time for family communications.
7. Household system
Most families are familiar with the household system of measurements like cups and teaspoons.
8. Inch (in)
The pressure sore was 3 inches in diameter and required immediate attention.
9. Kilogram (Kg)
The patient weighs 70 kilograms, which equals approximately 154 pounds.
10. Liter
The resident needs to drink at least 2 liters of fluids daily to stay properly hydrated.
11. Meter (M)
The walking track in our facility is 100 meters long for patient exercise.
12. Metric system
Healthcare facilities often use the metric system for precise medication measurements.
13. Military time (or international time)
At 1400 hours military time, we give afternoon medications to the residents.
14. Milliliter (ml)
The patient received 5 milliliters of liquid medication with lunch.
15. Millimeter (mm)
The small cut on the resident’s finger measured only 10 millimeters in length.
16. Ounce (oz.)
The dietary aide served 4 ounces of orange juice to each resident at breakfast.
17. Pint (pt.)
The patient drank one pint of milk during her three meals today.
18. Pound (lb.)
Mr. Johnson has gained 3 pounds since his last weigh-in two weeks ago.
19. Quart
The nursing assistant measured one quart of output from the patient’s catheter bag.
20. Tablespoon (Tbsp.)
The medication instructions say to give 2 tablespoons of the liquid supplement twice daily.
21. Teaspoon (tsp.)
The resident takes 1 teaspoon of cough syrup every 4 hours as needed.
22. Yard (yd.)
The resident walked 50 yards down the hallway during his physical therapy session.
These sentences help CNA students practice vocabulary while learning practical applications in healthcare settings.
CNA Module 7 Vocabulary Practice Sentences: Weights and Measures
Here are practice sentences for adult English learners studying for the CNA California exam:
1. Centimeter
The nurse asked me to measure the wound, which was 5 centimeters long and 2 centimeters wide.
2. Fluid ounce (fl oz.)
The patient drank 8 fluid ounces of water with breakfast this morning.
3. Foot (ft.)
The resident is 5 feet 6 inches tall according to his admission records.
4. Gallon (gal)
We use about one gallon of disinfectant solution to clean the entire wing each day.
5. Gram
The doctor ordered 500 grams of protein per day for the patient’s special diet.
6. Greenwich
The facility uses Greenwich time with a.m. and p.m. instead of military time for family communications.
7. Household system
Most families are familiar with the household system of measurements like cups and teaspoons.
8. Inch (in)
The pressure sore was 3 inches in diameter and required immediate attention.
9. Kilogram (Kg)
The patient weighs 70 kilograms, which equals approximately 154 pounds.
10. Liter
The resident needs to drink at least 2 liters of fluids daily to stay properly hydrated.
11. Meter (M)
The walking track in our facility is 100 meters long for patient exercise.
12. Metric system
Healthcare facilities often use the metric system for precise medication measurements.
13. Military time (or international time)
At 1400 hours military time, we give afternoon medications to the residents.
14. Milliliter (ml)
The patient received 5 milliliters of liquid medication with lunch.
15. Millimeter (mm)
The small cut on the resident’s finger measured only 10 millimeters in length.
16. Ounce (oz.)
The dietary aide served 4 ounces of orange juice to each resident at breakfast.
17. Pint (pt.)
The patient drank one pint of milk during her three meals today.
18. Pound (lb.)
Mr. Johnson has gained 3 pounds since his last weigh-in two weeks ago.
19. Quart
The nursing assistant measured one quart of output from the patient’s catheter bag.
20. Tablespoon (Tbsp.)
The medication instructions say to give 2 tablespoons of the liquid supplement twice daily.
21. Teaspoon (tsp.)
The resident takes 1 teaspoon of cough syrup every 4 hours as needed.
22. Yard (yd.)
The resident walked 50 yards down the hallway during his physical therapy session.
These sentences help CNA students practice vocabulary while learning practical applications in healthcare settings.
Module 7: 5 CNA English Learning Dialogues: Weights and Measures
Dialogue 1: Taking Vital Signs and Measurements
Maria (CNA student): Good morning, Mrs. Johnson. I need to check your weight and height today.
Mrs. Johnson (Patient): Of course, dear. How much do I weigh?
Maria: You weigh 65 kilograms, which is about 143 pounds. Your height is 1.6 meters, or about 5 feet and 3 inches.
