18 replies to this topic

[willit]

i am finishing up this qtr next week. i have acquired a low "b" in this class. really afraid to go on. is their a book out their for drug cal for dummies? the concept of some of these problems has blown my mind. just can't get some of it. it hasn't helped that my instructer went out on leave after the first 3 weeks of class. i was making "a's" at that point, but with the sub...just couldn't hang after we started figuring drops. sub was sweet, just hasn't been a good instructor for me. if there is anyone out there that can steer me into the right direction, i would be forever grateful! i really do need this book, if it exists. i have checked around for books online, just need to know which one is the best.

please email me @: toninstephen@cstel.net


thanks to anyone that can help a sista out

toni

[aussie-margaret]

I have no idea how the American system works, so hopefully don't misunderstand here

but

what is wrong with a "b" ?

As long as you pass the subject, isn't that all that matters. You will probably never need most of what you are being taught anyway. I have never been asked for my results from when I trained, if you are worried about what is on paper.

My hospital was very very strict and a snobby place. Fail and exam and you sit a post. Fail the post and you are out. But not a problem as those that got kicked out went to another hospital nearby and finished there. Other places were not so strict - you do it again and again till you pass. I got a couple of "A"'s, a few "B"'s and "C"'s for the rest for my results as a student nurse and like I said, have never been asked for them.

As you move along and get experience, you will find what is useful and what is not, and what is useful you do all day everyday usually.
What you need to know on the ward you will learn as you go.

I will email you if you like and give you the formulas that we have to use. The hospital provides them anyway on a tag that you hang with the id card on your uniform. I can scan the card and email it to you

Like I said I don't know how things are ordered in the US, but here with drip rates would be ordered

N/Saline 1000 mls / 10 hours for example, so you just dial up 100 mls on the pump for the hourly rate, and dial up 1000 mls for the total volume to be delivered. And away it goes.

Drugs - rarely calculate anything as it is mostly standard ordering of what the pharmacy supplies.

THe hospital that I trained at, the pharmacy used to supply all the drugs for the patient on admission, so they were all supplied,and in the drug trolley.

Like I said, don't know how the system works where you are at all, but keep at it. I wanted to leave in second year and my Mum and Dad sat me down and said "finish as you will always be able to have a job and support yourself, and even if you don't work as a nurse, you can always fall back on it, and never rely on anyone to support you"

The work is plentiful here and I have recently started at a local hospital on a medical/ surgical ward and in accident and emergency. I also do agency and could work everyday if i wanted.

I have read over other people's posts and wonder what working in the US would be like. I work at a small hospital. The bigger hospital which takes anything major or trauma is over an hour away. Anything major that comes into A&E gets flown out or transferred out by road. Only smaller operations are done. It is friendly. THe doctor's are friendly and we all work together. I only work night duty but this is the case on nights. If I have concerns I ring the superviser who steps in and manages things or lends a hand. This is what I was told to do on orientation - any problems ring the superviser - that is what they are there for and what they are paid for. There is only one Dr overnight, and if I have rung asking for a pt to be reviewed then he comes to the ward, and no abuse of any sort is tolerated.

Hope this helps

[willit]

there isn't anything wrong with a 'b', for now. i have tests every quarter from now on that require a 'b' to keep going and then the last quarter i have to make an 'a'. so i am extremly worried i will not make it. you only get 2 chances, and after that....your out! i realize i will not have to use this to often in the medical setting, but during school...i have to get it.
if i have the problem in dose and available, i am fine. but the instructors put all this other crap in the problem that will confuse you and it just begins to look like lots of numbers that doesn't make sense to me. making it very hard to know what to pull out to figure the problem. wish i had an example right now. maybe i could find one later for you all to see what i am speaking of.

these are our formulas to give you an idea of some we use:

D
_____ X S = A

H


ml/hr X gtt/min
______________
min

ml X gtt/min
______________
min

what confuses me mostly is i get confused on which to use...30 minutes or 60 minutes. it is hard for me to figure out which one to use. what information is in the problem for me to know which to use? i have missed something...i think. some key words or something. i have no problem with tabs or figuring up ml for meds...it it just these dang IV's and IVPB that are making me crazy.

do these formulas look familiar to you?

if so...please send me some info or guide me into the right direction for the info.

thank you so much
toni

[aussie-margaret]

I will post what we use soon -

IVBP ????
gtt ?????

not sure what this is - not an abbreviation I am familiar with - can you post an example ?

