Numeracy, clinical calculations and basic statistics : a textbook for health care students

Includes bibliographical references and index.

This valuable textbook will help nurses and other health care students achieve confidence and proficiency in performing a variety of calculations, both in the clinical environment and in written tests. It discusses the increasing demands placed upon the numeracy skills of nurses and considers potential sources of calculation errors. The basics of the decimal system and the four methods of performing calculations are reviewed. Formulae for calculating drug dosages are explored and the use of numeracy in other areas of clinical practice is examined. The book contains a considerable number of 'self-tests' to provide students with feedback on their learning and answers to these activities are provided at the back of the book. All basic calculations will be presented in a health care context with real-world examples from a wide range of practice settings including nursing, midwifery, child health, etc. Numeracy, Clinical Calculations and Basic Statistics is designed specifically for undergraduate pre-registration nursing and midwifery students. It is also suitable for students on Foundation Degree courses, Access courses, Return to Practice programmes and NVQ courses.