Question about nursing abbreviations

86toronado, BSN, RN · May 25, 2009

I think what your talking about is actually a one over another one (1/1). Usually I see this on I&O sheets (referring to BM's) or on handwritten MARs for pills. Is that where you're seeing it?

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · May 25, 2009

It's actually an old apothecary notation that indicates "one" using Roman numerals. Two looks like a table with two dots over it, three has three legs and three dots, four is IV with a lid and one dot and so on. No one uses that much any more except for one and two.

jensmomrn11 · May 25, 2009

Thank you for the response. I am seeing the one and the two. I am a new nurse and we were not taught

this abbreviation in school and was wondering what it meant.

elkpark · May 25, 2009

It's actually an old apothecary notation that indicates "one" using Roman numerals. Two looks like a table with two dots over it, three has three legs and three dots, four is IV with a lid and one dot and so on. No one uses that much any more except for one and two.

Speak for yourself -- I use them every day (but, then, I'm now officially an old battleaxe) ...

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · May 25, 2009

I was a pharmacy tech in another life and saw them all the time, especially when the scripts came from the senior physician population. I still use 1,2 and 3 but don't usually go farther than that. (Most of my coworkers are the same ages as my kids...)