Whole Numbers¶

What Are Whole Numbers?¶

Whole numbers are the counting numbers including zero: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5... In nursing, whole numbers appear constantly number of tablets, number of doses, days of treatment, and more.

Operations Review¶

Addition and Subtraction¶

Line up numbers by place value and work right to left.

Clinical example: A patient receives 2 tablets in the morning, 1 at noon, and 2 at night. How many tablets per day?

\[2 + 1 + 2 = 5 \text{ tablets per day}\]

Multiplication¶

Clinical example: A patient takes 3 tablets per dose, 4 times daily, for 7 days. How many tablets are needed total?

\[3 \times 4 \times 7 = 84 \text{ tablets}\]

Division¶

Clinical example: A bottle contains 100 tablets. A patient takes 4 per day. How many days will the bottle last?

\[100 \div 4 = 25 \text{ days}\]

Practice Problems¶

Problem 1

A nurse administers 2 tablets per dose, 3 times a day, for 5 days. How many tablets are needed in total?

Answer

\[2 \times 3 \times 5 = 30 \text{ tablets}\]

Problem 2

A patient needs 4 doses per day. How many doses over 10 days?

Answer

\[4 \times 10 = 40 \text{ doses}\]

Problem 3

A ward has 120 tablets in stock. Each patient requires 3 tablets per day. How many patients can be supplied for one day?

Answer

\[120 \div 3 = 40 \text{ patients}\]

Clinical Tip

Always double check your arithmetic when calculating medication quantities. A simple multiplication error can lead to a serious medication error.