i need some help with math!

9livesRN, BSN, RN · May 8, 2009

I can help, can you be more precise on what you are having problems with?

tips

- if you are giving/ calculating a single dose, they usually add the whole amount and the contents of the whole vial so that information is not crucial and will make you calculate the wrong number

D/H x Quantitiy!!

... there are so many good tips I can give you as long as I can understand what you are having problems and how deep LOL! are you into drug calc

Iv drips? units? peds? geri? it all depends!

9livesRN, BSN, RN · May 8, 2009

oh by the way i bough this 20 bucks book online called math for meds!

and it was great straight up to the point with step by step!!! without all the fluff!

mRpeNa · May 8, 2009

sorry...YES IV DRIPS, PEDIATRICS, IV PUSH...THEY JUST PUT SO MUCH INFORMATION THAT I AM HAVING A HARD TIME FIGURING OUT WHICH NUMMBERS TO USE! I CAN DO THE MATH IF I JUST KNEW WHAT NUMBERS TO USE

9livesRN, BSN, RN · May 8, 2009

Ok as a student not a pro. I would humbly recommend you to get confident with

drop factor

drops per minute

drip rate

and that would really facilitate your progress on solving IV problems

i really like this website, it gives you a clean cut info on basic IV http://home.hiwaay.net/~theholt1/NURS1100/iv-calc.htm so you can get them down packed and follow on your problems

it seems very confusing but it is about application, applying the information that you have about the drug, on to a process (calculation) in order to get an answer.

if you treat it as a process not a problem, you will get through it way faster, easier, and with less mistakes!!!

remember the basics, and think

if peds: make sure that the order is right, make sure that you have enough, calculate based on weight in kilograms, read your drug book, or the substantial info to make sure that your outcome is within the considered safe dose, and not over the max.

9livesRN, BSN, RN · May 8, 2009

us this website to get the peds formulas down another very simple website http://www.mapharm.com/med_calc_pedi.htm

9livesRN, BSN, RN · May 8, 2009

http://www.msumedcalc.com/ivpush.html

another great website that helped my a lot!!!

please tell me whether this is helping you or not !!!

gillytook · May 8, 2009

Does your school offer a class on Math for Nurses? Our does and it is a great help. If not, talk to your instructors. Many are more than willing to help you learn it and walk you through the problems step by step. Do you have a study group? That is also a good place to get help.

FUTURE_RN_08 · May 9, 2009

There are different ways to get the correct answer when doing Pharm Math. It does not matter how you get there, as long as you get there. When in doubt I always use ratio- proportion technique and I ended up with an A in the class. But, our book had a CD with it and I used it alot to study. It is important to memorize your conversions. I was stressing over the Dopamine drips when the instructor was trying to teach us. But, one of the guys in class taught me the easiest way to get there. The instructor was just putting MORE into it and confusing the entire room. So, if I had listened to her would still be stressing over that. LOL... Just find your weakness in Math, and work on that the hardest! Also, its important to keep up with the Math and formulas and set aside some study time every week. Because, I think if you dont use it, you lose it. It will just help you in the long run to stay on top of things. Good Luck, dont let it intimidate you!

cursedandblessed · May 10, 2009

you're lucky, we have to have a 100% on the dosage calculations test. i'm studying now, so hopefully i don't have to take the class.

for drops per minute: volume to be infused x drop factor divided by time in minutes.

for example: you have 50 mg of a drug in 100 ml ns to be infused over 60 minutes with a drop factor of 12 gtt/ml

100 x 12 divided by 60 minutes= 1200 divided by 60 = 20 gtt/min

Dianacabana · May 10, 2009

oh by the way i bough this 20 bucks book online called math for meds!
and it was great straight up to the point with step by step!!! without all the fluff!

Math for Meds (Anna Curren) is awesome. Teaches you everything, start to finish with plenty of practice problems. See if you can get it used?

Also, your nursing text might have practice problems which you can usually find with the online component (the companion website). I used books published by Elsevier and LWW and they had good options. NCLEX 3500 questions are usually good for practice too.

Good luck!

mRpeNa · May 10, 2009

Math for Meds (Anna Curren) is awesome. Teaches you everything, start to finish with plenty of practice problems. See if you can get it used?
Also, your nursing text might have practice problems which you can usually find with the online component (the companion website). I used books published by Elsevier and LWW and they had good options. NCLEX 3500 questions are usually good for practice too.
Good luck!

thank you so much!