Ways Math is Used in Nursing

Math isn’t a topic that would go along with nursing. Nonetheless, nurses utilize math abilities every single day they are on the job. Whenever a nurse supervises treatment, computes an individual’s height or weight, she must make use of mathematics. Math is essential in nursing and may dictate the efficiency of the treatment the nurses administer.

Medicine Estimate
Nurses who are employed in hospitals need to ensure that the appropriate doses of medicine are given to their patients. The physician’s order will generally require a dosage of medicine that the hospital’s pharmacy doesn’t bring. For instance, a physician may order 150 mg of a treatment that is made only in 100 mg capsules or 300 mg scored capsules. In the event the hospital’s pharmacy only provides 100 mg capsules of the prescription drugs, the nurse must determine the number of tablets should be given to the patient. A wrong computation may endanger the life of the patient.

Patient Weight and height
Nurses must determine patients’ height as well as weight. The measuring procedure is usually basic and requires only basic math skills, some healthcare amenities demand nurses to convert the weight in kilos to pounds and also the height in inches to centimeters to the patient’s chart.

Inventory
Regardless of the hospital the nurse decides to be employed, he or she must handle inventory of some sort. Hospital floor nurses who are accountable for major patient care also handle the inventory of their patients’ medicines. Operating room nurse practitioners are accountable for inventory of working room supplies, and wound treatment nurses are accountable for stock of wound care items. The math necessary in these situations is comparable to that of fundamental accounting.