How the calculators work
Every calculator uses the standard formulas taught in nursing programs: desired over have, dimensional analysis, the mL/hr and gtt/min formulas, mcg/kg/min conversions and the Mosteller formula for body surface area. The calculation keeps full precision and rounds only the final answer.
The same calculation engine produces the calculators, the worked examples and the practice problems, and it is checked by automated tests against hand-calculated answers each time the site is published.
Rounding rules used
- Tablets: whole, or half when the tablet is scored. Capsules are never split.
- mL: to the tenth at 1 mL or more, to the hundredth under 1 mL.
- Drops per minute: whole drops. Pump rates: tenths of a mL/hr.
- Weight: kg to the tenth (1 kg = 2.2 lb). BSA: hundredths.
Programs and facilities sometimes use other conventions. On an exam, always use the rules your program gives you. Practice answers are accepted within half of the last decimal place.
About the practice values
The drugs, strengths and doses in the problems are realistic examples chosen for practice. They are not dosing recommendations: real doses depend on the patient, the indication and the order. Always follow the prescriber's order, the label, your facility's policies and a current drug reference.
Medication safety content follows widely used sources such as The Joint Commission's Do Not Use list and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) guidance on error-prone abbreviations and high-alert medications.
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