Dosage calculation tips

Stdy2BaNurse · Jul 6, 2006

Hi all! I start my ADN program next fall and I was wondering if anyone can give me some tips on mastering this skill. I have some books but I am wondering if there is a way to memorize this ( or a shortcut ) so it sticks in my head. Any tips would be appreciated! :) Thanks!

Hi :) You say you have books so this may not help you but this summer I am taking a (non-required) dosage calculations class. Now that I'm almost done with it I think it should be required. It presents so many different ways of figuring that there is something there for everyone. The ISBN # is 13 978-0-07-301895-9; Math & Doasage Calculations for Medical Careers; Kathryn A. Booth and James E. Whaley. There is also so many opportunities for practice that the repetition is what has caused it to stick for me.

That's all I can offer you - except good luck in the fall. I am also starting ASN in the fall.

marilynmom, LPN, NP · Jul 6, 2006

I had Dosage Calc last semester and did good in it. I think they are actually pretty easy, the key is to just practice problems over and over! The hardest part IMO was memorizing all the conversion factors (metric-household-etc), but that comes with just practicing the problems as well.

Don't sweat it! When we had to take our Dosag Calc test and get a 90% or better to enter the program, out of 80 of us, only 2 people had to retake it. Most people do well I believe.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Jul 6, 2006

there are certain specific conversion factors you need to know. you need to be able to convert from grams to milligram/liters to milliliters. for the older medications you'll have to learn the grain to grams conversions and the drams to milliliters or cubic centimeters conversion. here is a link to a table from a nurses medication handbook that you can print out.

http://www.nursesdrughandbook.com/safe_drug_admin/calculations_compatibility/conversionsandcalculations.cfm - here are quick reference tables of conversions and calculations on one page from the nursing spectrum drug handbook. with this page of tables is information to convert from one unit of measure to another, convert between fahrenheit and celsius, and practical formulas to calculate drug dosages and rates of iv administration. nice resource!

i will answer a lot of drug calculation questions that are asked on the nursing student forums when i see them by the dimensional analysis method. it works incredibly well for the iv drip factor calculations. it is also known as the factor label method and is not exclusive to nursing. it is a method used by scientists in chemistry and physics to calculate amounts of elements they need to balance formulas. you can see a very nice interactive tutorial on a chemistry website on how it works here:

http://www.wwnorton.com/chemistry/tutorials/ch1.htm - click on "1.4 dimensional analysis". it is an interactive program that explains da (dimensional analysis) using animation rather than video in what i thought were very simple terms. also includes several problems you can try your hand at which are not chemistry related but utilize the concepts of da.

if you will do a specific search for some of my (daytonite) old posts using the advanced search feature on the forum and specifying the nursing student forums and the word "medication" or "calculation" you should be able to find a number of threads where i posted long lists of links to websites that have medication calculation information and practice problems. i have found so many websites with medication calculation help on them that it takes up 6 pages of a word document in my files. these two specific sites are tutorials that you should definitely use.

http://www.maagnursing.com/medcal/index.php - this is a medication calculation tutorial. you do not have to login or register to do this tutorial! just click here where it tells you to click here and you are in the program! the left side of the screen has the outline of the course so you always know where you are in the program, or you can skip to a part you particularly want to focus on. there are quizzes at the end of the various sections. this is from the university of san francisco school of nursing.

http://www.accd.edu/sac/nursing/math/mathindex2.html - basic tutorial on getting started with pharmacology math. at the bottom of this home page is a drop down box where you link into any of the following subjects: common conversion factors/equivalencies, common abbreviations, ratio and proportion, iv problems, titration problems, and pediatric pharmacology math.

http://www.accd.edu/sac/nursing/math/default.html -- the start page of this pharmacology math tutorial presented by the nursing department at the san antonio college. by clicking on the "go figure" button you can access quizzes on basic med calculations, iv, pediatric and ob med calculations. the quizzes all have answers. follow the directions.

amybethf · Jul 6, 2006

Goodness, thank all 3 of you for your help! You are wonderful! You all make this site what it is and I can't wait to actually start my program and really count on you when I need you! THANKS SO MUCH