LET'S DO THIS!
KICK MATH
ANXIETY TO
THE CURB
with Nurse Mo
Hi! I'm Maureen (Nurse Mo)!
It’s nice to meet you!
MSN, RN, CCRN
Hi, I’m Nurse Mo and I love mentoring nursing students and new nurses! I remember what it
was like to be exactly where you are. I also remember what it was like to pour absolutely
everything I had into nursing school. To say I was stressed is a massive understatement.
Looking back, I wish I’d had a mentor to guide me along the way; a trusted friend I could turn
to for helpful advice and words of wisdom. That’s exactly why I created my website... I want
to be that person for you!
I am an experienced ICU and PACU registered nurse with an MSN in nursing education. I
started my website, Straight A Nursing, in 2014 and it has been a labor of love and a constant
source of inspiration. Since then I’ve added a book, two podcasts, and online courses to help
nursing students thrive. I am currently in the development stage of an app and am always
brainstorming ideas that can help nursing students learn more with a lot less stress and
uncertainty.
When I’m not at the hospital or working at my desk, I am usually hanging out with my
adorable husband, spoiling the cat I borrowed from my neighbors (seven years ago), enjoying
the beautiful area we live in, or spending time with treasured friends. I hope these practice
dosage calculations questions help you prepare for school. Best of luck to you!
Cheering for you always,
Nurse Mo Follow me on Instagram @straightanurse
Join the Thriving Nursing Students group on Facebook
Listen to my podcast "Straight A Nursing"
© Straight A Nursing | [Link] Pg. 2
WHAT IS
DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS?
Y O U R N E W B F F
Dimensional analysis is a method used to convert one unit to another. At its most
basic level, we can use dimensional analysis to convert 1 gram to 1 kilogram, kilograms
to pounds, and inches to centimeters. We can also use it to convert the medication
we need to give (the order) into the proper amount based on the formulation and
strength the medication comes in.
Common Conversions to Know:
LENGTH 1 cm = 10 mm
1 meter = 100 cm
1 inch = 2.54 cm
1 mcg = 1000 nanograms (ng)
WEIGHT 1 mg = 1000 mcg
1 gm = 1000 mg
1 kg = 1000 gm
1 kg = 2.2 pounds
1 pound = 453.6 gm (rounded to 454)
1 grain = 64.8 mg
1 ounce = 30 gm (common rounding)
VOLUME 1 liter = 1000 ml
1 teaspoon = 5 ml
1 tablespoon = 15 ml
1 ounces = 30 ml
1 dram = 0.125 oz
1 gallon = 3785 ml
2 tablespoon = 1 ounce
3 tsp = 1 tablespoon
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HOW TO DO
DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS?
J U S T G O S T E P - B Y - S T E P
When using dimensional analysis, follow these easy steps:
PRACTICE PROBLEM
Your patient has an order for 325 mg of an antibiotic.
The medication comes in a tablet containing 650 mg.
How many tablets will you give the patient?
Start with what you are given (the medication order). Place this number on
1 the top of a fraction. In simple conversions this will simply be the order
over the numeral one.
Looking at our example, we have an order for 325 mg of an antibiotic.
So, that’s where you start.
325 mg
1
Perform your conversions so that the units cancel out. To do this you need
2 to know what dosage amount the medication comes in. For the example
of our antibiotic, it comes in a tablet that contains 650 mg. So, we need to
convert 325 mg into 650 mg tablets. Since mg is on the top of the first
fraction, it must go on the bottom of the next one so the mg can cancel
out. Your equation now looks like this:
325 mg x 1 tablet
1 650 mg
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HOW TO DO
DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS?
J U S T G O S T E P - B Y - S T E P
It’s important to know when your conversions are complete. In this simple
3 example, it’s pretty obvious...we are trying to determine how many tablets
the patient needs. It definitely gets trickier with more advanced
calculations, but we’re going to walk before we run, my friend.
Cancel out your units until the only unit that is left is the one you are
solving for. In this case, we are looking for tablets.