Mrs. Johnson: Is that in the metric system?
Maria: Yes, we use both systems. In the household system, you’re 5’3″ and weigh 143 pounds. The hospital uses kilograms and meters for medical records.
Mrs. Johnson: I see. What about my medications?
Maria: The doctor prescribed 500 milligrams – that’s 0.5 grams – of your antibiotic twice daily.
Dialogue 2: Fluid Intake Monitoring
Carlos (CNA): Mr. Park, I need to record how much you’ve been drinking today. Can you help me?
Mr. Park (Resident): Sure! I had my coffee this morning in that big mug.
Carlos: That mug holds about 12 fluid ounces. Did you finish it all?
Mr. Park: Yes, and I had a glass of water with lunch.
Carlos: The water glass holds 8 fluid ounces. At dinner, did you drink the whole pint of milk?
Mr. Park: What’s a pint again?
Carlos: A pint is 16 fluid ounces, or about 500 milliliters. We measure fluids in milliliters too – that’s the metric system.
Mr. Park: I drank about half of it.
Carlos: So that’s 8 fluid ounces or 250 milliliters. Your total intake today is 28 fluid ounces.
Dialogue 3: Medication Administration
Linda (CNA): It’s time for your medicine, Mr. Garcia. I have your liquid medication here.
Mr. Garcia (Client): How much do I need to take?
Linda: The doctor ordered 2 teaspoons. Let me measure it carefully in this medication cup.
Mr. Garcia: Is that the same as tablespoons?
Linda: No, 1 tablespoon equals 3 teaspoons. So 2 teaspoons is less than 1 tablespoon. In milliliters, 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml, so you’re taking 10 ml total.
Mr. Garcia: Why do you use different measurements?
Linda: We use the household system for familiar measurements like teaspoons, but milliliters are more precise for medications. Both are important for a CNA to know.
Dialogue 4: Wound Care Documentation
Jennifer (New CNA): Sarah, can you help me document this wound measurement?
Sarah (Experienced CNA): Of course! What did you measure?
Jennifer: The wound is 3 centimeters long and 2 centimeters wide.
Sarah: Good! And how deep is it?
Jennifer: About 5 millimeters deep. Should I convert that to inches?
Sarah: You can note both. 3 centimeters is about 1.2 inches, and 5 millimeters is about 0.2 inches. We mainly use the metric system for wound measurements because it’s more precise.
Jennifer: The dressing I applied is 4 inches by 4 inches.
Sarah: Perfect. That’s about 10 centimeters by 10 centimeters. Always document the exact measurements – it helps track healing progress.
Dialogue 5: Diet and Fluid Orders
Ahmed (CNA): Mrs. Thompson, the nutritionist wants you to drink more fluids. You need 2 liters per day.
Mrs. Thompson (Patient): How much is that in regular measurements?
Ahmed: 2 liters is about half a gallon. Think of it as 8 glasses of water – each glass holds 8 fluid ounces.
Mrs. Thompson: That seems like a lot!
Ahmed: It’s spread throughout the day. With breakfast, you can have 1 cup of coffee – that’s 8 fluid ounces. At lunch, maybe 1 pint of juice – that’s 16 fluid ounces.
Mrs. Thompson: What’s left after that?
Ahmed: You’d still need about 1 liter more. That could be 1 quart of water sipped throughout the afternoon and evening. Remember, 1 quart equals 4 cups or 32 fluid ounces.
Mrs. Thompson: I think I understand now. The metric system uses liters and milliliters, while the household system uses cups, pints, and quarts.
Ahmed: Exactly! As your CNA, I help you understand both systems so you can manage your health better.
Key Learning Points:
Measurement Systems:
- Household system: familiar units like cups, pounds, feet, inches
- Metric system: scientific units like liters, grams, meters, centimeters
Common Conversions:
- 1 teaspoon = 5 milliliters
- 1 tablespoon = 15 milliliters = 3 teaspoons
- 1 fluid ounce = 30 milliliters
- 1 pint = 16 fluid ounces = 500 milliliters
- 1 quart = 32 fluid ounces = 1 liter
- 1 gallon = 4 quarts = 4 liters
- 1 pound = 0.45 kilograms
- 1 inch = 2.5 centimeters
- 1 foot = 30 centimeters
Professional Note: CNAs work with patients, residents, and clients – these terms all refer to the person receiving care.
