Syllabus
Course Information CRN 51944 Section 006
Summer, 2008
Nancy Harrer, RN., M.S.
Office: H311B
410-455-4129
Nharrer@ccbcmd.edu
Office hours: by appointment
Course Description
NURN 006 - 0 Credits - Dosage for Advanced Placement Nursing reviews the mathematical skills necessary for the safe preparation of medications for adult and pediatric clients. Formulas for calculating drug dosages for oral, topical, and parenteral medications are presented in a clinical situation format. This is a mastery level course, where students will have multiple opportunities to achieve an established benchmark. Theory content is taught on-line. Students will test in a proctored environment, on-line.
Prerequisites
Pre-requisites: see college catalogue
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this course the student will be able to:
1. Compute basic math problems, including fractions and decimals.
2. Convert units of measurement within the metric system, and between the metric system and the household system.
3. Use approved abbreviations for frequently used metric and household units.
4. Interpret drug labels correctly.
5. Calculate amount of tablets, capsules, and liquid volume needed for administering orally prescribed drugs.
6. Calculate dosages of drugs supplied in units or milli-equivalents.
7. Calculate dosages of powder and/or liquid drugs for injection from vials and ampules.
8. Compute weight-based dosage.
9. Calculate hourly flow rate and drops/minute rate of IV fluids.
10. Calculate drug/dosage times using international time.
11. Select the correct formula and calculate dosage problems according to the rounding rules provided.
Major Topics
Fraction and decimal computations
Metric and household measurement systems
Interpretation of drug labels
Ratio/proportion calculations and D/H x Q formulas
Intravenous rate calculation
Weight based dosage
International time
Methods
Course content is delivered on-line. Testing is on the Catonville campus
Requirement, Points and Evaluation
NURN 006 is a mastery level course. Students will have three (3) opportunities to achieve a score of 95% or greater on the dosage exam. This means that there will be three (3) scheduled test days, and if the student begins testing on the first testing date, there will be three (3) opportunities to pass. However, if the student misses the first testing date, there will only be two (2) opportunities to test and pass, and so on. It is the student's responsibility to start testing at the first scheduled opportunity in order to take advantage of all three (3) opportunities.
Students will be permitted to take only one test per day.
A maximum of 60 minutes will be allowed for the completion of the NURN 006 dosage tests. Student may only use school issued calculators.
Satisfactory completion of the course requires that the student pass the 20-item dosage exam with a score of 95% or higher.
Grading: S = 95% or > on final exam
U = < 95% on final exam
If the student is unsuccessful on the 3 rd scheduled test the student will not be permitted to begin a nursing course. Students are only allowed to take NURN 006 once immediately prior to a semester.
Textbooks
Pickar, G. D. (2008). Dosage Calculations (8 th ed.). Albany , NY : Delmar Publishers.
3-2-1 Calc Comprehensive Dosage Calculations on-line (bundled with Pickar)
Supplies
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Attendance Policy
All students are required to be on campus for dosage testing
Important Dates
Hints for Success
Here are some tips you should follow which will help you to succeed in this course:
- Set aside a specific time each week to work on this course.
- Keep in touch with me and your classmates by frequently checking your course e-mail, bulletin board, and calendar. This will help build a sense of community among us. Using the various communications tools provided in this course effectively is the same as "raising your hand" and participating in class discussions.
- Be aware of the time lag that is inherent in most on-line courses. Although the communications tools make it appear that the transfer of information such as assignments is "instantaneous", it does not mean that the reply will be instantaneous. One of the hardest things about an on-line course is becoming comfortable with its asynchronous nature. In general, expect assignments to be returned within one week .
- Familiarize yourself with published deadlines.
- Ask for help when you need it.
- Remember that there are traditional ways for keeping in touch. Use the telephone, a fax, or make an appointment to meet with me on campus.
- Work off-line and save your assignments on your computer before submitting them electronically. You can use the saved version of your work to copy and paste to an on-line assignment or you can attach the saved file to an e-mail or bulletin board message. This will prevent a lot of frustration should your Internet connection or your system "fail".