Help please. I just cant get the math

MattiesMama · Apr 13, 2009

In the general student forum there is a math thread that has a lot of pretty good links...you might want to check that out. I'm numerically dyslexic, so math is always my downfall too.

Amybeth56 · Apr 13, 2009

Thank you so much. Are you doing ok in math now? Ill be checking out the math threads. Have a great evening.

MattiesMama · Apr 14, 2009

Yeah I'm doing alright but we are just doing basics...check with me in a month when we start doing the hardcore stuff!

Amybeth56 · Apr 14, 2009

I sure will. Im doing the basics also. Just started today and i guess i am so scared and afraid i cant do it, it is hindering my ability to learn. Have a great night. Amy

VM85 · Apr 14, 2009

i had this problem- and what i wish i wouldve known is just the simple formula- now i am a math pro!!!(after doing make up work to bring my scores up and plenty of practice)and at my school, they put math on everytest since it is important to know- even though pharm has been over since december.... so heres a few formulas that may help. just plug in the numbers and do the simple math and presto!

gtt/min = # of ml's x the drop factor

60 minutes

ex. if a pump is set at 100ml's an hour with a drop factor of 15 whats the gtt/min?

100 ml's x 15 = 25 gtt/min

60 min.

you first would simplify the drop factor with the min. so 15 becomes 1. the 60 becomes 4 (since 15 goes into into 60 four times)

the equation looks like this now:

100ml's x 1

4

you would divide 100 by 4 which equals 25 then multiply that by 1 and get 25 gtts/min

now to get the ml/hr is even simplier- all you do isif theres 2000ml to be run over 10 hours you just divide the 2000 mls by the 10hrs which equals 200ml/hr.

thats it.

i dont know what help you need on what kind of problems, but i had trouble getting these ones so i figured id show you a way that broke it down for me....good luck and let me know if you need help in a different area!!!

Amybeth56 · Apr 14, 2009

i had this problem- and what i wish i wouldve known is just the simple formula- now i am a math pro!!!(after doing make up work to bring my scores up and plenty of practice)and at my school, they put math on everytest since it is important to know- even though pharm has been over since december.... so heres a few formulas that may help. just plug in the numbers and do the simple math and presto!
gtt/min = # of ml's x the drop factor
60 minutes
ex. if a pump is set at 100ml's an hour with a drop factor of 15 whats the gtt/min?
100 ml's x 15 = 25 gtt/min
60 min.
you first would simplify the drop factor with the min. so 15 becomes 1. the 60 becomes 4 (since 15 goes into into 60 four times)
the equation looks like this now:
100ml's x 1
4
you would divide 100 by 4 which equals 25 then multiply that by 1 and get 25 gtts/min
now to get the ml/hr is even simplier- all you do isif theres 2000ml to be run over 10 hours you just divide the 2000 mls by the 10hrs which equals 200ml/hr.
thats it.
i dont know what help you need on what kind of problems, but i had trouble getting these ones so i figured id show you a way that broke it down for me....good luck and let me know if you need help in a different area!!!

thanks vm85. i am writing all that down to use as examples. your great. i just need it wrote down like that step by step then i understand better. any examples with the solution you give or already gave is so deeply appreciated. i will not fail, i will not fail. amy

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Apr 14, 2009

there are medication calculation tutorials you can link into on post #2 of this sticky thread: https://allnurses.com/general-nursing-student/nursing-math-thread-264395.html - the nursing math thread

VM85 · Apr 14, 2009

thanks vm85. I am writing all that down to use as examples. Your great. I just need it wrote down like that step by step then i understand better. Any examples with the solution you give or already gave is so deeply appreciated. I will not fail, i will not fail. Amy

no problem at all- if you want any other examples for different types of problems( all except body surface area, since we haven't done them yet, i think were waiting for maternity) just let me know what you need help on and ill show you....just keep at it and good luck!

Amybeth56 · Apr 17, 2009

HI. ITS ME AGAIN. PLEASE DONT THINK IM STUPID BUT COULD YOU DRAW OUT THIS FOR ME SO I UNDERSTAND THE STEPS? 645 mcg =_______mg

and 0.04 kg=_______g. I NEED STEPS LIKE YOU DID THE DRIP FACTORS AND THEN I THINK ILL GET IT. THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP. I KNOW ITS SO EASY FOR SOME JUST NOT ME. AMY

ladynurse1 · Apr 18, 2009

Amybeth, just remember when you are working with the metric system, all you need to do is move your decimals. Check out this document. Hopefully this will help.

Metric system.doc

NamasteNurse, BSN, RN · Apr 18, 2009

you really should get an elementary math book. the 'steps' for mcg to mg are simply moving the decimal point. so you have the basic unit, lets say gram (g). grams are bigger than milligrams by 3 decimal points, or 1000. so it takes 1000 milligrams to make a gram. a one gram capsule contains 1000 milligrams. move the decimal three places to the right and add zeros. to go from smaller (mcg. micrograms)to larger (milligrams ml) move the decimal three places to the left. therefore:

g= 1

mg= 1000 mg (add 3 zeros)

mcg= 1,000,000 (add three more zeros)

or lets say you have 6000. mcg you need milligrams. move the decimal three places left, you get 6 so 6ml. do you need grams? (g). move the decimal three more places left. 0.006g the larger the unit, the less of it it takes to make the amount. (i know, it can be confusing)

think of it this way. a bucket of sand represents a gram. it would take 1000 shovelfuls to fill the bucket. the shove holds 1 milligram so you need 1000 shovelfuls to get a gram. if you used a spoon instead of the shovel you would need 1000 spoonfuls for every shovelful, so 1,000,000 spoonfulls (the smaller unit or mcg) equals a gram

always remember that you must have a place holder zero in fron of the decimal if you are dealing in numbers less than one. and for whole numbers the decimal is understood to be immediately to the right of the number, 1. 2. 3. so place it there before you start to move it. it's always three places left or right depending if you are going from smaller to larger (left) or larger to smaller (right)

i hope i didn't make this harder! i tired to think of a way to explain it....good luck.