Hello everyone! Drug calculation is a part of nursing school, and for this post I wanted to share how I studied for them during the semesters. It is a very simple technique, but I wanted to share anyway. Each semester (as far as my program goes), we must take and pass a drug calculation exam with 100% or be withheld from the semester.
Collect Information
- Assess, assess! Make sure to figure out what types of problems will be on your exam so you aren’t caught unawares. Is there mcg/kg/min, heparin protocol?
- Know your error of margin as well. How many questions can you miss? Usually you can’t meet any, but always konw what you are expecting.
- Know your rounding rules!
- Know you conversions. How many teaspoons in a tablespoon? How many mililliters in a tablespoon? How many killigrams per pound? This is where yoy may get tripped up, so remember these conversions.
Practice. Practice.
- The key to these exams is practice. If your school provides you with practice problems, do a few a day.
- Another thing I like to do is find old drug caclulation practice sheets and redo those problems, because each semester they seem to give us less and less practice problems.
- If you can find nursing judgement practice questions, do those as well, if they are included on your drug claculation exam (this varies per program).
- Don’t go overkill! If you feel like you’ve done enough, you probably have. Don’t overload your mind, just rest.
Testing.
- Testing days are always the worst for me because I am a self-doubter, but since starting college, I have noticed I remain very calm during math exams.
- Breath!
- Take your time. Do not rush when reading problems. This will get you in trouble. Is the dose to be divided 2 times? This will alter your final answer. Pay attention!
- Re-read the problem but do not read INTO the problem. Give them what they ask for (rounding, decimals, etc.)
Those are the tips I have for you all! I hope these help!
Thanks for reading!
Anna
NURSE ANNA 