I find it helps to list what you need separately and then fill in what you need - helps sort out what you need and what is chucked in to confuse.

ALso remember to have the same units - ie 'mls' not 'mls' and 'litres' in the same problem -this is a common distractor

[willit]

IVBP ????
gtt ?????

IVPB is IV piggy back

gtt is drops

what do you use?

toni

[NawlinsGirl]

Hi Willit,

I READ YOUR POST. HERE IS A LINK THAT MAY BE VERY HELPFUL TO YOU

http://classes.kumc.edu/son/nurs420/clinic...%20calculations

PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THIS IS NOT ENOUGH MATERIAL FOR YOU...




NAWLINSGIRL

[jan/spn]

NawlinsGirl. . . Thanks for that drug cal. review link - Saved to my favorites for when the time comes!

[ladybugj]

i'm not sure if this is what you are looking for, but i will try to explain it as best i can. the formula i use is ratio, so if you want to run an ivpb of 50cc over a half hour i would set it up like

50cc = "X"cc
--------- -------- cross multiply
30min 60min


30 x X = 30X = 50 x 60 = 3000 so


30X = 3000 divide each side by 30 (as to have "X" by itself)

X = 100 this is your cc/hr to plug into the pump


it is also set up like a ratio and proportion if written differently if it helps you to say the equation while doing it, like

50cc:30min :: Xcc:60min

you know, like the SAT questions- 50cc is to 30min as Xcc is to 60min. to solve this you multiply inside numbers (30min x Xcc) put an "=" then multiply outside numbers (50cc x 60min) and continue to divide as above, just another way of looking at the equation.

always use 60min as the comparison time since the pumps are set up to deliver any number of cc's in 1 hr's time.

i hope i didn't confuse you further, i have a hard time putting something like this into words.

once you begin working as a nurse you'll be able to ask others to help you and check your settings, you will never be alone. until then, good luck and keep at it!!!

jenn

[ladybugj]

oops, my first equation got messed up in the process it should look like this


50cc "X"cc

---------- = ---------------

30min 60min

i think the rest is ok

[ladybugj]

aaaahhhhh, it did it again, now you're really going to be confused by me.

should be (if it doesn't work this time then i give up, ha ha)

50cc
------
30min

equals

"X"cc
-------
60min

[aussie-margaret]

this is what we use in OZ

Solid drugs :
amount of stock to be given= strength required
______________
strength in stock


Liquid drugs:
amount to be given = strenth required
_______________X volume containing stock strength
strength in stock




drip flow rate:

drip rate (drops per minute) = volume (mls) x no of drops per ml ( this depends on the giving set)
____________________________
time (minutes)



oooh - that did not come out well at all - will try again shortly

looked okay when I typed it, but not okay as a post

[Evana]

Hej
I was just reading your letter and I have a book for you to try, if you want. it is "Medical Dosage Calculations", Author Olsen, Giangrasso and Shrimpton. I have 8th ed, but I nought it two years ago. I used it a lot in nursing book, and I loved it. It provides you with some theory, explanations with examples and exercises, also with pocket size formulas. Good luck

[NawlinsGirl]

I FOUND ANOTHER SITE THAT MAY BE HELPFUL TO YOU... HERE IS THE LINK

http://www.nurseweek.com/calculators/

[mattsmom]

Some are good at algabraeic equations and some aren't. What works is trying to understand what is really going on and what you are trying to accomplish and find a way that your brain understands. I am a bit ADD and math phobic but with practice you will learn how to do these. Sounds like you may have a bit of a mental block going...I did too!.

Sit down with a book (or with a website) and work the problems over and over til it sinks in. Practice makes perfect in this case. You will learn it...do your school problems over and over til you know it, and get through it now for your grade, but in time you will perfect what you need on the job.

I work in ICU and utilize tables for drip calculations (mcg/kg/min). Some love to pull their calculators and figure it out on the spot, I trust my little black book with drip rates already calculated for me...LOL!! Whatever works for each nurse I figure, and it is just a small part of our world, as others have wisely pointed out!!