Introduction:
- The impact of medication/dosage calculation
Position: Nursing faculty improves student performance with medication/dosage calculation
Body: Relevant information
- importance of medication and dosage calculation
- types of calculations
- A clear connection between nursing faculty and medication/ dosage calculation
Conclusion
- Summary
- Recommendation based on the reviewed literature.
References
The sources used included at the end of this paper
Introduction
Dosage calculation is the computation of the amount of medication to be administered in a required dose, strength and unit volume. Calculations are significant sources of medication errors (Cowan, 2009). The patient safety depends on the practitioner ability to calculate dosage accurately and in a timely manner. The problem is attributed to lack of basic mathematics skills when nurses administer drugs to patients (Cowan, 2009). The faculty of nursing includes both undergraduate and graduate programs in nursing. The faculty of nursing must be committed to safe medication and reduction of errors among its nursing students. A strong medication administration policy with appropriate faculty supervision is necessary.
Position/hypothesis
Nursing faculty improves the student performance with medication/dosage calculation. The patient safety depends on the ability of the practitioner dosage calculations. The faculty must be committed to safe medication and reduction of errors among its students. In addition, accurate dosage calculation is an important skill for the nurses to administer effective care to the patient. Therefore, the nursing faculty content and practice in a mathematical dose-calculation laboratory can reinforce the skill.
Relevant information
Nursing competence in drug calculations has been the cause of concern. Mathematics proficiency is a requirement to the performance of the nursing functions (Cowan, 2009). The parenteral opiates are relied on to manage acute pain in patients who need effective analgesia. In some cases, various problems can arise from the incorrect administration of medications. First, overdose of intravenous opiate can rapidly lead to respiratory depression. Secondly, the epidural route is common for confusion of opiate and local anesthetics. If drugs have been calculated incorrectly, the consequences for the patients can be serious. The local anesthetic used in the epidural infusions can cause extensive blockage of the motor (Pickar, 2013). This can contribute to immobility and the pressure ulcers.
Drug calculations are vitally important to get right and yet so easy to get wrong. Types of dosage calculations include type A, B, C, D, and E. Type A calculation is necessary when the dose is not a whole ampoule. For instance, you have an ampoule of 500 milligrams in 4 milliliters. And the prescription states 200 milligrams.
The 200mg *4ml/500mg=1.6ml.
The errors are getting it upside down, and then divide what you have got by what you want.
Type B calculations are infusion rate calculations. For example, prescription states 30 mg/hour and a bag containing 250 milligrams in 50ml.
30*50/250=6ml. The calculations show that, to give 30mg per hour, the infusion pump rate would need to be set at 6ml per hour.
In the Type C calculations, infusion rate is required, but the dose is ‘mg per Kg’. A person who weighs 70kg, 0.5mg per kg is the same as 35mg. The infusion rate is worked out using Type B calculations.
0.5mg/kg/hr*70kg*50ml/250mg=7ml/hr
In the Type D calculations, the infusion rate is required, but the dose is in mg/kg/min. Given a prescription states 0.5 mg/kg/min, a syringe of 250mg in 50ml and a patient weighs 70 kg. Therefore, 0.5*70kg=35mg, the rate per minute is converted; 35*60 to 2100mg/hr. Also, in Type D calculations, the infusion rate is obtained by use of Type B calculation. 2100*50/250mg=420ml/hr
In Type E calculations, the infusion rate is required, but the dose is in mcg/kg/min. Given, prescription states 3 micrograms/kg/min, a syringe of 100mg in 50ml and a patient weighs 70 kg. The rate is calculated by: 3mcg/kg for a 70kg person is 210mcg. The next prescription rate is converted into the rate per hour; 210mcg/min=12 600mcg/hr. The 12 600mcg/hr is the same as 12.6mg/hr, and then the calculation is: 12.6*50/100=6.3ml/hr.
Accurate dosage calculation is an important skill for nurses to administer effective care to patients. Many nurses struggle with dosage calculation because of the poor mathematics skills (Pickar, 2013). The nursing faculty content and practice in a mathematical dose-calculation laboratory can reinforce the skills. The nursing faculties that incorporate cooperative learning help students with a mastery of medication calculation. The cooperative mode motivates the learning of medication calculation. Also, the cooperative mode expels mathematics anxiety among the nursing students. The nursing faculties that have engaged classroom social support has improved the medication calculation performance. Some faculties employ teaching methods that motivate their students to master dosage calculation (Bledsoe, 2012). All medications are expected to be administered in a timely manner and recorded accurately. The students should confirm seven rights as well, each time a medication is administered.
The faculty includes experts such educators and clinicians relevant to the institution‘s mission. The faculty members must be accountable to the promotion of excellence and providing leadership in their areas of expertise. Each faculty member should help the program achieve its goals.
The faculty curriculum must be flexible and reflects current health care trends. The curriculum should provide learning experiences that assume roles that are essential to quality nursing practice (Bledsoe, 2012). In addition, the curriculum must support the evidence-based practice especially in dosage calculation competence. Evaluation strategies must be innovative and varied to enhance nursing student’s competence. Students must prepare dosage for only one patient at a time for safety purpose. Students should perform three checks to ensure the correct medication is given to the right patient. This should be performed prior to entering the patient’s ward. All the medications must be documented immediately after the administration. In addition, the students in the nursing faculty must demonstrate the skills proficiency in all medication administration.
Conclusion
Dosage calculation is an important skill for nurses. Calculations are important sources of medication errors. A mathematics skill is a requirement for performance of nursing functions. Moreover, accurate medication calculation is necessary to administer effective care to patients. The faculty of nursing should be committed to safe medication. Similarly, they must ensure reduced medication errors among it student population. A strong medication administration policy with appropriate faculty supervision is also essential. Students should also be subjected to the medication/dosage examination. Therefore, it must be recommended prior to administration of medications in any clinical setting, the student must achieve 100% on the test.
References
Bachenheimer, B. S., & American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (2011). Manual for pharmacy technicians. Bethesda, MD: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.
Bledsoe, B. E., & Clayden, D. E. (2012). Pre hospital emergency pharmacology. Boston: Pearson.
Cowan, T. R. (2009). Medication dosage calculation: A mathematical intervention for nursing students.
Pickar, G. D., & Abernethy, A. P. (2013). Dosage calculations.
