Worried to death about dosage cal!

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I am awful at math, and I never seem to catch on to it like everyone else does. I've never got it. I remember sitting in third grade learning long division and thinking " what?!?!" lol. Would you recommend studying this summer and getting the gist of it? Our dosage cal is integrated into pharmacology. I don't want that time to. Ome and me be floundering! If so, any recommended books to help? TIA:D

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Specializes in CMSRN.

If you're really concerned about math I can't imagine why it would hurt to get started early. The book our program uses is "Math for Meds". Math for Meds: Dosages and Solutions:Amazon:Books We had to do self study and it definitely taught us what we needed to know. Good luck!

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Start now.

It's better to try to figure it out on your own at your own leisure.

If you wait until pharm, you will be stressed and it will be that much harder for you.

I used the book Bloomgirl118 recommended and it was excellent.

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There's much cheaper books then that. Check out amazon and the reviews. Theres several by made incredible easy, Kaplan, and Saunders that is much cheaper! Why put a book up for 75 dollars? No need to waste money!

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Specializes in L&D.

My Dosage Calculation book helped so much when I really needed help figuring out things....What helped me the most was to go over the practice problems until I understood it!

Also, start memorizing your conversions

Such as 60mg=1grain

I bet if you were to do a search on here for conversions to memorize, you could find them :)

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Okay. Thanks:) soi just need to memorize conversions? Also, in order to solve dosage call problems is it just basic math?

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dont worry im mathphobic also! get comfortable with ratio & proportion type problems thats what my program uses & it can be used for pretty much everything. the book we use is Calculate with confidence, see if you can find out what book your program uses & purchase it in advance, mine breaks down step by step in all differnt formulas what you have to do. good luck =]

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I'm a third semester nurse and every dosage calculation I have had so far has a formula. If you can pick out your numbers such as doctors orders, what's on hand stuff like that out of the question then its just plug it in and your done. You do need to know conversions. Especially lbs to kg!! Seriously, its not as bad as you think. Math is not my strong suit and I have passed every math competency on the first try! It's not long complicated formulas and you do get a calculator!!

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Out of curiousity I checked half.com for the "Math for Meds" book and found some for as low as $33. I may get one and start preparing!

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Well go for it. I just don't agree with paying full price. That book was 80 brand new!

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Specializes in Neonatal Nurse Practitioner.

I've used that book before and I think it is a good choice for dosage calcs. Starts from scratch (addition and subtraction). It has good examples and plenty of problems and their answers.

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Dosage calculations isn't as hard as you think. You don't have to be a math wiz to do well in that class. But you should get a head start on reviewing it now. Most of the problems will have a formula to it so as long as you can read a doctors order and know what you have on hand, you should do fine. Know your conversion factors and get familiar with dimensional analysis. A basic book I bought to refresh was Dosage Calculations Demystified. It starts out with the basics like how to read a medication order etc. It teaches you the formula and ratio proportion method on how to solve problems then goes on to IV calculations, pediatric doses, heparin and dopamine calcs, along with enteral feedings andBSA. All of which you will learn in the nursing program. This book was extremely helpful. It's a very easy read also.

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