Dosage Calculations Test

runsalot · May 23, 2013

We had to teach our selves. Ask your program if they will prepare you.

Be glad. We had to pass at 100 percent.

RubberDuckieLove · May 23, 2013

I also had to teach myself. I got three tries and has to make a 100 percent. And we are tested every semester on the first day of class. Find a good drug calculations work book and work through it.

SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP · May 23, 2013

"Calculation of Drug Dosages" by Ogden is a great workbook to practice your material. We used this in Pharmacology. We were expected to learn it on our own. Had to pass the test with 90% or better or you failed the entire class. We have to do the same thing in Nursing school as well. This book was very helpful and doing the practice quizzes enabled me to get high scores on each of my tests. My first test was a 96% and I got 100% on the remaining tests. So, get a copy of this book and practice, practice, practice!

If you have trouble with dimensional analysis or how to approach a dosage problem, I highly recommend the book "Math Attack: Strategies for Winning the Pharmacology Math Battle" by Karen Champion. It is GREAT!!! She gives you several different approaches to the same problem and you choose the method that works best for you. It really helped me find the solution style the "clicks" with me. She's also very reassuring and makes you feel like it's not impossible to do well in pharm math I really liked this book!!

After completing Pharm & passing my math exams, I feel like it'll be no problem in nursing school, since we'll continue with the same book.

Good luck to you!!!! :up:

i♥words · May 23, 2013

That sounds a lot like the BSN program I am starting in the fall. I think we spend part of the first day of class talking about dosage calculations and then have a test two weeks later. I bought Dosage Calculations Made Incredibly Easy. I'm pretty good at math, I just haven't had to do it for a while.

avaloncar, BSN, RN · May 23, 2013

In my school they reviewed the types of questions that would be on the exam and after that you were on your own. One or two teachers may say you can come to them. But for the most part the class utilized each other for help. If you study each day and get your own way and method of doing the questions you would be fine. Trust me. Because I SUCK in math. Like I suck since kindergarten...lol. And I passed each one of those exams with a 90 or higher. Good luck!

Annachu512, BSN, RN · May 23, 2013

It is simple math but you just have to remember to keep all of your needed information straight. The way we do it at our school is that semester 2 your have to get a 90% 1st try, 3rd semester is 95%, and 100% is needed in the last semester. You had two chances to retake but you need 100% on the retake. If not, you were on clinical probation and not allowed to pass meds.

turnforthenurse, MSN, NP · May 23, 2013

I remember having a dosage calculations test for nearly every class. In the beginning, we had instruction on dosage calculations...such as 625mg Tylenol ordered, have 325mg caplets, how many would you administer? As well as how many mL's to give...for example, MD orders 2mg morphine, have 5mg/1mL on hand, how many mL's would you give? Etc.

For everything else, we had to teach ourselves. I suggest getting the "Calculate With Confidence" workbook. I'm mathematically-challenged and that book really helped me. It was also the required text for my program.

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · May 23, 2013

You had to have had at least intro algebra to get into nursing school. All medication calcs are "solve for x." They're actually easier than most of algebra. If you can go to the grocery store and figure out which product is a better buy (price per ounce, say) then seriously, you ought to be able to pass this test. This is why they expect you to "teach yourself," because you are supposed to already know it and have the basic analytic ability to figure it out. Seriously.

But hey. I see a lot of nursing students here who forgot their basic "solve for x" algebra course. Pick up a high school sophomore algebra book and check it out.