Dosage question

I'm sorry if this is a dumb question, but I'm about to start nursing school and had a dosage question. If you have an order to give a vaccine, and the order is to administer let's say 0.5ml, and the vial contains 0.5ml would you draw up 1 ml? Since you divide the order by what you have on hand? Or would you give 0.5 ml because its the exact amount you want?

This is common sense. If you want to drink 1 liter of water and you have 1 liter water bottles in the refrigerator, do you pour 2 liters into glass when you only want to drink 1 liter?

It would be impossible to draw up 1ml in the way you describe, you'd have to open another vial. Think in terms of the measurement of the med, and the measurement of the fluid in which the med is contained.

I'm sorry if this is a dumb question, but I'm about to start nursing school and had a dosage question. If you have an order to give a vaccine, and the order is to administer let's say 0.5ml, and the vial contains 0.5ml would you draw up 1 ml? Since you divide the order by what you have on hand? Or would you give 0.5 ml because its the exact amount you want?

I might be dumber than the question because I don't understand the question. Are you sure you're not thinking of milligrams verses milliliters? That's what usually trips people up when they're new to it all.

How are you going to draw up 1 mL from a 0.5 mL vial? You'd have to use 2 vials.

You are way overthinking this. You have 0.5 mL/0.5 mL vial which means you would draw up the full contents of 1 vial. Not that you draw up 1 mL.

The calculation is used when what you have on hand is a different amount than what you need. There is no need for a calculation when you are holding exactly what you need in your hand.

Given your other post I am guessing you ARE a nursing student and you are trying to get your homework done!! Don't cheat if you are, because you could be putting your patients at risk if you do not know this stuff!

Annie

I'm not trying to cheat on my homework I had a general question, thanks.

Given your other post I am guessing you ARE a nursing student and you are trying to get your homework done!! Don't cheat if you are, because you could be putting your patients at risk if you do not know this stuff!

Annie

I've been accepted into the delta nursing program for Spring 2018, I don't know a lot about the program I was wondering if I could get some feedback. How are the teachers/clinicals etc?

OP other post sounds like she is going to start nursing school Spring 2018. Trying to solve a dosage problem is just a bit too advanced for her.

As others have said, I think you may be mixing up few things. Are you getting the 1 mL that you are talking about from by dividing the order dose by what you have on hand?

You wont get a question like this in nursing school because either the supply dose will be greater than that (rather than the same as the order) or, like someone else said, it will be another measurement entirely (like milligrams) and you have to convert it.

Regardless, if you are going to be starting nursing school, then you will be taught the way to solve nursing dosage calculations. If you are trying to get a head start in calculations, I would advise looking up examples of conversion dosage calculations or a study a measurement conversion chart Google or med book if you already got your textbooks.