Conversion Tables¶
Quick reference for the most common unit conversions in nursing practice.
Weight¶
| From | To | Multiply by |
|---|---|---|
| kg | g | × 1000 |
| g | mg | × 1000 |
| mg | mcg | × 1000 |
| g | kg | ÷ 1000 |
| mg | g | ÷ 1000 |
| mcg | mg | ÷ 1000 |
| lb | kg | ÷ 2.2 |
| kg | lb | × 2.2 |
Weight Staircase
\[\text{kg} \rightarrow \text{g} \rightarrow \text{mg} \rightarrow \text{mcg}\]
Moving right (larger to smaller unit) — multiply by 1000
Moving left (smaller to larger unit) — divide by 1000
Volume¶
| From | To | Multiply by |
|---|---|---|
| L | mL | × 1000 |
| mL | L | ÷ 1000 |
| tsp | mL | × 5 |
| tbsp | mL | × 15 |
| fl oz | mL | × 30 |
| cup | mL | × 240 |
Household to Metric¶
| Household | Metric |
|---|---|
| 1 tsp | 5 mL |
| 1 tbsp | 15 mL |
| 1 fl oz | 30 mL |
| 1 cup | 240 mL |
| 1 pint | 480 mL |
| 1 quart | 960 mL |
| 1 oz | 30 g |
| 1 lb | 453.6 g |
| 1 lb | 0.454 kg |
| 1 kg | 2.2 lb |
Time¶
| From | To | Conversion |
|---|---|---|
| hours | minutes | × 60 |
| minutes | hours | ÷ 60 |
IV Drop Factors¶
| Tubing Type | Drop Factor |
|---|---|
| Macrodrip | 10 gtt/mL |
| Macrodrip | 15 gtt/mL |
| Macrodrip | 20 gtt/mL |
| Microdrip | 60 gtt/mL |
Microdrip Shortcut
With microdrip tubing (60 gtt/mL):
\[\text{gtt/min} = \text{mL/hr}\]
Common Metric Prefixes¶
| Prefix | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| kilo | k | × 1000 |
| (base) | — | × 1 |
| milli | m | × 0.001 |
| micro | mc | × 0.000001 |
Safety Abbreviations
| Write This | Never This | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5 mg | .5 mg | Missing leading zero |
| 5 mg | 5.0 mg | Trailing zero |
| mcg | µg | Misread as mg |
| units | U | Misread as zero |