Numeracy and Clinical Calculations for Nurses, second edition

Numeracy and Clinical Calculations for Nurses is a user-friendly introduction for student nurses that guides you from the basics to the core calculations required in a healthcare setting. To qualify as a registered nurse you will need to demonstrate proficiency and accuracy when calculating dosages of prescribed medicines. The second edition of Numeracy and Clinical Calculations for Nurses features even more worked examples and practice tests, all designed to increase your confidence and competence in calculating drug dosages and performing other important clinical calculations – a critical issue in improving patient safety. Key benefits: Diagnostic test to assess your existing skills and knowledge. Back to basics chapter uses a step-by-step approach to ensure understanding – tested by nursing lecturers and their students. Self-assessment tests throughout each chapter enable you to monitor your progress. Extensive worked examples use authentic scenarios to set learning in context. Summary tests provide practice for numeracy exams. Covers drug dosages and other clinical calculations such as pressure ulcer risk assessment tools, National Early Warning Score, hydration and fluid balance, Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool, BMI and ideal body weight. Answers provided for all tests. The book also features: Error alerts pointing out common errors and why they are sometimes made. Sense checks to help you avoid fundamental errors. Tips to help with calculations and relate them to clinical practice. Appendices covering safe administration of medicine, routes of administration, medication administration records, drug glossary, a handy multiplication grid and simple conversion tables. Numeracy and Clinical Calculations for Nurses is required reading: Before the numeracy test at your student nurse interview. During your university course as you prepare for further numeracy exams. In practice as you get to grips with drug doses, BMI, drip rates, fluid balance, etc.

Table of Contents:
About the author; Preface to the second edition; Acknowledgements; How to use this book 1. Numeracy and calculation skills in the clinical environment      1.1 Why you need to know about numbers and calculations      1.2 Common calculation errors      1.3 Developing your calculation and numeracy skills Self-assessment test 1.1 2. Back to basics      2.1 Introduction      2.2 The decimal system      2.3 Addition      2.4 Subtraction      2.5 Multiplication      2.6 Division      2.7 Factors      2.8 Fractions      2.9 Percentages      2.10 Ratios      2.11 Expressing large numbers Self-assessment tests 2.1-2.9 3. The SI system      3.1 Introduction      3.2 Volume      3.3 Weight      3.4 Pressure Self-assessment tests 3.1-3.4 4. Calculating drug doses      4.1 Reducing the risk of administration error      4.2 Calculating for oral administration      4.3 Calculating for administration by injection      4.4 Calculating intravenous flows      4.5 Drug calculations based on per kilogram of body weight Self-assessment tests 4.1-4.7 5. Other clinical calculations      5.1 Introduction      5.2 The 24-hour clock      5.3 Organisation of care      5.4 Hydration      5.5 Nutritional status      5.6 Weight Self-assessment tests 5.1-5.5 6. Further self-assessment tests      Tests 6.1-6.3: working in SI units      Tests 6.4-6.6: calculating drug doses      Tests 6.7-6.10: conversions, calculations, measurement, medication administration Appendix 1: Administering medicines safely Appendix 2: Routes of administration Appendix 3: Medication administration records Appendix 4: Drug glossary Appendix 5: Multiplication grid Appendix 6: Conversion tables Answers to self-assessment tests; References

About the Author :
Neil Davison worked in trauma and orthopaedics after the completion of his state registration and orthopaedic nursing qualifications in the 1970s and early 1980s. He lectured at Bangor University for two decades and has extensive experience of teaching drug calculations and numeracy to both pre- and post-registration students. He was made a Teaching Fellow at the university in 1999 and retired in 2012. Since then, Neil has continued to teach on healthcare courses in the further education sector and in the hospitals of North Wales.

Review :
Very good ‘I love this textbook so much. Very self-explanatory and easy to understand. For someone that hates maths like myself this book will make you fall in love with maths. Value for money.’ Amazon reviewer ‘Numeracy is a compulsory element of our undergraduate programme and gives many students cause for concern! Any text that simplifies the process and gives students tips and straightforward advice on applied maths is useful. The self-assessment boxes are great and the fact that all the maths is contextualised throughout to healthcare settings is invaluable and what makes this book highly relevant to nurses.’ Senior Lecturer, Manchester Metropolitan University ‘I liked the fact that the flow of the textbook included getting students to revisit basic arithmetic skills and the use of the numerous self assessment exercises was also very positive. Clearly written and user friendly.’ Lecturer, University of the West of Scotland ‘I liked the structure of the book in that it started from the presumption that the student nurses do not have an elementary knowledge of maths/calculations/ statistics. Having developed this knowledge, it then progresses on to calculations relating to nursing issues – drugs and scores. I would recommend this book for any students.’ Lecturer, Salford University ‘An excellent resource. The book has excellent clinical examples and lots of practice pages. I particularly liked the clinical calculations section. Very relevant for today’s students. Numeracy is summatively assessed so this has been an invaluable book to teach from. Using the book helped the students gain confidence. Presentation good, user friendly.’ Senior Lecturer, University of Derby ‘I would recommend this text to personal students who require a good core text on calculations as it starts with the very basics and builds on this throughout the book. I particularly like the integration of assessment tools such as fluid balance and MUST, indicating to students that numeracy is more than drug calculations alone.’ Lecturer, Canterbury Christ Church University ‘This is an easy to understand text which students appear to find very helpful as a basic introduction to the topic area. Use of examples and text boxes to highlight practice is very helpful. The self assessment aspect is a strong element of this book. I recommend this book to students early on in the course to help them develop the skills they need on clinical calculations.’ Senior Lecturer, UCLan Amazing book! ‘Such a good book, I highly recommend it for student nurses. Everything is clearly explained and there is a self assessment at the end of each chapter with answers at the back of the book. I bought to refresh my maths knowledge before starting uni in September. Really enjoying the book so far.' Amazon reviewer Excellent for my NMP numeracy exam ‘I bought this book at the start of my Non-Medical Prescribing (NMP) course and it really helped me prepare for the numeracy exam. I would definitely recommend for nurses who may be out of practice with mathematics.' Amazon reviewer Easy to read. Easy to follow and understand ‘This product is amazing for nursing students it’s very visual and easy to understand. As a first year nursing student it is easier to read and learn from.' Amazon reviewer Really well designed book ‘In love with this book. Although I'm proficient with maths, it is a great book to begin to understand what is expected when going to university to study nursing!' Amazon reviewer Easy to follow helpful book ‘Really helpful book to help my confidence with numbers grow as a student nurse.' Amazon reviewer The Numeracy book is great and I particularly like all of the self-tests it includes and the little examples throughout about how numeracy is so important to nurses. I think it really helps to put the teaching into context. I'll recommend this book to all of my nursing students.