Chemistry and nursing school

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Hey all, just a quick question for those of you who are in a nursing program now. What parts of the chemistry class you took as a pre-req are you using in your program? I think I know what I should really be paying attention to, but wanted to get feedback to make sure I really incorporate certain knowledge into my brain.

Thanks

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Dimensional analysis!

Learning how to set up problems in chemistry using this method led to a better understanding for my dosage tests, which occur every semester.

Other helpful concepts include osmolarity/diffusion because of electrolytes, which was also reviewed in A & P.

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Dimensional analysis! Learning how to set up problems in chemistry using this method led to a better understanding for my dosage tests which occur every semester. Other helpful concepts include osmolarity/diffusion because of electrolytes, which was also reviewed in A & P.[/quote']

Agreed chemistry was helped me a lot in nursing classes as well:)

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Ummm, the answer is, pretty much all of it. Don't try to pick and choose what to learn and what to blow off.

Solutions, because you will need to understand the concept of what D5W, D10W, D5/.2NS, .45NS, 3%NS, and so forth all mean. Also you will need to understand electrolytes, acid/base, and diffusion/osmolarlity/osmolality. There's a lot more, though.

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what does dimensional analysis entail? doesn't sound familiar so just wondering if my professor calls it something different.

Ummm, the answer is, pretty much all of it. Don't try to pick and choose what to learn and what to blow off.

it's not that I want to blow things off, but I would like to really have a solid understanding of what I know will be used in the nursing program versus being able to spout off that H20 is shaped as a tetrahedral bent 109deg molecule.

so far we've covered stuff I learned way back when in high school chemistry and have just started learning about moles, bonding shapes, and upcoming are gas laws.

j.

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what does dimensional analysis entail? doesn't sound familiar so just wondering if my professor calls it something different.

To answer your question...

Math Skills - Dimensional Analysis

I believe it helps me because I am a visual learner so writing it out like that helps me to properly figure out a problem without making a careless mistake.

To each his own, but practicing this in chemistry made things easier for preparing for dosage tests.

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oh, my professor calls that 'equalities'. I learned math a whole different way in school, but I agree it helps to figure out how to set up the problem. my biggest issue is remembering the formula values when there are multiple formulas to choose from.

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oh, my professor calls that 'equalities'. I learned math a whole different way in school, but I agree it helps to figure out how to set up the problem. my biggest issue is remembering the formula values when there are multiple formulas to choose from.

Medication math isn't really formulae, it's basic algebra, with success in "solve for X" depending on your ability to discern what "X" is in a word problem. :) We see people here all the time that can't read a problem, see which data points are needed and which are distractors/extraneous, and they cram all of it into a big dimensional analysis thing, and come up with a nonsensical answer, and then get flustered and confused. It sounds as if you will do fine with that.

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Medication math isn't really formulae, it's basic algebra......It sounds as if you will do fine with that.

I'm glad you have confidence in me! Just the word 'algebra' brings up PTSD from high school! Thankfully I'm able to do scientific math just fine, so I think if I approach it like that I can get over my fear and hatred of all things algebra. ?

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+ Basic math

+ Unit conversions

+ Acid-base chemistry

+ Solution chemistry

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moles
Yes, you should have basic understanding of solutions which includes particle concentrations, one unit of which is the mole.
bonding shapes
Insofar as it explains much of why certain organic and biological molecules behave the way they do, sure, but it's a foundational item, not a utilitarian one
upcoming are gas laws
For sure... the basic gas laws are all over nursing...

+ oxidation/reduction is as foundational to physiology as something can be

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What's done in med math really isn't 'dimensional analysis,' it's simply ensuring the consistency of the units... dimensional analysis considers... well, dimensions... that is, Length, Mass, Temperature, Charge, Time, Force, etc.

What passes for 'dimensional analysis' in med math is simple algebra... very, very simple algebra...

For example, consider that there are twelve inches in one foot... those are words... Mathematically, it means that:

[TABLE=width: 82]

[TR]

[TD=class: xl22, width: 29]1ft

[/TD]

[TD=class: xl23, width: 17]=

[/TD]

[TD=class: xl24, width: 36]12in

[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

Remember the fundamental tenet of algebra, that you can perform any operation on one side just so long as you do the same on the other side...

[TABLE=width: 90]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]1 ft

[/TD]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center]12 in[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]-----[/TD]

[TD=align: center]=[/TD]

[TD=align: center]-----[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]12 in[/TD]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center]12 in[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

And the other fundamental tenet of algebra: that ANYTHING divided by itself = 1 so...

[TABLE=width: 114]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]1 ft

[/TD]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center]in[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]-----[/TD]

[TD=align: center]=

[/TD]

[TD=align: center]1[/TD]

[TD=align: center]-----

[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]12 in[/TD]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center]in

[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

[TABLE=width: 120]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]1 ft

[/TD]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]-----[/TD]

[TD=align: center]=[/TD]

[TD=align: center]1[/TD]

[TD=align: center]x[/TD]

[TD=align: center]1[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]12 in

[/TD]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

[TABLE=width: 75]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]1 ft

[/TD]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]-----[/TD]

[TD=align: center]=[/TD]

[TD=align: center]1

[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=align: center]12 in[/TD]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[TD=align: center][/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

Yet another fundamental tenet of algebra is that anything can be multiplied or divided by 1 and not change it's value.

Therefore, to convert inches to feet, you can either:

A) Substitute (12 in) for everywhere it says (ft)

or

B) Multiply a value in ft by

[TABLE=width: 37]

[TR]

[TD]12 in

[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]-----

[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]1 ft

[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

and cancel the (in)

For example, to convert 2.5 feet into inches, either

A) 2.5 ft = 2.5 x (12 in) = 30 in

or

B)

[TABLE=width: 160]

[TR]

[TD][/TD]

[TD][/TD]

[TD=align: center]12 in

[/TD]

[TD][/TD]

[TD][/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]2.5 ft[/TD]

[TD]x[/TD]

[TD]-----[/TD]

[TD=align: center]=

[/TD]

[TD]30 in[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD][/TD]

[TD][/TD]

[TD=align: center]1 ft

[/TD]

[TD][/TD]

[TD][/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

There's nothing to fear, here... Even a 6th grader can do this stuff (aeb my kid... who's not even very strong in math).

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