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Nursing Students

Dramatically improve your speed, confidence, and accuracy when performing nursing-related drug calculations by using one technique; dimensional analysis.

 

The textbook, Dimensional Analysis in Nursing 2nd Edition, will give you the skills needed to solve a wide range of problems. Provided below are several sample modules (chapters) from the book.

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Each of the 35 modules provides:

1) Introduction/overview

2) Instructional Information
3) Several example problems showing step-by-step procedure
4) Practice Problems
5) Answer Key

 

This textbook is offered at a student-budget-friendly price of $5.00 USD for the eBook and $22.50 USD for a physical copy (paperback), from publisher Lulu.com. All proceeds will go towards a nursing scholarship at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College. 

Dimensional Analysis In Nursing Textbook

eBook $5.00

NEW Paperback $22.50

Learning Modules

First year nursing topics

1.0

Introduction to Dimensional Analysis

Learn about the fundamentals of this powerful problem-solving technique.

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1.1

Making General Measurement Conversions (Entry Level)

Convert basic measurements from one unit of measure to another.

1.2

Making General Measurement Conversions (Advanced)

Solve measurement conversion problems requiring more than one equivalency.

1.3

Making General Measurement Conversions (Rates)

Convert generally-encountered rates. The skills learned here will be applied to solving IV infusion problems. 

1.4

Metric Measurement Conversions

Critical skill! Learn how to convert metric units of measure using Dimensional Analysis.

Additional Practice for General Measurement Skills

30 questions covering skills from Modules 1.0 through 1.4.

1.5

Drug Calculations - Tablets and Capsules

Learn how to apply your dimensional analysis skills to entry-level drug calculation problems.

1.6

Drug Calculations - Tablets and Capsules (Intermediate)

Learn how to solve drug calculation problems requiring multiple measurement equivalencies.

1.7

Drug Calculations - Tablets and Capsules (Advanced)

Learn how to solve drug calculation problems requiring something other than tablets/dose. Examples: tablets/day, capsules/shift, etc.

1.8

Drug Calculations - Liquid Medicines

Learn how to solve drug calculation problems involving liquid medicines.

1.9

Drug Calculations - Liquid Medicines (Advanced)

Practice solving problems requiring more than one equivalency. Examples: using a metric conversion and/or a change in time (mL/day instead of mL/dose).

Additional Practice for Medicine Calculations - Tablets, Capsules, and Liquids

30 questions covering skills from Modules 1.5 through 1.9.

1.10

Drug Calculations - Flow Rate (Infusion Pumps)

Learn how to calculate infusion pump settings based on doctor's orders. 

1.11

Drug Calculations - Flow Rate (IV Drip Infusion)

Learn how to calculate IV drip infusion flow rates based on doctor's orders and tubing set size.

Additional Practice for Medicine Calculations - Flow Rates

30 questions covering skills from Modules 1.10 , 1.11, and 2.1.

1.12

Drug Calculations - Weight-Based Drug Calculations

Learn how to setup and solve drug calculation problems that involve patient weight. 

1.13

Using Medicine Label Information to Solve Problems

Learn how to use the information provided on medicine labels to solve drug calculation problems.

1.14

Quality Control Indicators, Spotting and Fixing Errors

The dimensional analysis technique features several built-in computational safeguards. Learning how knowing these can help you spot errors in your computational setups.

1.15

Drug Calculations – Managing/Editing Provided Information

Learn how to deal with problems that provide lots of information --- what numbers are important and which numbers can be ignored when performing drug calculations.

1.16

Drug Calculations – Drug Reconstitution

Learn about drugs that require preparation before administration to the patient. These are typically drugs in a powdered form that require the addition of water to make them ready for use.

1.17

Drug Calculations – Convert Concentration

Learn how to convert a given drug or lab-result concentration to different units of measure.

Second year nursing topics

2.1

Drug Calculations - Miscellaneous IV-Related Problems

* Determine volume of liquid infused over a certain time frame.

* Determine how long it will take for a given supply to be infused.

* Determine the amount of drug (mg) infused over a certain amount of time.

2.2

Drug Calculations - Diluting a Prescribed Drug to a Specified Concentration

Compute the correct amount of diluent required to reduce an available drug's concentration to a lower level.

2.3

Drug Calculations - Weight-Based Drug Calculations (Advanced)

Learn how to solve problems where the drug protocol time unit of measure is different from the required time.

2.4

Drug Calculations - Determine Drug Protocol

Learn how to compute drug protocols such as "mg/kg/dose".

2.5

Drug Calculations - Safe Dose Determination

*Determine maximum and/or minimum doses.

*Determine if a prescribed amount of drug is safe or not based on available guidelines.

2.6

Drug Calculations - Dilute Baby Formulas to a Specified Concentration

*Determine how to compute the correct amount of diluent needed to dilute baby formula to a specified concentration (expressed as a ratio or percent).

2.7

Drug Calculations - Working with Percent Concentration

Understand and solve problems like this, "A doctor orders Lidocaine 75 mg IV to be delivered immediately. You have 1% lidocaine available. How many milliliters should the patient receive?"

2.8

Medical Lab Tech - Change the Concentration of a Solution

Learn how dimensional analysis can handle problems that are typically associated with the C1V1 = C2V2 formula.

2.9

Determine Fluid Loss Based on Change in Patient Weight

Rapid weight loss can often be attributed to water loss. Learn how to use the amount of weight lost to compute the associated volume of water lost.

Resources

Table of Measurement Equivalencies

This document features many commonly used equivalencies useful in nursing.

Table of Medical Abbreviations

This document features typically-encountered abbreviations used in health care.

Dimensional Analysis Showcase

This document shows the wide range of problems (23 samples presented) that can be solved using dimensional analysis. Continuing nursing students find this document useful because it gives them a quick reminder on how to setup different types of problems.

More Nursing Math Stuff

Drug Calculation Worksheets & Videos

Drug Calculation Tips

Dimensional Analysis in Nursing
2nd Edition now available.

35 modules of information to improve your drug calculation skills.

Upgrade your speed, confidence, and accuracy!!

eBook Price is still only $5.00

NEW Paperback version $22.50

Dimensional Analysis In Nursing Textbook Cover Final Version.jpg
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