Bodyweight and Body Surface Area Calculations

BUILDING UPON THE BASICS

Bodyweight Based & Body Surface Calculations is a highly interactive, visual and self-paced learning environment designed by experienced nurse educators and clinical pharmacists.

This Advanced Skills module builds upon the dosage calculation competence developed within the Essential Skills module.

It is designed to develop and assess the competencies required for safe medication practice with the more complex problem solving and calculations associated with bodyweight and body surface area dosage problems.

What you will learn

In this module, you will learn how to:

• Conceptually understand drug dosage and 24-hour maintenance fluid calculation problem-solving for doses standardised by bodyweight and body surface area (BSA).
• Interpret medication orders, medication product labels, monographs and other important information, and accurately calculate prescribed drug dosages and total and divided 24-hour maintenance fluid requirements, based on the patient’s kilogram bodyweight and body surface area (BSA).
• Demonstrate medication measurement skill by selecting a correct syringe and measurement of the correct volume of prescribed medication; and for children and neonates, appropriate measurement of total and divided 24-hour maintenance fluid volumes and setting of millilitre per hour intravenous infusion pump rates.

Problem Types & Formats by Area of Practice

The table below lists the various problem types and formats covered by this module and their availability by area of practice.