325 mg x 1 tablet
1 650 mg
Next, you simply multiply across the top (325 x 1) and divide across the
4 bottom (÷ 1 ÷ 650) to arrive at your final answer.
325 mg x 1 tablet
= 0.5 tablets
1 650 mg
Ready to try some
practice problems
on your own?
Let's go!
© Straight A Nursing | [Link] Pg. 5
PRACTICE PROBLEMS
Y O U ' V E G O T T H I S !
1) Melissa is taking bupropion (Wellbutrin), a common antidepressant, as a
treatment for smoking cessation. Her prescription directs her to take 150 mg
once a day for three days, then 150 mg twice a day for 12 weeks. Each tablet
contains 100 mg. How many tablets will she take daily when she’s in week 4
of her treatment?
2) Calvin is receiving digoxin to help increase the force of myocardial
contraction. He has been prescribed 225 micrograms digoxin IV q 12 hours.
Your digoxin comes in a 2 ml vial containing 0.5 mg medication.
How many ml will you administer?
3) Ms. Camposagrado is receiving an antibiotic that is infused over 30
minutes. The MD has ordered 2 grams of the medication to be mixed with
50 ml normal saline. At what rate will you program the infusion pump,
rounded to one decimal place?
4) 5 minutes into the infusion, Ms. Camposagrado develops a severe
reaction. How many mg of the medication has she received? Round to
the nearest whole number.
5) Jeremy has received a new prescription for a medication to treat an
infection. The nurse practitioner has ordered for him to take 225 mg PO
every six hours ATC. The medication comes in a tablet of 150 mg. Assuming
the first dose is at 2100, what time will the patient's next dose be, and how
many tablets will he take? (use 24-hour clock).
6) Shawna’s medication is available in a concentration of 600 mg in 20 ml. The
order states the patient is to receive a loading dose of 500 mg followed by
a maintenance dose of 200 mg 6 hours later. How many ml will you
administer with your maintenance dose? Round to two decimal places.
© Straight A Nursing | [Link] Pg. 6
PRACTICE PROBLEMS
Y O U ' V E G O T T H I S !
7) Sitting through your History of Nursing lecture causes you actual physical pain
thanks to the droning voice of the professor and the early hour of the class. In
order to stay awake for this very important topic, you plan to consume a
whopping 2 grams of caffeine. If a venti Blonde Roast from your favorite coffee
shop contains 475 mg caffeine in a 20 oz container, how many ounces will you
consume (round to the nearest tenth) and how many venti coffees will you have
to order to achieve this goal (round up to the nearest whole number)?
8) Elissa is to receive ampicillin IM now for a dog bite. The instructions on the vial
state that it should be reconstituted with 1.8 ml normal saline to arrive at a
concentration of 500 mg/2 ml. Elissa is to receive a dose of 300 mg. How many
ml will you administer into her vastus lateralis?
9) Riley weighs 830 grams and is to receive metoclopramide via NGT at a dose of 0.15
mg/kg. The medication comes in a 5 ml bottle containing 5 mg of medication. How
many ml will the neonate receive? Round to two decimal places.
10) Tom is receiving pain medication via PCA (patient-controlled analgesia). The 250
ml bag contains fentanyl with bupivacaine PF 0.1 % in NaCl 0.9% at a
concentration of 2 mcg fentanyl per ml. The patient is receiving a basal dose of 8
ml/hr of this medication. He can press the PCA button to give himself 5 ml every
15 minutes as needed for pain.
Upon entering his room to receive report at the start of your shift, the patient is
unarousable. You review the history on the PCA pump and see that he has
received his basal dose as ordered, as well as 7 bolus doses in the past two
hours. How many mcg of fentanyl has Tom received in the past two hours?
© Straight A Nursing | [Link] Pg. 7
How'd you do?
Way to go! You've learned the basic foundation of dosage
calculations and given some questions a try. You rock!
Check your answers by clicking the link below or by visiting
[Link]
ACCESS ANSWERS
© Straight A Nursing | [Link] Pg. 8
