Math Problems, Please someone help me clarify?

Nursing Students Student Assist

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Ok the order is loading dose of 1.5g of of Vancomycin and every dose after that is 1 g of Vancomycin you have on hand 500 mg of Vancomycin. How many tablets is the loading dose? How many tablets for one dose?

I get confused with this because i am not sure on where I should start. I feel the answer should be 3 tablets for the loading dose, and 2 tablets for every dose after. I got this wrong on my exam I know for a fact. I over think my questions

I wouldn't get caught up with that kind if thinking. You will never be able to argue your point to get the questions right. Take each question, write it out make sure you write out the conversions or do the DA. It's not your job to question the test unless it is so obviously wrong, like 1+1=7. I know in our program we had to get 100% on our med dosing. Show your work, that way if there is a problem the teachers can identify the error in the thought process. And what ever you do, leave the "every Qs must be perfect" feelings at the door, it will not make you look very good to the professors and can be seen as arrogant.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
I understand that, BUT, it is subliminally teaching erroneous information. Everything should be accurate. Nursing education is so compacted now, that nothing like this should be allowed.

That needs to be taken up with the educators...you are preaching to the choir when you talk about the quality of nursing education in the present climate, it has serious problems and that is another thread....however the question is about how to do math and not about the availability of vanco in this form.

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I haven't been a student since the dinos roamed...I did succeed in "arguing" my case with an A+P instructor....after he let me finish a test and then told him if my answer wasn't right (x choice) he didn't have an answer....he acknowledged I was correct. and the whole class's tests had to be recorrected. that is the kind of teacher/professor that we need.(

I wouldn't get caught up with that kind if thinking. You will never be able to argue your point to get the questions right. Take each question, write it out make sure you write out the conversions or do the DA. It's not your job to question the test unless it is so obviously wrong, like 1+1=7. I know in our program we had to get 100% on our med dosing. Show your work, that way if there is a problem the teachers can identify the error in the thought process. And what ever you do, leave the "every Qs must be perfect" feelings at the door, it will not make you look very good to the professors and can be seen as arrogant.
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and my comment was really aimed more at the nurses on this thread, not the student....but giving blatantly erroneous info is not ok.

BUt it isn't about the vanco being available in real life.....it's a math question about having 500 mg tablets on hand......and needing a loading dose of 1.5gms and a regular dose of 1gm how many pills are given for each dose.

The name of the exact drug, here it is vanco, is not pertinent to the question.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

We have to agree to disagree....the schools are at fault....I have no control over that..but what I do have control over is helping them see the math and learn how to perform calculations.

I step away gracefully! :)

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