This book is intended to help nursing students entering the first-semester block of their college programs develop the math skills necessary for making accurate medication dosage calculations. We created this resource because Nursing faculty notice that students often lack confidence in their math skills when entering a nursing program. However, students must demonstrate the necessary math skills on their Next Generation NCLEX^® exams in order to graduate. This book reviews skills from College Mathematics topics that build up to the technique of using dimensional analysis to perform calculations with different units of measurement, the primary method of medication calculations used in Nursing.

Mastering medication dosage calculations is crucial for nursing students, as it directly affects patient safety and care quality. Nurses must accurately administer medications tailored to individual needs, as errors can lead to underdosing, ineffective treatment, or overdosing, any of which could result in harmful side effects or even death. A solid understanding of dosage calculations builds confidence and competence, enabling future nurses to manage medication regimens effectively. In an increasingly complex healthcare environment, precise calculations enhance individual performance and uphold the integrity of the Nursing profession.

This Book has Video and Interactive Features

Some chapters contain one or more focused videos highlighting key concepts and important details. The interactive activities incorporated in this book are designed to aid your comprehension and help you to remember and apply what you’ve learned. We encourage you to complete the Try It and Practice activities, review any errors, and try again. Some activities work as flashcards, with a math problem presented on one side and a solution on the flip side. Work out your own answer to these problems first, and then flip the card to check your answer. You can use the activities multiple times to practice your math skills. We find that the more practice problems you complete, the more your calculation accuracy improves, and your confidence will grow as well.

How to Use This Book

For each chapter:

1. Read the chapter and watch any included videos.
2. Participate actively: There are walk-through examples for each math skill in the review. Have paper and pencil handy and actively write down and work through the examples. This will help you complete the Try It and Practice exercises and make it easier to apply these techniques when needed during your Nursing program journey.
3. Complete the Interactive Activities to the best of your ability. They help you to test your understanding, identify skills that need further practice to master, and apply the skills you are reviewing.
4. Complete the assessments in the associated Canvas course*. Go through the correct and incorrect answers to understand any mistakes. Reviewing is a valuable part of the learning process. You can return to the activities and assessments at any time to give yourself a memory boost about the topic.

Phoenix College Nursing Project Team

A small cross-functional team consisting of faculty, lab instructors, subject matter experts, and an instructional designer from Phoenix College collaborated to create a structured review for incoming Block 1 MaricopaNursing students using open educational resources. Within this group, a smaller team focused on math skills necessary for nursing created this topic review. In the spirit of open education, we have licensed our OER resources under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (except where otherwise noted):

• College Mathematics Review for Nursing Students (this OER textbook)
• College Mathematics Review for Nursing Students OER*Course Shell (in Canvas Commons)

Media Attribution

Book cover image created by Cheryl Colan using elements from Black nurse at their workspace by pikisuperstar, Punctuation marks vector symbols typography set by rawpixel.com, Math background, and Flat international nurses day illustration from Freepik, all licensed under the Freekpik license.