Use of dimensional analysis to reduce medication errors.

The purpose of this pilot study was to determine whether using di-mensional analysis as the method of mathematical computation could reduce nursing medication calcula-tion errors. The sample for this study consisted of second-year baccalaure-ate nursing students in a required clinical skills course. Students in the control group were taught medica-tion calculations using the traditional math method during one semester, whereas students in the experimental group were taught the same material using dimensional analysis during the next semester. Analysis of the col-lected data from a medication dosage calculation examination revealed the dimensional analysis group scored with greater accuracy than the tradi-tional math group.