Dosage calculations and doc's written orders

[KellyMLS]

I am due to start clinicals in January and as its been a while since I took my dosage calculations class, I have been reviewing quite a bit. Apparently our program gives random math tests throughout the semester and it can make or break you. My question is, do you find a lot of doctor's still using apothecary abbreviations? I know I need to know it, but is is something I'm going to run into often? Thanks for your input!

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

No...they do not. You MIGHT still seen Tylenol X gr....or a narcotic suppository in grains but nothing else in the weird ones like drams an minims.

LB to Kg, mg/kg/min, grams to milligrams or micrograms, mls, IV gtt rates which are mostly in 60gtt sets or they are also called micro gtts sets. Are common orders. Your tests however will be up to your instructor.

[krisiepoo]

we had a ton of IV rates and drip rates on our exams along with Heparin infusion rates (along with everything Esme posted)

and quite honestly, they should make or break a student, we can kill someone if we don't know the math... we could get 1 wrong on our math exams or we failed them

[KellyMLS]

Thanks for your replies. I agree that it's super important to know the formulas inside and out. Our hospital has written policies about abbreviations that can and can't be used. But you never know when that one old school doc will be writing orders!

[Kuriin, BSN, RN]

I think if it's hospital policy to not use a specific abbreviation or system (such as Apothecary) and a provider still uses it, the best idea is to call the provider or pharmacist for assistance.

My question is, do you find a lot of doctor's still using apothecary abbreviations? I know I need to know it, but is is something I'm going to run into often?

I've never seen it... not on a real order nor on the NCLEX.

Neither did I see them in nursing school.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

Every facility has a policy and procedure manual that addresses this issue. Physicians can't prescribe any old way they like. I haven't been inside a hospital that allows physicians to prescribe in apothecary measures for donkey's years.

(Although when I was a new grad, thoroughly schooled in metric measures, I was astonished to find a vial of dried brown leafy stuff in the stock drawer in my first unit. "What the heck is that?" I asked. The answer came: Digitalis leaf. As in, the actual leaf of the foxglove plant. Apparently that's how it used to be supplied. God only knows how they did quality control or managed dosage changes with it, or how long it had actually been in that drawer. I never saw it actually prescribed and wish I'd boosted it as a souvenir.)

[KellyMLS]

Grntea-

Ha! It always amazes me the advances we've made. I'm currently a medical technologist, rn school is career #2, and I'm always finding ancient equipment that's been tucked away, I especially love things that previously required mouth pipetting. Ugh!

[StudentOfHealing]

Every facility has a policy and procedure manual that addresses this issue. Physicians can't prescribe any old way they like. I haven't been inside a hospital that allows physicians to prescribe in apothecary measures for donkey's years.

(Although when I was a new grad, thoroughly schooled in metric measures, I was astonished to find a vial of dried brown leafy stuff in the stock drawer in my first unit. "What the heck is that?" I asked. The answer came: Digitalis leaf. As in, the actual leaf of the foxglove plant. Apparently that's how it used to be supplied. God only knows how they did quality control or managed dosage changes with it, or how long it had actually been in that drawer. I never saw it actually prescribed and wish I'd boosted it as a souvenir.)

Wow that's crazy! ! !

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

We had one doc who used to use the apothecary system on every new grad to upset them... until the hospital put a stop to it.