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Last Updated: Nov 4, 2026
Clinical guides
Nurse conversion chart
Free PDF 2 pages, print-ready Clinician-reviewed
A nurse conversion chart is a quick reference for the unit conversions nurses make in medication, weight, volume, and temperature calculations. The factors used most are 1 kg = 2.2046 lb, 1 g = 1,000 mg, 1 mg = 1,000 mcg, and 1 mL = 1 cc. To convert Celsius to Fahrenheit, multiply by 9/5 and add 32. This guide adds the IV drip rate formula, the metric prefixes, and the recording habits behind common conversion errors.
Template details
- Template type
- Chart
- Format
- Printable PDF, 2 pages
- Sections
- 5 sections
- Fields to complete
- 2 fields
- Best for
- Clinical guides
Free download
Download your free nurse conversion chart
A two-page reference with weight, volume and temperature conversion tables, medication unit steps, and the IV drip rate formula. It also carries a metric prefix table, common error patterns and a pre-administration checklist.
What’s inside
- Weight and volume tables for kg to lb and mL to US ounces
- Medication unit steps between g, mg and mcg, with a worked example
- IV drip rate formula with a drop-factor example and safety reminder
- Celsius and Fahrenheit table with both conversion formulas
- Metric prefix table from kilo to nano, with a clinical example each
- Common error patterns and a checklist before giving a converted value
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Key takeaways
The chart covers weight, medication, volume, temperature, and IV drip rate conversions.
Verify every medication conversion against your facility’s pharmacy protocols.
One gram equals 1,000 mg, and one milligram equals 1,000 mcg.
Write 0.5 mg rather than .5 mg, and 1 mg rather than 1.0 mg, to avoid tenfold errors.
Record weight in kilograms only, because a weight in pounds used in a per-kg dose gives about 2.2 times too much.
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What a nurse conversion chart covers
A nurse conversion chart groups the unit conversions used most often in medication administration, documentation, and patient care. Nurses use it for a fast check during a shift, then confirm high-risk values with a pharmacist or prescriber.
The conversion factors come from the International System of Units (SI), maintained by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM). Look up the conversions you use rarely, and memorize the factors you apply every shift.
How to use the chart at the bedside
To use the chart at the bedside, identify the units, apply the factor for that pair, and check the answer against the order.
- Confirm the units on the order before you convert.
- Locate the matching row or formula on the chart.
- Calculate the value and round only at the final step.
- Check high-risk results with a colleague, following Joint Commission medication safety standards and your facility policy.
If your team builds patient assessments as standardized digital forms, label each field with one unit. Practice software such as Pabau lets you fix that unit on the form, so every record matches the chart.
Weight conversions between kg and lbs
To convert kilograms to pounds, multiply by 2.2046. To convert pounds to kilograms, divide by 2.2046.
A patient weighing 70 kg weighs about 154.3 lb. Weigh patients on the same scale and record the unit each time, because a unit mix-up is a common charting error.
Medication unit conversions for mcg, mg, and g
Medication labels use several metric units, and a misplaced decimal point can shift a value by a factor of 1,000. Keep these relationships in view on the chart.
- 1 g equals 1,000 mg.
- 1 mg equals 1,000 mcg.
- To convert mg to mcg, multiply by 1,000.
- To convert mcg to mg, divide by 1,000.
The same steps run as a ladder from kilograms down to micrograms, and the decimal habits beside it keep each value readable.
Worked example: 0.6 mg × 1,000 = 600 mcg. This is a unit conversion only, not a dose. Confirm any ordered amount with your pharmacy or prescriber. Pair this chart with a nursing pharmacology cheat sheet when you also need drug classes and high-yield drug facts.
Volume conversions for mL, cc, and oz
One milliliter equals one cubic centimeter, so 1 mL and 1 cc measure the same volume. Write “mL” in records, because ISMP lists “cc” as error-prone.
To convert mL to US fluid ounces, divide by 29.5735. UK fluid ounces are slightly smaller, at 28.4131 mL, so check which standard your facility uses.
IV drip rate formula and reference
Drops per minute equals (volume in mL × drop factor) ÷ time in minutes. The drop factor is printed on the IV tubing packaging and varies by manufacturer, so never assume a value.
For example, 1,000 mL over 480 minutes with a 15 drop factor gives (1,000 × 15) ÷ 480 = 31.25. That rounds to about 31 drops per minute, as an illustrative calculation only. Confirm every infusion rate with the prescriber, pharmacy, and your facility’s infusion policy.
For IV solution classes and electrolyte normal ranges, keep a fluid and electrolyte cheat sheet beside this chart.
