How Many CCs in an Ounce and Other Common Nursing Questions

How Many CC’s are in an Ounce?

We really need to start with another question: how much is 1 cc?

CC and ml are equivalent. So… cc to ml is 1 to 1 or 1cc = 1ml.

Now your question is: how many ml in an ounce? That is what you are really asking when you’re looking to convert cc to ounces. So many hospitals don’t even allow the use of CC in charting.

There are approximately 30ml in an ounce. So there are 30 ccs in an ounce.

30 ml = 1 oz or 30 ccs = 1 oz

To convert oz to ml (or ounces to ccs) in nursing you just have to multiply by 30. To convert ml to oz you just have to divide by 30.

Following that logic, 30 cc to oz would 1 ounce. 60 cc to oz would be 2 ounces. 2000 cc to oz would be 66.7 ounces. 180cc to oz would be 6 ounces. 70 cc to oz would be 2.33 oz. 8 oz to cc would be 240 cc.

What Does CC Stand for in Medical Terms?

CC stands for cubic centimeter. However, CC is a depreciated medical abbreviation that is almost never used.

If you see the term cc used in nurse’s notes or other medical documentation, proceed with caution as it could also mean chief complaint. One commenter stated that using the abbreviation cc would result in a fine from the Joint Commission. However, we could not find it referenced on the Official “Do Not Use” List of Abbreviations. In fact, it suggests using “u” be confused with “cc” and you should therefore not use “u” for unit.

What are CCs?

Historically, the term CC was used to describe the volume of fluid used for medication administration.

Common ml to Ounce and CC to Ounce Conversions

  • 100 ml to oz = 3.38 oz
  • 1000 ml to oz = 33.81 oz
  • 5 oz to ml = 147.868 ml

Common Medical Conversions and Equivalents

Here are a few med math conversions that every nurse and nursing student needs to know:

  • 1 cc = 1 ml
  • 1 l = 1000ml
  • 5 ml = 1 tsp
  • 1mg = 1000mcg
  • 1g= 1000mg

If you’ve been a nurse longer than a few weeks, you’ll know that this is an important one. As long as the decimal point goes the correct way and you add (or subtract) three zeroes, you’ll be just fine.

In case you’re interested, there are useful metric conversion tools that you can use online. You can also get a Unit Converter App for free.

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Common Nursing Questions

Besides my pondering of how many ccs are in an ounce (specifically, a fluid ounce), there are a few other conversions that I have used frequently at the bedside. One of the most common: pounds to kilograms. We often have scales now in the hospital that convert the pounds to kilograms for us, but I figure this is just good practice to mention: 1 kg= 2.2 lbs. You may never need to make the conversion yourself, but most of the weight-based medication that we administer is based upon the patient’s kilograms.

Another conversion worth noting is with our temperature. We are accustomed to saying “his temperature is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit”, but in reality, hospitals go with the standard of temperature measurement that the rest of the world uses, which is Celsius. So, in case you don’t have a handy cheat sheet right next to you and you’re trying to figure out what the heck your patient’s temperature is in terms that you understand….use this formula:

(Celsius x 1.8) +32=degrees Fahrenheit.

Putting it All Together

In my years as a nurse, I’m learning something new every day. That’s one of the beauties of it! One day you learn intense pathophysiology, the next you learn how many ccs are in an ounce. But let’s be honest; we cannot learn and remember it all. As nurses, we learn quickly where to turn when we do have questions. What I would suggest is that you figure out which med conversions you will utilize the most, and memorize them. For the ones that you will only use occasionally, find a book or a website that you trust to give you accurate information. In addition, don’t forget to utilize your hospital pharmacist, who is typically a very valuable resource and is happy to assist. Finding little tricks along the way to help us successfully get through our shifts will ultimately make us a better nurse in the long run.

Med Math and Pharmacology Resources

For more resources on medication math and other drug information check out the MedMaster Pharmacology Course.

NRSNG Medmaster Pharmacology Course

Learning How Many CCs are in an Ounce the Hard Way

You don’t automatically graduate nursing school automatically knowing everything you need to know. One of the most commonly forgotten med math conversions is “How many CCs are in an ounce.” When you forget seemingly simple things, it’s frustration, but you’re not alone. Med math is one of the more challenging parts of nursing pharmacology. There are so many numbers to remember. I’m not sure if nursing lab values are worse.

An anonymous guest blogger shares her experience with forgetting a common med math conversion. Names and scenarios have been changed to protect patient’s privacy in observance of HIPAA.

Nursing is hard. The shifts are so long, and your feet are so tired. Sometimes it takes everything in us as nurses to complete the simplest tasks as the day (or night) ticks on.

I was finishing a shift the one day when I went into my patient’s room to see what he had eaten for dinner, record his I’s and O’s, and subsequently collect his tray. Sitting next to his half-eaten meatloaf and potatoes was a 16oz Styrofoam cup that his wife had brought him from the cafeteria.

“Oh honey, I know Larry has to watch how much he drinks, but I wanted to bring him his favorite soda I hope that’s okay! It doesn’t put him over his limit for the day does it?” his sweet wife questioned. I looked at the empty cup and saw that it only said “16 ounces” on the bottom. Oh goodness, my mind raced. Did I really not know how many CCs are in an ounce? To further complicate things, I knew that Larry was on a 1.5 L fluid restriction for the day, but then how many CCs is 16 ounces?

So, how many cc’s are there in an ounce?

Or really.. how many ml in an ounce? So many hospitals don’t even allow the use of CC in charting.

CC and ml are equivalent. So… 1cc = 1oz. 

However, CC is a depreciated medical abbreviation that is almost never used, unlike Bid in nursing or PRN.

I politely left Larry and his wife in the room to sneak to one of the computers in the nursing station to reference my friend google. Right there in front of me, nursing school math started to come back: 30cc= 1 ounce. Of course. I had to memorize that for a test at one point, how have I forgotten?

To be honest, I don’t have to do the conversion all that frequently. Still, it is important to keep tucked away somewhere, as is exampled by the case with Larry. Doing the conversion of 16 ounces to cc, I calculated that he had consumed almost 1/3 of his daily allotment of fluids just in that one Styrofoam cup. As nurses, part of our job is to educate our patients so they have a successful discharge and follow their appropriate regimen at home. For many of these patients, watching fluid intake is crucial. We must first learn the conversion ourselves and then educate our patients to do so as well in hopes to improve their compliance with their fluid restrictions.

How Many CCs in an Ounce and Other Common Nursing Questions - 518TP0LUFkL

Now you know how.many cc in an ounce or ccs per ounce.

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