Question

Give 4 examples of how registered nurses use math in their career.

Answer 1

Mathematics in registered nurse:

● Calculating doses of medications

* The drug calculation formulas are implemented in the nursing practice for the dosage estimation of the prescribed dose. The prescribed dose by the doctor will be administered to the patient only after the drug calculation made with the help of formulas like clarks formula.

* eg : The priscribed dose of a patricular drug is 10 mg / kg / day

The vial contains 100 mg / 5ml vial

The patient weight is 20 kg

The required dose is said to be calculated . Therfore after the calculation done we must conclude that the patient might be providing with the 10 ml of the above prescribed medicine.

● Converting between systems.

* it is necessary to know the conversion between systems

For example ; the weight is denoted in pound and for easy calculation we can conver it into kilogram

1 kg = 2.205 pound

Hours can be converted into minutes for easy Utilization in drug calculation.

● Calculation of IV fluid rate

* The IV fluid administration is to be calculated in rates such as ml per minute or as specific number of drops per minute.

*for example 1 pint normal saline is to be administerd in one hour.

* so we calculate as 1 pint = 500 ml

1 hr = 60 minutes

So rate per minute that has to be administered =(500 ÷60)

Rate = 8.3 ml per minute that is approximately considered as 8 ml or as 9 ml per minute.

● Drug Titration

* Certain drugs are to be titrated according to parameters set by the doctor, prescriber or protocol.

* eg : In the ICU facility , a patient might be needing a varying amount of intravenous drug and this has to be calculated by factoring in his urinary output per hour.

* Insulin may be titrated depending on the patient's alteration in the  blood-glucose level.

*Drug titration requires the nurse's mathematical skills .