Math is a vital part of nursing and is used in a variety of ways throughout the average day. A clear understanding basic math skills and the metric system is essential to keeping patients alive and healthy.
Medication
Nurses use math skills to calculate proper doses of medication, especially if the criteria for determining the dose depends on the patient's weight, blood pressure, glucose level or another factor.
Vital Signs
Blood pressure, temperature, pulse and respiration rate are measured and compared against the normal readings. Nurses might need to add or subtract to determine if the numbers are within normal range for the patient.
Urine Output
In conditions that require fluid output monitoring, the patient's urine is added throughout the day in milliliters and compared against a standard chart to determine the level of kidney functioning.
Weight
Nurses often need to weigh patients and add or subtract previous weights to see if there is a change. Changes in weight can signal other problems, including swelling, gastrointestinal disorders and malnutrition.
Considerations
If you need math help, many nursing programs offer tutoring, and there are math books available geared specifically toward nursing.
Tags: compared against, math skills
