PRACTICE DOSAGE CALCULATION NURSING 240 – UPDATED SPRING
2025 WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
1.Keep these in mind (Helpful hints From Dr. David Radziercz)- See the workshop and Youtube link
provided at the end of this document.
- Read the question.
What is the question asking for?
Set up the question using the tools you already know.
- You may not need to use all of the information to solve. (Example: 60 tablets in a bottle. 1
tablet is 325 mg. How many tablets are needed if ordered to administer 650 mg BID? – 650
mg / 325 mg X 1 tablet = 2 tablets)
- Answers must be correctly labeled (ex. mg, tablets, and units) or they will be marked
incorrect.
- Utilize military time in answers requiring a time frame.
2. Know your basic conversions:
- 1g = 1,000 mg
- 1 mg = 1,000 mcg (ug)
- 1 L = 1,000 mL
- 1 kg = 2.2 lbs
- 1 teaspoon (t) = 5 mL
- 1 tablespoon (T) = 15 mL
- 1 oz = 30 mL
- 1 hr = 60 min
- 1 cup = 8 oz
- 1 pint = 2 cups
- 1 quart = 2 pints
3. Know your rounding rules:
- A good rule to follow is to have at least 2 digits in your answer
- Use the rules associated with zero’s in your answers:
- Use a leading zero for doses less than one (1mL) (ex. 0.5 mL)
- Use NO trailing zeros (ex. 0.5 mL NOT 0.50 mL
- Use rules associated with rounding for answers expressed in milliliters:
, - Volumes greater than one mL should be calculated to the hundredths place and rounded to
the nearest tenths (ex. 1.25 mL = 1.3 mL & 1.24 mL = 1.2 mL)
- Volumes less than 1 mL should be calculated to the thousandths place and rounded to the
nearest hundredths (ex. 0.969 mL = 0.97 mL & 0.963 mL = 0.96 mL)
- When calculating medications, note the dosage available to give and the mechanism in which
it is delivered (i.e. a 1 mL syringe medication can be administered to the thousandths place as
noted above and medications delivered in a 3 mL, 5 mL, and 10 mL syringe should be
calculated to the nearest hundredths place as noted above).
- Rounding should occur after all calculations have been completed, with the exception of
rounding your answer from the conversion of pounds to kilograms.
- Typically, a tablet is scored and a half tablet can be used.
- Drops are rounded to the nearest whole number, because you cannot administer a partial
drop.
Convert each of the given quantities to the equivalent unit.
1. 750 mcg mg
2. 0.15 g = mg
3. 4 tsp = mL
4. 2tbsp = ml
5. 152 lbs kg
6. 55 kg = lbs
7. 120 mL ounces
8. 2oz = ml
Answer the following questions:
9. For every 150 mL of urine output, replace with 40 mL of H2O via PEG tube q4h. If urine output
for the last 4 hours is 600 mL, the fluid replacement volume would be mL.
10. The patient is ordered Clonazepam 250 mcg p.o. You have Clonazepam 0.25 mg per tablet. How
many tablets will you give?
2025 WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS
1.Keep these in mind (Helpful hints From Dr. David Radziercz)- See the workshop and Youtube link
provided at the end of this document.
- Read the question.
What is the question asking for?
Set up the question using the tools you already know.
- You may not need to use all of the information to solve. (Example: 60 tablets in a bottle. 1
tablet is 325 mg. How many tablets are needed if ordered to administer 650 mg BID? – 650
mg / 325 mg X 1 tablet = 2 tablets)
- Answers must be correctly labeled (ex. mg, tablets, and units) or they will be marked
incorrect.
- Utilize military time in answers requiring a time frame.
2. Know your basic conversions:
- 1g = 1,000 mg
- 1 mg = 1,000 mcg (ug)
- 1 L = 1,000 mL
- 1 kg = 2.2 lbs
- 1 teaspoon (t) = 5 mL
- 1 tablespoon (T) = 15 mL
- 1 oz = 30 mL
- 1 hr = 60 min
- 1 cup = 8 oz
- 1 pint = 2 cups
- 1 quart = 2 pints
3. Know your rounding rules:
- A good rule to follow is to have at least 2 digits in your answer
- Use the rules associated with zero’s in your answers:
- Use a leading zero for doses less than one (1mL) (ex. 0.5 mL)
- Use NO trailing zeros (ex. 0.5 mL NOT 0.50 mL
- Use rules associated with rounding for answers expressed in milliliters:
, - Volumes greater than one mL should be calculated to the hundredths place and rounded to
the nearest tenths (ex. 1.25 mL = 1.3 mL & 1.24 mL = 1.2 mL)
- Volumes less than 1 mL should be calculated to the thousandths place and rounded to the
nearest hundredths (ex. 0.969 mL = 0.97 mL & 0.963 mL = 0.96 mL)
- When calculating medications, note the dosage available to give and the mechanism in which
it is delivered (i.e. a 1 mL syringe medication can be administered to the thousandths place as
noted above and medications delivered in a 3 mL, 5 mL, and 10 mL syringe should be
calculated to the nearest hundredths place as noted above).
- Rounding should occur after all calculations have been completed, with the exception of
rounding your answer from the conversion of pounds to kilograms.
- Typically, a tablet is scored and a half tablet can be used.
- Drops are rounded to the nearest whole number, because you cannot administer a partial
drop.
Convert each of the given quantities to the equivalent unit.
1. 750 mcg mg
2. 0.15 g = mg
3. 4 tsp = mL
4. 2tbsp = ml
5. 152 lbs kg
6. 55 kg = lbs
7. 120 mL ounces
8. 2oz = ml
Answer the following questions:
9. For every 150 mL of urine output, replace with 40 mL of H2O via PEG tube q4h. If urine output
for the last 4 hours is 600 mL, the fluid replacement volume would be mL.
10. The patient is ordered Clonazepam 250 mcg p.o. You have Clonazepam 0.25 mg per tablet. How
many tablets will you give?
