Help c Math conversions/equivalencies!!!!!!!

U.S.A. Missouri

Published

I am working through a book right now called Math for Nurses....it is phenomenal, however when you get to the section of equivalencies and conversions, I am getting stumped. I know enough just to look at a basic chart to convert. However, when you need to work dosage calculations for medications in the same system but having different units of measurement, and dosage calculations for medications in different systems, I just am confused. Is there any easy way to doing this?

I appreciate any feedback on good websites or tips/advice :wink2:

shhnack

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Specializes in ED.

Are you familiar with dimensional analysis? I find this is a pretty failproof way of figuring problems out no matter what you are given.

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Specializes in Med/Surg <1; Epic Certified <1.

I don't know an "easy" way to do this. I sometimes find myself having to think pretty hard.

We used Calculate with Confidence and I liked that book quite a bit.

Additionally, if you're in the STL area, I would highly recommend taking the Nursing Dosage class through St. Louis Community College. I believe it's offered on at least 2 of the 3 campuses, is a CE (non-credit) course, and is taken only one day a week for four weeks. I took it twice (due to my having to put off acceptance for some time), and I found it phenomenally helpful both at Forest Park and Meramec. Cost VERY reasonable and the return on the investment invaluable. Having some there to help you out and explain concepts was wonderful.

Best wishes!!

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Thanks for your response, I live in the Joplin/Neosho area and haven't heard of any class like what your talking about. I've often thought what better sense it would make to send nursing students into specific nursing math classes instead of or at least in addition to the math classes that are required traditionallly. Also, I've never heard of dimensional analysis, have you, did you like it. Also, if you have a sec, can you introduce me to the quickest/best way to navigate through this forum system, seems quite overwhelming to me. :crash_com I'm trying to decide if it's worth the hassle, so much info to sort through too.

Thanks again for responding

shhnack

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Never heard of it?!!!

Got any good books on it to recommend? Thanks a bunch!

shhnack

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Specializes in ED.

Dimensional analysis is just a fancy name for getting the answer in units you want them to be in

You put equalities together in ration form Ie: 1 grain 1 kg

________ or _______

65 mg 2.2 lbs

Or in fraction form: 2 liters in 10 hours = 2L

____

10 hrs

Here is an example

Sue Jones is to receive 1L of Lactated ringers by IV over 24 hours. She is receiving it via a standard 20 gtt/ml administration set. How many drops per minute will you regulate the flow?

1L 1000ml 20gtt 1hr 27.7 or 28 gtt/min

______ x _______ x _______ x _________ =

12 hrs 1L 1ml 60 min

mls cancel out, L cancel out, hours cancel out

Hope this helps:D Sometime it is time consuming but I always get the right answer as long as my units cancel out and my ratios are correct!!

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Specializes in ED.

Whoops, that last post looked like gobbly gook.........

Dimensional analysis is just a fancy name for getting the answer in units you want them to be in

You put equalities together in ration form Ie:

For example:

1 grain

______

65 mg

2.2 lbs

______

1kg

Or in fraction form: 2 liters in 10 hours =

2L

____

10 hrs

Here is an example

Sue Jones is to receive 1L of Lactated ringers by IV over 24 hours. She is receiving it via a standard 20 gtt/ml administration set. How many drops per minute will you regulate the flow?

Untitled-1copy-1.jpg

Answer is 27.7 gtt/ min or 28 gtt/min

1000 ml cancel out, L cancel out, hours cancel out

Hope this helps:D Sometime it is time consuming but I always get the right answer as long as my units cancel out and my ratios are correct!!

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Specializes in Med/Surg <1; Epic Certified <1.
Thanks for your response, I live in the Joplin/Neosho area and haven't heard of any class like what your talking about. I've often thought what better sense it would make to send nursing students into specific nursing math classes instead of or at least in addition to the math classes that are required traditionallly. Also, I've never heard of dimensional analysis, have you, did you like it.

Also, if you have a sec, can you introduce me to the quickest/best way to navigate through this forum system, seems quite overwhelming to me. I'm trying to decide if it's worth the hassle, so much info to sort through too.

Well, guess you won't be coming up this way for classes, lol. That would be a bit of a commute. There was an online version of the class offered, but I don't know how much more helpful that would be than just going through a book yourself.

I never was very successful with dimensional analysis. I think the answers above might help you with that, but it still makes me nutso to figure out how to set up the problem, although I think it looks like it would be very helpful to understand!!

Yes, this site can be "worth the hassle". Make sure you check out these forums:

https://allnurses.com/forums/f196/

As for the "how", there used to be a tutorial front and center somewhere but I wasn't able to track it down easily....here's one that might help:

https://allnurses.com/forums/f207/discuss-helpful-allnurses-com-video-tutorials-234232.html

Getting Started - allnurses.com university (ANU)

The only things you will find on this site that might be helpful are:

help, support, empathy, understanding, and encouragement that most folks outside of the nursing school/RN arena could never begin to offer or comprehend.

Only you can decide if that makes it "worth the hassle" to you.

I could never have gotten through nursing school had I not haunted these boards both before, during and after beginning this journey. :yeah: I don't believe you'll find many regulars who would disagree.

Best wishes!!

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Thanks I appreciate your input!!

Hope you have a good day

shhnack

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Specializes in NICU.

We use Nursing Math Simplified and it is basically the same process as Wondertech told you. You should be able to cancel everything out until you only have 1 unit left, the rest is cancellation and multiplication...etc. This book was a life saver. We had to pass with a 94 or better or we were out of the program. :typing

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Are you familiar with dimensional analysis? I find this is a pretty failproof way of figuring problems out no matter what you are given.

I had to learn med math this way. At first I had a terrible time with med math. Then one of the nurse on my old floor told me about DA and it worked wonders for me. I have a math test with each nursing class and they were driving me crazy. Now everything makes since. I bought a book off Ebay that helped. It is called Dimensional Analysis for Meds by Curren and Munday. It is an older book but still relevant for today. Good luck.

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I used a book called med math I bought at Barnes and Noble. It begins with simple math and works its way up to dosage cal. It helped me out so much I got a 100% on my dosage calculations test.

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