Essential Mathematics for Nurses and Health Workers

Basic Mathematics for Nurses and Health Workers

Confident math skills can transform your daily work in healthcare.
From calculating drug dosages and IV drip rates to interpreting lab values and vital signs, this course gives you the practical mathematics you need to keep patients safe and make sound clinical decisions.

Basic Mathematics for Nurses and Health Workers is designed specifically for nursing students, practicing nurses, and allied health workers. No advanced math background is required. We start with the basics and guide you step by step using real clinical examples, clear explanations, and plenty of practice.

What you’ll learn

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Build a solid foundation in core math

  • Whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and percentages.
  • Converting between fractions, decimals, and percentages in a clinical context.
  • Rounding and significant figures for safe medication doses.

• Handle ratios, proportions, and drug calculations

  • Ratio and proportion methods used in nursing math.
  • Calculating tablet doses, liquid medicines, and injection volumes.
  • Converting between units: mg ↔ g, mL ↔ L, mcg ↔ mg, etc.
  • Safe dose range calculations and checking if an order is safe.

• Work confidently with IV therapy and infusion rates

  • Calculating IV flow rates (drops per minute and mL per hour).
  • Infusion times and total volume to be infused.
  • Using infusion pump settings and verifying correct rates.

• Apply math to vital signs and clinical data

  • Understanding and calculating averages and trends in observations.
  • Interpreting common lab values using basic math.
  • Calculating BMI, intake/output (I&O), and fluid balance.

• Use formulas and conversions without fear

  • Reading and using simple formulas used in healthcare.
  • Temperature conversions (°C ↔ °F) and basic metric conversions.
  • Common unit systems in healthcare and how to move between them.

• Develop safe, systematic calculation habits

  • A step‑by‑step approach to setting up and checking calculations.
  • Strategies to reduce errors and avoid common medication math mistakes.
  • Building confidence so you can focus on your patients, not panic over numbers.

Who is this course for?

• Nursing students preparing for clinical placement or exams that include medication math.
• Newly qualified nurses and health workers who want to boost confidence with numbers.
• Healthcare assistants, paramedics, and allied health professionals who regularly work with doses, fluids, and measurements.
• Anyone in healthcare who feels “rusty” at math and wants a clear, supportive refresher.

How the course is structured

• Short, easy‑to-follow video lessons focused on one skill at a time.
• Realistic nursing and healthcare scenarios in every module.
• Guided, step‑by‑step worked examples so you can see the thinking process.
• Practice questions with detailed solutions so you can check your work.
• Tips, checklists, and “safety checks” you can apply on the ward or in clinic.

Whether you’ve always struggled with math or just need a refresher, this course is designed to be friendly, practical, and directly relevant to your daily work.
Strengthen your math skills, reduce calculation anxiety, and improve patient safety – one clear step at a time.