Nurse at work
The types of math used in nursing assume mastery of the fundamentals of arithmetic: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Nurses employ math to safely administer medicine and intravenous solutions and to correctly read patient monitoring devices.
Types
Nurses are expected to thoroughly understand math related to units of measurement, conversions, and administration of medical dosages. Moreover, nurses should be competent in the use of fractions, decimals, roman numerals, and abbreviations.
Applications
Nurses are expected to know convert between, within and among the major systems of measurement (metric, household, apothecary) in the fewest possible steps.
Examples
A nurse should readily know abbreviations and conversions for the purpose of delivering medicine to a patient.
For example, "ml" stands for "milliliters" and "5 ml" equals 1 teaspoon (t), therefore "15 ml" or "15 milliliters" equals 3 teaspoons or 1 tablespoon (T).
Proper calculation of the drip rate (where "gtt" stands for drop) is essential in the application of intravenous solutions:
Drip rate (gtt/min) = Total number (#) of milliliters (ml) divided by the total number (#) of minutes times the "drip factor."
Significance
A July 2006 Institute of Medicine report entitled "Preventing Medication Errors" indicates that "...medication errors are surprisingly common and costly to the nation,..." but nonetheless "preventable."
Conclusion
Math is an integral element of the nursing profession. It is impossible to succeed as a nurse without a strong grasp of math principles and their practical application. Math accuracy is also essential in the reduction and elimination of medication errors.
Tags: intravenous solutions, medication errors, milliliters equals, Nurses expected
