100% dosage calculations?

S.T.A.C.E.Y, LPN · Dec 26, 2006

ColoradoGrl....have you bought a dosage calculation book? I'm sure you could pick one up at the school bookstore or in the school library. Start at the beginning and just work your way through doing all the practice tests. By the time you get to the test you shouldn't have a problem since you've been doing 500 med calcs over christmas break!

Our med test was a joke. At least half of it was: If 500mg of Drug X is ordered, and it comes in 250mg tablets, how many tabs to do you give? Or If it only comes in 1g tabs, how many do you give? Of 20 or 25 questions, only around 10 required any actual math skills......of course, I've always been good at math so most of the test was pretty easy.

Definitely though, get a dosage calc book, and just work through it step by step.

Coloradogrl · Dec 27, 2006

ColoradoGrl....have you bought a dosage calculation book? I'm sure you could pick one up at the school bookstore or in the school library. Start at the beginning and just work your way through doing all the practice tests. By the time you get to the test you shouldn't have a problem since you've been doing 500 med calcs over christmas break!
Our med test was a joke. At least half of it was: If 500mg of Drug X is ordered, and it comes in 250mg tablets, how many tabs to do you give? Or If it only comes in 1g tabs, how many do you give? Of 20 or 25 questions, only around 10 required any actual math skills......of course, I've always been good at math so most of the test was pretty easy.
Definitely though, get a dosage calc book, and just work through it step by step.

Ohhh I hope our test is like that:lol2:

We got a dosage calculation book along with our math book. It looks like a good book & have been using it but out teacher thinks the book isnt all that good & is taking crap about it all the time(that is the main reason I am worried!)

Of course he is one of those people that ALWAYS think they have a better way of doing things;)

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Dec 27, 2006

wow, are you passing meds??:uhoh21:

Yes, I sure am passing medications to 18 patients at a long term care facility on a daily basis. I also have a job as a PRN medication nurse at a psychiatric hospital. In addition, I have never committed a medication error. Med math is virtually never utilized in healthcare facilities.

SoulShine75 · Dec 27, 2006

I was sitting here looking at my dosage calculations book(& wondering why I decided to go to nursing school:lol2:) &I started thinking. My school requires a 100% on your dosage calculation test and allows you to take 1 retake test.
I understand why they require this but I was just wondering if most schools do this

Our tests are usually out of 10 questions or 20. I think you have to make a 90%. If not you have another chance to take it again. It's not hard once you learn how to do it. My only advice is to learn your conversions (ex: 2.2 kg =1 lb & tsp= 5ml etc...) because you'll use them a lot in the future as well as on the dosage calc test. Good luck!

carol72 · Dec 27, 2006

I know how three schools do this.

School #1 100% needed, three tries given

#2 80% needed, two tries given

#3 90% needed, two tries given

moongirl · Dec 27, 2006

Yes, I sure am passing medications to 18 patients at a long term care facility on a daily basis. I also have a job as a PRN medication nurse at a psychiatric hospital. In addition, I have never committed a medication error. Med math is virtually never utilized in healthcare facilities.

I did 4 dosage calculations in a 3 week rotation in a PCU.

smk1, LPN · Dec 27, 2006

we start at 80% (no calculators allowed though), then move to 85% etc... was reviewing calculations yesterday. I tend to forget obscure conversions (drams etc...)

Kemccanha · Dec 28, 2006

We had to get 100% and had two times to take it!

nursekatie22, RN · Jan 1, 2007

At my first school, we had to get at least 80% and we had two tries after the first test, but the first one was the one that went on our grade. If someone didn't pass the third one, they were out of the program.

At my second school, you had to get an 85% and the other rules still applied.

AuntieRN · Jan 1, 2007

We had to get a 90 the first 3 semesters, we had 3 tries, the last 2 semesters we had to make 100% again 3 tries...but if you missed any of them on the third try you were thrown out of the program. That is wayyy too much stress but I do understand why they want you to get the 100%....We were also encouraged to use calculators.

wvlpn2 · Jan 1, 2007

My school required you to have an 80% or above.

momx4 · Jan 1, 2007

Ours also requires a 100% by the end of graduation. Our instructor explained it to us this way......" You don't want your nurse to get 7 out of 10 drugs correct do u?" As soon as she said that I agreed and I just do problems here and there so its not a stress.