I need some guidance from all you wonderful, experienced folks out there!!
I'm starting nursing school in about a week and looking at the schedule, it appears that I'll have my Dosage Calculations class 15 weeks into the program. Okay...now, the paralyzing fear...word problems, very confusing word problems. I've read the example dosaging questions from people on this site and HOLY COW!!! My head starts to do 360's and I feel like I might need a priest. :)
I need to know how to get through this class. How do I learn to solve these dosage "puzzles"? What resources can help me? I'd like to start practicing before I ever step foot in the classroom. It literally makes me queasy to think about how I'm going to do in this class.
Any suggestions, secrets, tips, advice, useful tools, etc. you'd like to share with me would be appreciated more than you'll ever know! This area is the only one that truly strickens me with fear. Help...please!!!!
I am teaching dosage calc to a new group of students now. We teach several different methods to solve these problems because, usually, at least one of these methods makes "sense" to a student. Whether they use ratio & proportion, dimensional analysis or the old nursing formula of
D (desired) x Q (quantity) = X (amount)
H (have)
I want the students to use what makes the most sense to them and has them arrive at the correct dose.
If I can pass all my med dosage calculations in my nursing program (final semester med dosage test done last week! woohoo) then ANYONE and I mean ANYONE can. I am the worst at math, but it's because I tell myself I am the worst at math. It took me so much practice to learn dimensional analysis. It is priceless. I studied youtube, khan academy, we did some in class, but what clicked for me was sitting down with a classmate who took me step by step through dimensional analysis. You can solve pretty much any problem using that method and then you don't have to remember a million different formulas.
Specializes in Mental Health, Gerontology, Palliative.
I found this book really helpful when I was starting out. Maths and Meds for nurses. It starts with the basic maths right through to how it applies into drug calcs
Like a previous poster said If I can pass the dosage calculation tests anyone can!!! I've always struggled with math but what helped me was DosageHelp.com and I learned dimensional analysis, which I love!!! I wanted to be a Nurse since 16 and what always held me back was I thought I couldn't succeed because of the math, now I know dosage calculation tests are the least of my worries LOL
Help...please!!!!
Beck1956
26 Posts
I am teaching dosage calc to a new group of students now. We teach several different methods to solve these problems because, usually, at least one of these methods makes "sense" to a student. Whether they use ratio & proportion, dimensional analysis or the old nursing formula of
D (desired) x Q (quantity) = X (amount)
H (have)
I want the students to use what makes the most sense to them and has them arrive at the correct dose.
beck