Are You Allow To Review Your Dosage Calculations

Double-Helix, BSN, RN · Mar 8, 2013

Dosage calculations are an essential part of being any kind of nurse, not just a pediatric nurse. One simply cannot safely practice as a nurse unless they are proficient in dosage calculations. An error as simple as moving a decimal point can prove fatal.

Frankly, I'm surprised that pediatrics was the first time you encountered dosage calculations, and that they were not introduced prior to your final year of nursing school. In my program, dosage calculations were introduced in our first semester and each subsequent class/clinical began with a dosage calculation test, and students were required to get 100% in order to continue in the class.

I highly recommend that you practice lots of these dosage calculations, consider a tutor and a remedial math course before continuing with nursing school. Best of luck to you.

Itspossible · Mar 9, 2013

Ashley, this is not my first time i'm been introduced to dosage cal, just like every other school, dosage calc was introduced to us in our first semester also, and yes you have to pass dosage each semester with 100% in order to get to the next level. I have been passing it with that 100% and that's why I'm in my 4th semester right now. By anyways, thanx.

Streamline2010 · Mar 9, 2013

Don't let dosage calcs beat you. You just need practice so that you learn to recognize what information you are given, and how you use it in your calculation.

We had this book (info's at the end of this post) and it has good detailed examples of the various methods of calculating dosages. There is a chapter for peds calculations, and elsewhere it shows dimensional analysis. There is a copy going for $10 + $5 shipping (roughly ) on ebay and I gave the number, below. But dosage calculations are like any other kind of math: A system. Once you understand the system, it works pretty much the same way all the time. The way you get good at them is to read the book, and then re-read it, and do many practice problems. Get very familiar with the various units of English and SI systems, and how to convert back and forth. Honestly, it is cut-and-dried. In peds you use weight or you use body surface area. And all the time, you have to check your answer to make sure that it makes sense: Is the dosage level SAFE, does it meet the 5 (or 6 rights), is the volume you are injecting okay for that site, etc.

There are old posts on here by a nurse called Dayton, She passed away a few years ago. But she went through loads of calculations and pharma problems here, helping students. You might search for her posts. I think they are still on the board.

Pharmacology : A Nursing Process Approach by Joyce LeFever Kee, Evelyn R.... 6th ed.

ebay item number 181097236031

ISBN-10 1416046631

Format Trade Paper

ISBN-13 9781416046639

Publication Year 2008

(There are one or more newer editions. But that one is cheap due to reaching 5-year time limit so it's "outdated" as a source but the dosage calculations never change. Same methods in 2008 as now. LOL)

Itspossible · Mar 10, 2013

Streamline2010 I really appreciate all the info!

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Mar 11, 2013

Don't let dosage calcs beat you. You just need practice so that you learn to recognize what information you are given, and how you use it in your calculation.
There are old posts on here by a nurse called Dayton, She passed away a few years ago. But she went through loads of calculations and pharma problems here, helping students. You might search for her posts. I think they are still on the board.

That contributor was DAYTONITE....she passed away in 2010.....she is dearly missed. All of her contributions are here.

morte, LPN, LVN · Mar 11, 2013

do you have an academic counselor? if so, can they get a hold of your tests and go over them with you? At this point we don't even know that you have done anything wrong! You need to see the test and check the answers yourself.