To convert from smaller to larger units, divide by or move the decimal point three places to the left. When working with time, you will need to be able to convert time into fractions and then decimals. This is needed in order to calculate IVT rates, for example. First of all, make sure you are familiar with how time is measured and the equivalencies between units of time:. There are lots of online and printed resources to help you develop your skills to calculate medication dosages:.
Drugs may be administered via several routes. Drugs that are administered orally are usually in tablet, capsule or liquid form. Drugs can also be administered by injection or intravenous infusion. You will need to be able to calculate dosages for oral and liquid medications. When using formulas, the most important step is to identify and understand what each part of the formula means. Before applying the formula to calculate medication dosages, review important concepts that will help you identify what information you need to look for, and how to use the formula.
Most drugs are available in a limited number of strengths or concentrations. To calculate medication dosages, you will use the stock required, stock strength and volume as part of the formula. It is important to understand what it is meant by strength and volume, as you will need to check this information about the drug to use it correctly in the formula. The strength is the amount of drug in units or g, mcg, while the volume is the amount of liquid in which the drug has been diluted.
This video is very helpful if you need more information on how to read the stock strength and stock volume of medication that is, the amount of drug and solution available , and how to calculate the volume of solution required. The formula to calculate the required dose includes the stock required prescribed by the doctor , the stock strength amount of drug available and volume amount of solution available. Strength 1.
To calculate oral doses, the formula can be simplified. The volume is not needed in this case because the drug comes in tablets. We first have to ensure that we are using the same units of measurement for stock strength and stock required.
In this case, the stock strength is presented in mcg, but the order is in mg. Therefore, you will need to convert the order dose from milligrams mg to micrograms mcg so that you have the same units:. If you need to review how to convert units of measurement, see section on units of measurement above.
Once stock strength and dose ordered are expressed in the same units of measurements, the formula can be applied:. Yes, in this example the stock available is expressed in mg, and the dose required is expressed in g.
The formula will now be applied to calculate volume doses, including the volume of stock solution. Stock Strength 1. Remember to include the unit of measurement in the result : mL, as you are using a liquid solution of the drug. Yes, in this example the dose required is expressed in mcg, and the stock strength is expressed in mg. Therefore, you will need to take into account the weight of the patient when calculating dosages. For each kilo of weight, the child should receive 15 mg of drug.
To calculate the drug suspension dose, you will use the formula to calculate drug dosages that uses the stock strength, stock required and volume strength. Metric is the measurement system used in medical settings. Nurses need to be able to convert from one system of measurement to another, such as from the metric system to the English system and vice versa.
All of nursing math consists of a few basic skills. Nurses must be able to add, subtract, multiply and divide decimals, fractions and whole numbers. Other important basic math skills for nurses include converting decimals to percentages, percents to decimals, doing fractions as well as knowing how to solve ratio and proportion problems.
Decimal placement is very important in drug dosage calculations. Wrong placement could result in an overdose 10 times the normal dosage. Certain drugs are titrated, meaning that the dose varies according to parameters set by the physician or protocol. In the intensive-care unit, a patient may need a varying amount of intravenous drug that is calculated by factoring in his urinary output per hour, for example. Insulin may be titrated depending on the patient's ever-changing blood-glucose reading.
Drug titration requires the nurse's full concentration on her mathematical skills and is often limited to nurses with special training or experience. Nurses are called upon to use math outside of medicine administration. They must calculate intake and output of their patients, which means adding up every cubic centimeter of fluid taken in by any route and the amount voided or otherwise released from the body.
Math might not be the first skill that comes to mind when you think about a nursing career. People interested in this career should familiarize themselves with those math concepts generally used in nursing such as fractions, ratios, proportions, solutions and equations.
Although nurses need many skills, math is a critical skill, used regularly for calculating medication dosage and programming IV drips. Medications and solutions can be measured using a variety of measurement systems -- metric and apothecary, to name a couple.
There is not one industry standard, so nurses use math to convert between these systems, using the shortest number of steps. Nurses memorize conversion tables and commonly used measurement abbreviations. They use the rules of Roman numerals, fractions, decimals, subtraction, addition, number rounding and conversion factors to solve ratios.
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