Dosage Calculation Practice Workbook

66 worked nursing math problems written by a practicing RN-BSN. Master the calculations that show up on the HESI, ATI, and the floor, with the full work shown for every answer.

66 Problems
7 Sections
Full Answer Key
RN-BSN Written
Section 5

Pediatric Safe-Dose Range

Calculate the safe range, then compare to the order. Outside the range? Hold and call.
Problem 5.1 A 22 lb child is ordered amoxicillin 500 mg PO every 8 hours. The safe range is 25–50 mg/kg/day in divided doses.
Is this order safe to administer? If not, what is the nurse’s next step?
Safe range/day = weight (kg) × mg/kg/day range
Ordered/day = single dose × doses per day
Try it before you flip to the answer key →
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Answer Key

5.1 — Worked Solution

Step 1 — Convert weight to kg 22 lb ÷ 2.2 = 10 kg
Step 2 — Calculate the safe range per day Low:  10 kg × 25 mg/kg = 250 mg/day
High: 10 kg × 50 mg/kg = 500 mg/day
Step 3 — Calculate what is ordered per day 500 mg × 3 doses/day = 1,500 mg/day
Step 4 — Compare Safe max: 500 mg/day  →  Ordered: 1,500 mg/day  →  3× the safe limit
⚠ HOLD — do not administer. The order is 3 times the safe maximum. Hold, notify the provider, and document the call. The prescriber likely intended 500 mg/day total, not 500 mg per dose.
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This is one of 66 fully worked problems. Every answer shows the dimensional analysis step-by-step — including the clinical decision when the math says “hold and call.”

What's Inside

Section 1
Oral Medications
10 problems · tablets, capsules, liquids
Section 2
Weight-Based Dosing
10 problems · kg conversion, mg/kg
Section 3
IV Flow Rates (mL/hr)
10 problems · pump rates
Section 4
Manual Drip Rates
10 problems · gtt/min, drop factors
Section 5
Pediatric Safe-Dose Range
8 problems · catch unsafe orders
Section 6
Critical Care Drips
8 problems · mcg/kg/min, units/hr
Section 7
Mixed Challenge Problems
10 problems · report-style scenarios with intentional traps

What You Get

  • The 7 formulas you actually need on one reference page so you stop hunting through chapters
  • Common conversions table (lb to kg, mg to mcg, drop factors) for quick lookup
  • 66 practice problems arranged by difficulty, easy to hard
  • Full worked answer key showing every calculation step so you can see where the math went sideways
  • Pediatric "hold and call the provider" practice — learn to recognize unsafe orders, not just plug numbers
  • Critical care drip walkthroughs for the ICU-bound student or new grad on a step-down floor
  • Hard-earned tips from the floor at the end of the workbook
  • Print-ready US Letter PDF, instant secure download after purchase

Version: v1 · Format: PDF (US Letter) · ~32 pages · Instant secure download

✍️ Written by a practicing RN-BSN using current nursing references (Mayo Clinic, Lexicomp, Lewis, ISMP)

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Why this workbook is different

Most nursing math books teach calculations in a vacuum. This one teaches you the real-world skill behind the math: knowing when the order itself is wrong, when to call pharmacy, and when not to force the math to fit an available concentration. That's the part the NCLEX, your charge nurse, and your patients actually need from you.