Help!! Math Test!!

I am in Med-surg. 3 math test, must pass one with a 90. I didnt pass the first one, the second one is tomorrow! alot of grains to mg, drug calculations, iv drip factors. I think my biggest thing was the grains, drip factors. If i have the conversion, i can do the math. But, the thing is..how do you memorize all those conversions? Help!!

[MikeyJ, RN]

Eek! They make you memorize the conversions?? Well if I were you, I would only try memorizing those conversions that you will need. For example, you said a lot of it was gr to mg -- 1 gr = 60 mg. I assume there are ml to oz. -- 1 oz. = 30 ml. And remember 15 gtt = 1 ml.

If you look at a conversion sheet, you will see that there are a TON of conversions; however, if you really break it down, you only need to know a select few (such as the ones I just put up above). The reason being is because from those main conversions, you can always convert to something else when using the metric system. Does that make any sense?

[nurseangel78]

Makes perfect sense. Thanks for the reply so quickly, as I am stressing out over this. lol. wish me luck!

[futurecnm]

I am in Med-surg. 3 math test, must pass one with a 90. I didnt pass the first one, the second one is tomorrow! alot of grains to mg, drug calculations, iv drip factors. I think my biggest thing was the grains, drip factors. If i have the conversion, i can do the math. But, the thing is..how do you memorize all those conversions? Help!!

Yeah, we had to memorize them also but if I remember right there are only about 10 max that you have to really memorize and the rest you can get from those. The grains are also just a conversion so nothing new with that. What problems are you having with drip factors?

[EmilyUSFRN, RN]

I don't know if this will help you, but for grains it made a world of difference for me...

my friend said that she remembered grains like a clock. 1 grain = 60 mg. so when the question was 1/4 gr, that was 15, 1/2 is 30, etc.

hope it helps!