Calculate with Confidence 3/e has been a successful text in the dosage and solutions market-place over the last two editions. The new 3 rd edition will include ratio and proportion, formula, and now dimensional analysis, the most common methods used in clinical practice. It will also include a four-colour design throughout and a full-colour presentation of over 200 drug labels, syringes, and other illustrations to simulate clinical reality. Key features throughout the text include chapter objectives, chapter practice problems and reviews, points to remember boxes, critical thinking to avoid drug calculation errors boxes, a user-friendly answer key, an extensive math review (pre and post-tests) and perforated 3-hole punched pages.
I’ve never done as much dimensional analysis as I did in nursing school. There is a surprising amount of math involved, and if you’re giving insulin you’ll likely need to make calculations. This book is great for starting from the beginning and giving you clear step by step instructions on how to calculate dosages. There are many practice problems that helped immensely. Use this. I’m sure you’ll have calculation quizzes in one of your intro nursing classes.
Apparently, I do dimensional analysis without thinking. Yay me. This book makes you practice your skills with dimensional analysis. A lot. It also presents different ways you may have learned to come to the proper answers dimensional analysis gives you, but I didn't learn to do the algebra in those ways, so I ignored them. There's a few chapters about drugs that need particular care (insulin and heparin) which are worth a deeper read and a couple about conversion factors between measurement systems which are also worthwhile. Mostly I didn't bother even cracking the spine, except to verify I knew how to do the practice problems.
I was good at math before reading this, but ever since my prof forced us to do this baloney, my brain got confused as to just how on earth am i supposed to do this stuff? If you need practice problems calculating the math, i guess it might work for you, but this book made me like 5x dumber, so, after a while i gave up and just copied the answers out of the back of the book and just did the math my way on the test and got all of the med calc questions right.
Breaks conversions and dosage calculations down to the most simple steps. I liked that they show all different methods of calculation so the student can choose his/her personal favorite. The CD that comes with it has plenty of practice questions to prep you for exams.