Dosage Tests

Nursing Students General Students

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I start my Nursing program in January and was informed that we have to get a 90 or higher on all dosage tests, the first one being a couple weeks in. I have already been practicing them just so I know them really well. I was just wondering if we can use a calculator or not? I can do it without but, obviously, it would be a LOT easier and quicker if I used one. I realize that different schools have different ways but did you get a calculator or no? Thanks in advance!

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

We allow calculators, but only the basic ones provided by the school; prevents anyone from programming in equations, etc.

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Thanks for responding. Yes I was referring to the little basic calculators. I was just worried that if I werent working with easily divisible numbers than I would take a long time to finish each question.

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Specializes in Hospice, Palliative Care.

Good day, Cheri 16:

Our school provides extremely basic (the type that might be used in middle school) calculators we must use along with pencils we must use due to previous abuse of someone using a Smart Pen and programmed calculators. We need to get a 100% each time we take the dosage calculation exam. I've found practicing seven days a week, every week (not just a few days or weeks before the exam) at dosagehelp.com to be extremely helpful.

I do recommend learning and practicing the various methods - d/h * q, ratio, and dimensional analysis - of doing dosage calculations as it provides with you various means to double check your work. I.e. if you get one answer using one method, it better match using another method. I also recommend trying to learn to do some of the conversions (not necessary for D/A) in your head.

Thank you.

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Dosage.com is what I have been using so I am glad to know I'm starting in the right place. Thank you for the advice! I am just starting to really learn them all so I'll be ahead of the game when January comes around. I will continue to go over them everyday per your advice. Thank you!

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Specializes in Hospitalist Medicine.

Our program allows only basic calculators. No graphing calcs due to fear of students programming conversions. We also have the 90 or better rule, but you get a second chance to pass it. If you fail the 2nd time, you're out of the program

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Specializes in ICU.

All of our tests are 10% dosage calculations. We are only allowed to have the most basic calculators. Dosage calculations are honestly pretty easy. It is not rocket science. What I find is people make it much harder than it needs to be. It's very simple multiplying and dividing. Learn your conversions and it will be easy peasy.

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I agree they seem easy so far. But without a calculator I'm not the greatest dividing when there are a bunch of uneven decimal type problems. I was just hoping that I can use a basic calculator because I would in real life, so I can check it quickly and make sure I didn't make a mistake. Without a calculator some questions would take me much longer. Thank you all for your answers. I know the conversions already so I'm good with that. Just a few of the harder questions, decimals, and uneven division that I was afraid would take me too long on paper.

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