Just for fun

Pneumothorax, BSN, RN · Sep 10, 2011

are you asking for the answer or how to get the answer?...im confused lol

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Sep 10, 2011

are you serious? this is a problem for you? or is this a joke?

Clovery · Sep 10, 2011

I was given some medication practice and I thought I'd share one, I coudln't quite get.
(I do have an answer key, but my question is reason)
Ordered: A 185 lb. Man would receive __ mg. per day of thambutol if usual dose is 20 mg/kg of body weight.
I think I have it now, since i typed it out, but why not share the fun :)

185 divided 2.2 (convert lbs. to kg) = 84.1 kg (so this is his weight in kg)

if he's supposed to get 20 mg for every 1 kg of body weight then:

84.1 kg multiplied by 20mg/kg = 1681.8 mg (you cancel out the kg)

HeiseC · Sep 11, 2011

@ Pneumothorax: I'm just wondering how to get to the answer. Everyone thinks differently, and I'm just curious to see the different thought patterns.

@GrnTea: Its no joke. I feel a little off put because you think its a joke. I got this paper in my second weeks of nursing school and by your reaction, it makes me feel dumb that I can't do a simple problem. I'm not letting this get in my way because its my weakness. I looked at the problem and I see numbers, and a mess of confusion that I can not understand unless worded differently. I don't know what your intentions were, but it kinda hurt my feelings.

@Clovery: So, if I was going from kg to lb, I would multiply and if I want lb to kg, divide? I think that was my issue. I was trying to not rely on my notes too much when doing conversion problems.my answer page says 1680 so maybe I can figure out something and if I get the same answer, I'll ask my instructor about it.

Clovery · Sep 11, 2011

@Clovery: So, if I was going from kg to lb, I would multiply and if I want lb to kg, divide?

yep, just remember your weight in kilograms is always a smaller number than your weight in lbs. Like I may weigh 165 lbs but I'm only 75 kg :cool:

Here is a problem that tripped up a lot of people on our med test at the start of this semester:

A mom brings in a baby for her 6 month checkup. The nurse says the baby has doubled her birthweight of 3000 grams. How many pounds does the baby weigh now?

Pneumothorax, BSN, RN · Sep 11, 2011

@ Pneumothorax: I'm just wondering how to get to the answer. Everyone thinks differently, and I'm just curious to see the different thought patterns.
@GrnTea: Its no joke. I feel a little off put because you think its a joke. I got this paper in my second weeks of nursing school and by your reaction, it makes me feel dumb that I can't do a simple problem. I'm not letting this get in my way because its my weakness. I looked at the problem and I see numbers, and a mess of confusion that I can not understand unless worded differently. I don't know what your intentions were, but it kinda hurt my feelings.
@Clovery: So, if I was going from kg to lb, I would multiply and if I want lb to kg, divide? I think that was my issue. I was trying to not rely on my notes too much when doing conversion problems.my answer page says 1680 so maybe I can figure out something and if I get the same answer, I'll ask my instructor about it.

i dont think greentea was trying to be rude or mean, you just didnt make it very clear in your first post, as how you just explained in this one what you were looking for thats all..

& remember ...its the internet dont take things personally. :)

HeiseC · Sep 12, 2011

i dont think greentea was trying to be rude or mean, you just didnt make it very clear in your first post, as how you just explained in this one what you were looking for thats all..
& remember ...its the internet dont take things personally. :)

I didn't mean to take it personally. I dropped all my freinds because they all were laughing behind my back. Said I'll never become a nurse. One of them said she was going to do the 'fast track' but said that 3 years ago. I get a lot of negativity and some doesn't even realize how much it influences me. If it wasn't for the fact that I love nursing, and my fiancee, I'd give in to this negativity. I was just bothered and I appologize if I came across rude. That isn't my intentions.

HeiseC · Sep 12, 2011

yep, just remember your weight in kilograms is always a smaller number than your weight in lbs. Like I may weigh 165 lbs but I'm only 75 kg
Here is a problem that tripped up a lot of people on our med test at the start of this semester:
A mom brings in a baby for her 6 month checkup. The nurse says the baby has doubled her birthweight of 3000 grams. How many pounds does the baby weigh now?

Oh gee. I could see how, if it isn't converted right. My problem would be the conversion. I keep wanting to put 1/1000 but I have to know what goes with what so that it cancels.

I would guess the baby is 13.2 pounds. At first I looked at it and said it has to be greater than 3 because if 1 kg = 1000g, then 3000g must equal 3kg. times that by 2.2 you'll get 6.6. times that by 2 to get 13.2. Is that the correct logic?

<3nursing0329 · Sep 12, 2011

I would actually multiply 3000 times 2 to get 6000g, and then multiply by 2.2 to get 13.2 lb. That just makes more sense to me because you have whole numbers until the end that way, instead of having to work with 6.6 g. If you're using a calculator though I guess it doesn't really matter.

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Sep 12, 2011

"here is a problem that tripped up a lot of people on our med test at the start of this semester:

a mom brings in a baby for her 6 month checkup. the nurse says the baby has doubled her birthweight of 3000 grams. how many pounds does the baby weigh now?

---end quote---

oh gee. i could see how, if it isn't converted right. my problem would be the conversion. i keep wanting to put 1/1000 but i have to know what goes with what so that it cancels.

i would guess the baby is 13.2 pounds. at first i looked at it and said it has to be greater than 3 because if 1 kg = 1000g, then 3000g must equal 3kg. times that by 2.2 you'll get 6.6. times that by 2 to get 13.2. is that the correct logic?"

exactly. brava. this is exactly the thought process that underlies successful med math. you have to see roughly what it ought to come out as before you do your arithmetic.

suggest you get a printout of weights and measures equivalents to look at from time to time and gt familiar with the relative sizes. it's when people don't have a good sense of what the ballpark range is that they get into trouble, because if they miss a calculation they don't realize they're in those dangerous areas of tenfold or thousandfold overdoses...or underdoses.

HeiseC · Sep 20, 2011

"here is a problem that tripped up a lot of people on our med test at the start of this semester:
a mom brings in a baby for her 6 month checkup. the nurse says the baby has doubled her birthweight of 3000 grams. how many pounds does the baby weigh now?
---end quote---
oh gee. i could see how, if it isn't converted right. my problem would be the conversion. i keep wanting to put 1/1000 but i have to know what goes with what so that it cancels.
i would guess the baby is 13.2 pounds. at first i looked at it and said it has to be greater than 3 because if 1 kg = 1000g, then 3000g must equal 3kg. times that by 2.2 you'll get 6.6. times that by 2 to get 13.2. is that the correct logic?"
exactly. brava. this is exactly the thought process that underlies successful med math. you have to see roughly what it ought to come out as before you do your arithmetic.
suggest you get a printout of weights and measures equivalents to look at from time to time and gt familiar with the relative sizes. it's when people don't have a good sense of what the ballpark range is that they get into trouble, because if they miss a calculation they don't realize they're in those dangerous areas of tenfold or thousandfold overdoses...or underdoses.

i can understand that. i am trying to develop my critical thinking and so forth. my instructor has a folder of medication errors, and said that one nurse administered 32 viles of one med. she emptied the floor, the machine that holds certain meds, hooked up 2 iv's and so forth. she kinda drilled it into our heads that, at what point do you say 'hold on!'. my other instructor also told her story about stopping an ob nurse from making a med error and told us we have to have a back bone enough to stop a nurse if you think she's making an error.