Rounding Guidelines

safeMedicate Rounding Rules Guidelines

Using This Document
This document outlines the rounding requirements for each of the safeMedicate modules.

The following pages give examples of how these rules are applied to typical answers within the modules.

Each example presents the calculated answer, the rounding requirement, the rounded answer and how the
rounded answer is represented on the appropriate safeMedicate authentic technical measurement model.

The safeMedicate module to which the requirment applies is also displayed via a colour key.

Module Key

e Essential Skills

p Body Weight Based Pediatrics

a Advanced Skills - Injectable Medicines

w Word Problem Skills

Rounding Guidelines
 Rounding Guidelines

safeMedicate Rounding Rules Guidelines

Essential Skills
Capsule based doses must never be split. Equation answers will always be whole numbers. Whilst not
recommended, it may be necessary to split scored tablets into two half doses.

Liquid medicine and Injection dosages are rounded to the nearest tenth if the amount exceeds 1 mL.
If the amount is less than 1 mL, the dosage is rounded to the nearest hundredth.

Accuracy when calculating I.V. infusion rates for crystalloid and colloid solutions, blood and blood products is
critical to patient safety.

In this module all calculated millilitre per hour infusion rates are required to be rounded to the nearest whole
number.

All calculated drops per minute infusion rates are required to be rounded to the nearest whole number.

Body Weight Based Paedatrics

Liquid medicine and Injection dosages are rounded to the nearest tenth if the amount exceeds 1 mL.
If the amount is less than 1 mL, the dosage is rounded to the nearest hundredth.

Advanced Skills - Injectable Medicines

The infusion of medications directly into the venous system means that accuracy in the calculation and technical
measurement of these medications is especially critical to patient safety.

In this module all calculated mL/hr infusion rates are required to be rounded to the nearest tenth.

Word Problem Skills

Rounding for Essential Skills & Body Weight Based Pedatrics Word Based Problems

When administering liquid medications or injections, volumes exceeding 1 mL are rounded to the nearest tenth.

If the volume is less than 1 mL, the dosage is rounded to the nearest hundredth.

Intravenous infusion rates for crystalloid and colloid solutions, blood and blood products are expressed as gutae
per minute or drops per minute or mL/hr. These are always rounded to the nearest whole number.

Rounding for Advanced Skills - Injectable Medicines Word Based Problems

mL/hr I.V. Injectable medicines infusions should be rounded to the nearest tenth.
Drops per minute I.V. Injectable medicines infusions should be rounded to the nearest whole number.

Rounding Guidelines
 Rounding Guidelines

MODULES

e p a w RULE CALCULATED
ANSWER
ROUNDED
ANSWER
TECHNICAL MEASUREMENT ANSWER

Capsules
2
Whole Number 2
No rounding capsules
required

Tablets
1
Whole Number 1
No rounding tablet
required

Tablets
0.5
Tenths 0.5
No rounding tablets
required

Liquid Medicines
& Injections 15
5

10

15

20

15 mL
Whole Number
No rounding
required
5

10

15

20

Liquid Medicines
& Injections 1.5
1

1.5 mL
Tenths
More than 1mL
No rounding
1

required

Liquid Medicines
& Injections 3.75
1

3.8 mL
Hundredths
More than 1mL
Round to tenths
1

Rounding Guidelines
 Rounding Guidelines

MODULES

e p a w RULE CALCULATED
ANSWER
ROUNDED
ANSWER
TECHNICAL MEASUREMENT ANSWER

Liquid Medicines
& Injections 1.332

3
1.3 mL
Thousandths
More than 1mL
Rounded to tenths

3
Liquid Medicines
& Injections 0.92
0.92 mL

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1
Hundredths
Less than 1mL
No rounding

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1
required

Liquid Medicines
& Injections 0.777

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1
0.78 mL
Thousanths
Less than 1mL
0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

1
Rounded to
hundredths

Liquid Medicines
& Injections 0.814
0.81 mL
0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

Thousandths
Less than 1mL
0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

0.8

0.9

Rounded to
hundredths

Injections

Insulin
Whole Number N/A N/A
5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

No rounding
required
Answer is never
rounded

Rounding Guidelines
 Rounding Guidelines

MODULES

e p a w RULE CALCULATED
ANSWER
ROUNDED
ANSWER
TECHNICAL MEASUREMENT ANSWER

I.V. Infusions
mL/hr 125 125
125 500
Whole Number mL/hr
No rounding
required

I.V. Infusions
mL/hr 112.5 113
113 500
Tenths mL/hr
Round to whole
number

I.V. Infusions
mL/hr 31.25 31
31 500
Hundredths mL/hr
Round to whole
number

I.V. Infusions
mL/hr 83.33333 83
83 1000
Thousandths + mL/hr
Round to whole
number

I.V. Infusions
mL/hr 41.66667 42
42
Thousandths + mL/hr 500
Round to whole
number

Rounding Guidelines
 Rounding Guidelines

MODULES

e p a w RULE CALCULATED
ANSWER
ROUNDED
ANSWER
TECHNICAL MEASUREMENT ANSWER

I.V. Infusions
drops/min 56
56
Whole Number drops/min 56
No rounding
required drops/min

I.V. Infusions
drops/min 13.5
14
Tenths drops/min 14
Round to whole
number drops/min

I.V. Infusions
drops/min 21.25
21
Hundredths drops/min 21
Round to whole
number drops/min

I.V. Infusions
drops/min 33.33333
33
Thousandths + drops/min 33
Round to whole
number drops/min

I.V. Infusions
drops/min 41.66667
42
Thousandths + drops/min 42
Round to whole
number drops/min

Rounding Guidelines
 Rounding Guidelines

MODULES

e p a w RULE CALCULATED
ANSWER
ROUNDED
ANSWER
TECHNICAL MEASUREMENT ANSWER

I.V. Injectable
Medicines 3
Infusions 3 3
mL/hr mL/hr
Whole Number
No rounding
required

I.V. Injectable
Medicines 5.1
Infusions 5.1 5.1
mL/hr mL/hr
Tenths
No rounding
required

I.V. Injectable
Medicines 9.25 9.3
Infusions 9.3
mL/hr
100
mL/hr
Hundredths
Round to tenths

I.V. Injectable
Medicines 33.33333
Infusions 33.3
mL/hr
33.3
mL/hr
Thousandths +
Round to tenths

I.V. Injectable
Medicines 41.66667 41.7
Infusions 41.7
mL/hr mL/hr 500
Thousandths +
Round to tenths

Rounding Guidelines
 Rounding Guidelines

MODULES

e p a w RULE CALCULATED
ANSWER
ROUNDED
ANSWER
TECHNICAL MEASUREMENT ANSWER

I.V. Injectable
Medicines 56
Infusions 56
drops/min
drops/min 56
Whole Number drops/min
No rounding
required

II.V. Injectable
Medicines 13.5
Infusions 14
drops/min
drops/min 14
Tenths drops/min
Round to whole
number

I.V. Injectable
Medicines 21.25
Infusions 21
drops/min
drops/min 21
Hundredths drops/min
Round to whole
number

I.V. Injectable
Medicines 33.33333
Infusions 33
drops/min
drops/min 33
Thousandths + drops/min
Round to whole
number

I.V. Injectable
Medicines 41.66667
Infusions 42
drops/min
drops/min 42
Thousandths + drops/min
Round to whole
number

Rounding Guidelines