The Nursing Math Thread

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A member pm'd me the following question highlighted below. We created this thread for you guys to talk about math, solve math problems, and post math websites that you have found helpful.

I was wondering, is there a sticky or a special site that can be coordinated for "math sufferers". Perhaps, beginning calculations or shall i say the basics..simple to complex...step by step on how to calculate. I'm a visual learner, numbers and I don't work well. I am trying, but I've got a block!

Thanks!! I thought the answer key was wrong because that answer just didn't make sense. I and thank you for the first answer too. I figured out what they did. The divided the child's BSA by 1.73

(mean average adult BSA) then multiplied it by the adult dosage.

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The only thing that I can suggest is, go to a college library, get a good drug calculations book with lots of practice questions and practice, practice, practice...:typing

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Good books: Calculate with confidence--I bought mine for like $4 on half.com and that included shipping!!! Another good book is Henke's med-math.

And thanks for the earlier assistance, I passed my drug dosage exam for this semester, whewww!!

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:clphnds::dncgbby: congrats!

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Awesome thread, glad to see im not the only one frightened by math ;p

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Good books: Calculate with confidence--I bought mine for like $4 on half.com and that included shipping!!! Another good book is Henke's med-math.

And thanks for the earlier assistance, I passed my drug dosage exam for this semester, whewww!!

Calculate With Confidence is an excellent book - that was a requirement for my program. I also like Math For Nurses.

and slightly OT: I passed my drug calc exam with a 100% so now I can do clinicals! :yeah:

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and slightly ot: i passed my drug calc exam with a 100% so now i can do clinicals! :yeah:

congratulations! :yeah:

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wow.. i don't think i'm going to appreciate another thread on this site more than this thread right here..

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tks very helpful

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tks....ur awesome

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Math is always a pain, but not impossible. Thanks for all the links. I will sure use them and will forward them to my fellow classmates.

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Specializes in Many.

I USE THIS SIMPLE EQUATION THAT WORKS FOR ALL DRUG CALCULATIONS AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO MEMORIZE DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS!!

EXAMPLE: ORDER: VERAPAMIL 60MG PO STAT. ON HAND IS VERAPAMIL 120MG TABLETS. HOW MUCH DO YOU GIVE?

THE ONLY IMPORTANT THING YOU NEED TO KNOW WITH (MY) SYSTEM IS--YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO GET, IE, PILLS, MLS, GTTS/MIN, MLS/HR. ONCE YOU HAVE WHAT YOU NEED TO GET YOU WRITE THAT DOWN. I PUT A LINE UNDER WHAT I NEED TO GET BECAUSE WHEN YOU START MEDS WITH ML/HR YOU WILL HAVE TO WRITE IT DOWN AS---ML YOU WITH ME SO FAR?

--------

HR

THE NEXT IMPORTANT STEP IS TO LOOK AT YOUR PROBLEM AND FIND OUT "PILLS". SO 1 PILL = 160MG.

NEXT IS THE ORDER OR WHATEVER HAS "MG" IN IT. SET IT UP LIKE THIS. NOW CROSS OUT THE MG'S AND YOU ARE LEFT WILL "PILLS". NOW MULTIPLY THE TOP NUMBERS AND DIVIDE IT BY THE BOTTOM NUMBER AND YOU WILL END UP WITH .5 PILLS OR ½ PILL. EASY HA!!

PILL= 1PILL 60MG 60

_____ ________ ________ ____= .5 PILLS OR ½ PILL

120MG 120

NOW LETS DO IV

THE POWER GOES OUT AND YOU MUST CONTROL THE IV FLOW RATE BY DRIP RATE. THE IV RATE SHOULD BE AT 40ML/HR. THE TUBING IS 15GTTS/ML. HOW MANY GTTS/MINUTE WILL DELIVER THE 40ML/HR.

WE NEED TO FIND GTTS/MIN. FIND GTTS AND PUT ON TOP.

GTTS 15GTTS 40ML 600

______= ________ ______ ______= 10GTTS/MIN

MIN ML 60MIN 60

YOU WILL GET THE CORRECT ANSWER AS LONG AS YOU START WITH WHAT YOU NEED.

I HAVE HAD TROUBLE WITH ALL THE DIFFERENT WAYS TO GET DIFFERENT PROBLEMS AND THIS ONE HASN'T LET ME DOWN

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