Dosage calculation question

Nursing Students LPN/LVN Students

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Hi all. I am starting an LPN program in 2 weeks. I have been studying for a couple of weeks already and I just don't know! My math skills are pretty good. I did well on my TEAS test on that section. However, I am starting to worry. The very first chapter we are going to work in is hard. I don't know if my math skills are good enough. I was wondering if we are allowed to use a calculator for the class... and also if nurses use calculators for their job...? I am starting to study MORE on my math so I can hopefully be up to speed to start the 1st chapter. I really just need more work on mulitplying/dividing fractions and decimals and conversions.

Thanks in advance!

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Basically what our instructors have taught us is, more then likely all of the dosage calc for IV's and what not will already be set up or done by the machine. They just teach us incase something happens to where we have to figure it out. We were allowed to use calculators. I don't see why you couldn't use one on the job. If I was a charge nurse I would rather the nurses under me use a calculator and be right then give something wrong to a patient.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, OB/GYN, ER, Geriatrics.

In our Drug Dose class we can not use a calculator. I would not worry to much about it though, as long as you can solve for "X" you should be fine. That is what they told us. I on the other hand am tripping about it to, but because the class is only one unit, I am not really to worried.

We start on August 20th and after talking to 2nd sememster LVN students, they told me that it is not as hard as what is presented in our book. So, breathe and relax, you should be fine.

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In our schooling first we had to learn how to do it by hand and then we were allowed to use the calculator once we mastered the manual portion of it. Personally I rarely have seen nurses having to compute anything. In the rare occasion that someone had to do it, it was done by calculator.

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Specializes in Trauma & Emergency.

In my LPN school we were NOT allowed to use calculators. The math is pretty basic--try not to worry too much--they are going to teach you so many ways you will be able to do it with your eyes closed!

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in my LPN class, we we allowed to use calculators and you just have to follow the formula that is given to u

just use it . try to figure out the info u need to solve the problem and sort the info you don't need.

make sure you review your unit conversions, and u will be fine

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