Math help

[Shagce1]

I start back to school in 2 weeks. We have a mandatory must pass at 85% math exam schedule 3 days into the semester. I am working on a review packet and struggling with two of the questions. I have answers for both, but not sure they are right.

Here is the first question:

A 1000 mL bag of IV solution was hung at 0700 to run at 100 ml/hour. At 1300 the bag is 1 hour behind. What would the new rate in L's per hour be in order for the bag to finish on time? What percent increase would this be?

Here is what I have so far:

If it is running at 100ml/hr than it should run for 10 hours and be done at 1700.

If it is one hour behind than at 1300 only 500ml had infused (should be 600ml)

X = 500ml

1hr = 4hrs

x=125mL/hr or 25% increase

2nd question:

Order DS1/2 NS at 75mL/hr

A 1000 ml bag was jung at 0530. Time tape strip on the bag indicates the bag will be due out at 1830. At 0930 the nurse find that the IV is 2 hours ahead. Recaluclate the new drip rate so that the bag will end on time with tubing that delivers 15gtt/ml.

Here is what I have:

75ml/hour=1.25ml/min

current=15gtt = x

1ml =1.25ml or 19gtt/min

If it were running on time then 300mL would be infused. Since it is 2 hours ahead 450 ml has infused leaving 550 in the bag with 9 hours remaining. 550/9hrs=61ml/hr or 1 ml/min.

15 gtt = X

1ml = 1ml/min OR 15 gtt/min would be the new rate.

Any help with confirming or correcting my math would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!!

[Shagce1]

Sorry my fractions aren't displaying correctly--hopefully you are able to make sense of my work!

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

If this is characteristic of your reasoning and algebra skills, you are going to do jus' fine. Heck, you can probably tutor your classmates. :anpom:

[TheNGTKingRN]

All these questions are simple but this goes to show how school and real life nursing are so different. The heck I'm going to be adjusting rates to play catch up on some simple IVF. Maybe I shouldn't say this but am I the only one that will adjust a rate then call the MD? I keep an eye on IVF more in regards to what it's doing to the patients opposed to this silly catch up stuff? For example, I have pts peeing ALL night that are NOT NPO and have no medical need for IVF but silly residents forget to DC the 150 mL per hour infusion. Come on now. Nursing schools teach some silly stuff. I honestly can't see how RN school helped except with meds and a couple of other stuff.

Rant over.

Your math looks great by the way! =) Good job.

[Shagce1]

Thanks GrnTea for the vote of confidence. I need to learn to trust myself more. It took me forever to reason through both of these problems, so therefore I assumed I must have been doing something wrong.

[Shagce1]

I agree with you NGTKingRN. This math stuff ticks me off. And I have always been relatively good at math, I feel bad for my classmates who struggle some with math. I don't know about other programs, but we will be having these mandatory math tests every semester until we graduate which have to be passed at 85% I so much wish they could somehow teach nursing material (all of it, not just the math) in a more "real world" scenario. I know a lot of it is supposed to teach us to be critical thinkers or so our instructors can see our thought process and critical thinking skills. I have worked in health care as a respiratory therapist for the past 20 years, and I get frustrated cuz I know much of the material is not how the real world works.