Temperature conversions between Celsius and Fahrenheit
To convert Celsius to Fahrenheit, multiply by 9/5 and add 32. To convert Fahrenheit to Celsius, subtract 32 and multiply by 5/9.
A reading of 37°C equals 98.6°F, the traditional average for body temperature. Research suggests the average may now sit slightly lower. Compare any reading with your facility’s assessment protocol rather than the chart alone.
Metric prefixes behind every conversion
Each metric prefix multiplies the base unit by a fixed power of ten, so the prefixes matter more than memorizing every unit.
Kilo, the base unit, milli, and micro each sit 1,000 times apart. Converting to a smaller unit makes the number larger, so multiply. Converting to a larger unit makes it smaller, so divide.
Write the prefix in full when a handwritten “m” and “mc” could be confused. The ISMP list of error-prone abbreviations flags “µg” because it can be misread as “mg”, so record “mcg” instead.
Where nurse conversion errors usually start
Conversion errors usually start before any calculation, with how a value is written or which unit was recorded. Check for these patterns whenever a converted value looks unusual.
- A trailing zero: “1.0 mg” can be read as “10 mg”. The Joint Commission’s “Do Not Use” list prohibits trailing zeros in medication orders.
- A missing leading zero: “.5 mg” can be read as “5 mg”, so always write “0.5 mg”.
- Weight recorded in pounds when the dose is per kilogram: the calculated dose comes out about 2.2 times too high.
- Household measures: teaspoons and tablespoons vary in size, and ISMP recommends oral liquid doses in mL only.
- Rounding too early: round once, at the final step, and to the precision the order or the device allows.
- An assumed drop factor or fluid ounce: check the tubing package, and confirm whether a record uses US or UK ounces.
Recording weight in kilograms only stops the pounds-for-kilograms error at the source. Many facilities set their scales and electronic records to kg for this reason. Write each converted value with its unit on the medication administration record, so the next nurse reads the same figure.
How Pabau keeps units consistent across patient records
When teams chart on paper or in separate spreadsheets, each nurse records weight, temperature, and fluid volumes in whatever unit the device displays. The next clinician then has to work out which unit was used before converting the value.
Pabau keeps digital forms and patient records in one system. You can build assessment forms with each field labeled in a single unit, such as weight in kg and temperature in degrees Celsius. Every nurse then enters values in the same format.
Each completed form saves straight to the patient’s record. At the next visit, the team compares new readings with earlier ones in matching units, so fewer conversions happen at the bedside.
Keep clinical records consistent across your team
See how Pabau’s clinical records and documentation tools help standardize how your team captures units, medications, and notes.
Conclusion
Learn the four conversions you make every shift, from kg to lb, mg to mcg, mL to oz, and Celsius to Fahrenheit. Keep the chart for the rest. Treat any result that changes a dose or an infusion rate as unconfirmed until a second check agrees.
The trade-off is speed. A double check adds a minute at the bedside, while a decimal error multiplies a value by 10 or 1,000. Recording each value in one agreed unit removes many conversions before they start.
Book a demo to see how Pabau keeps units, assessments, and notes consistent in one patient record.
Continue your research
Recording the converted dose? Medication administration record nursing template explains the legal record of every dose given, by whom and when.
Need drug facts alongside the units? Nursing pharmacology cheat sheet groups high-yield drug information by class for a quick scan.
Calculating IV fluids? Fluid and electrolyte cheat sheet covers electrolyte normal ranges and IV solution classes.
Giving oral medications? Medication do not crush list names the tablets that must be swallowed whole and why.
Charting the intervention? PIE chart nursing template structures the note into problem, intervention and evaluation.
Frequently asked questions
What conversions should a nurse conversion chart include?
A nurse conversion chart should cover weight (kg and lb), medication units (g, mg, and mcg), and volume (mL, cc, and oz). It should also convert temperature between Celsius and Fahrenheit. Most charts add the IV drip rate formula and the metric prefixes too.
How do you convert mg to mcg?
Multiply the milligram value by 1,000. For example, 0.25 mg equals 250 mcg. To convert mcg back to mg, divide by 1,000.
Is 1 mL the same as 1 cc?
Yes. One milliliter equals one cubic centimeter. Write “mL” in orders and records, because ISMP lists “cc” as error-prone. It can be misread as “u” for units.
How do you convert pounds to kilograms?
Divide the weight in pounds by 2.2046. A patient who weighs 154 lb weighs about 69.9 kg.
Why does a trailing zero cause medication errors?
A trailing zero can hide the decimal point, so “1.0 mg” may be read as “10 mg”. The Joint Commission’s “Do Not Use” list prohibits trailing zeros in medication orders and related documentation.
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