Math!!!

NurseAngie · Jul 12, 2002

Originally posted by jennyej
I was just wondering how important is Math? I had to take a Math placement test today and I fear that I didn't do to well. It has been years since I opened a math book. How much Math do you have to have to be a nurse?
Just wondering,
Jennifer:confused:

I'm sorry to bring you bad news...but math is EXTREMELY important for nurses. You can build your skills by taking math courses and before you know it you will become comfortable. I have a real math phobia myself:D Don't give up...Math is something that you CAN improve on.

Happy Nursing~Angie

live4today, RN · Jul 12, 2002

Hi Jennifer :)

As NurseAngie has already pointed out to you, Math is a very important subject to learn...you will use lots of math in nursing.....drug calculations, etc. Also.......if you love $$$, you will need to know how to calculate whether or not your paycheck comes up short or not each pay period. You wouldn't want to be cheated out of your hard earned pay now would you? :chuckle

If you ever need any help along the way, just ask anyone here at Allnurses. We'll treat ya right every time! :kiss :nurse:

darby1 · Jul 12, 2002

If you're just getting started, you may have to take some developmental courses, according to your scores on your admissions test. I had to go back and take Algebra, and also Chemistry. It's kind of tough if you don't have a good instructor or someone in your family who has had this recently ( I had neither). Most people forget the order of operations (Algebra) after several years out of school. I'm hoping that I'll catch on to the pharmacology math so I won't have to struggle with it. It will be more interesting than Algebra, because I'll get to use this math applications on a daily basis. Also, I can see the purpose of pharmacology math. I hated Algebra because it seems like a waste of my time. I can do it, but I just don't see the reason to rack your brain on this unless you're going to use it in daily life. I asked my Algebra teacher where he would use this stuff. He said,"Well, I could tell you how much water is in your well". I replied "Man, you've got too much time on your hands!":D He countered by saying," I could tell you whether a tree that needed to be cut behind you mom's house, would fall and smash her home". I told him, "Well man, you just notch the tree on the side you want it to fall, and cut it from the oppisite side". He realized that he wasn't going to convince this ol' hillybilly that I was going to need his Algebra. I guess that I'm just hard headed! :rolleyes: Anyway, good luck on your math adventures. Miss Cheerfuldoer or Mr. Peeps will probably be glad to help you. I'm outta here. Darby

live4today, RN · Jul 12, 2002

You betcha boots I will, Darby! :kiss :chuckle

Just call me up and tell me what you want! :chuckle

StudentSandra · Jul 12, 2002

See post Pharmacology math, I just posted some links to med math sites.

Good luck

RNIAM, BSN, RN · Jul 12, 2002

darby1

How much money will you need to pay your bills each month, if you charge f few bucks on your credit card and the percentage rate is 10%? Or how about the pears at the grocery store are $3.00 a pound you have five bucks,how many can you buy? Algebra is all around us. Trying to figure out how much of a mortgage you can afford ,on the wages you make. How much you can spend on a car,boat,trip etc. It all comes down to algebra"the reunion of missing parts" We use algebra every single day but we don't look at it like that. I know I never did until my own algebra instructer told me the exact same thing. Algebra is not as hard as everyone thinks it is. I promise you this if I can do anyone can. Now I am not saying that I am a rocket scientist in it. As a matter of fact I recieved a C in it. Hey, you never know maybe you aced the test! :)

darby1 · Jul 12, 2002

Originally posted by rhona1
darby1
How much money will you need to pay your bills each month, if you charge f few bucks on your credit card and the percentage rate is 10%? Or how about the pears at the grocery store are $3.00 a pound you have five bucks,how many can you buy? Algebra is all around us. Trying to figure out how much of a mortgage you can afford ,on the wages you make. How much you can spend on a car,boat,trip etc. It all comes down to algebra"the reunion of missing parts" We use algebra every single day but we don't look at it like that. I know I never did until my own algebra instructer told me the exact same thing. Algebra is not as hard as everyone thinks it is. I promise you this if I can do anyone can. Now I am not saying that I am a rocket scientist in it. As a matter of fact I recieved a C in it. Hey, you never know maybe you aced the test! :)

I know that I shouldn't have slammed Algebra, and I was just joking around. I realize that we all need certain kinds of math in our daily lives. Don't get me wrong, I made an "A" in Algebra, and a 99 on my final exam in that course. I also made an "A" in Chemistry, without much help from my instructors. I still could use more practice at all math, especially if I'm going to use it. As for credit cards, I don't use them. I know how to count my money, and I'm very good at fractions also. I could use some more time spent on percentages, because I don't use that stuff enough to keep in in my mind. I plan on being on top of this pharmacology math though, because I can see where it's going. I guess that I have hang ups about doing things that I can't see my "harvest" from. I don't like wasting time on puzzles or video games and the such either. I've just got a simple man's way of thinking, but I'm not simple minded:rolleyes: I'd encourage all the new students to take Algebra or any other math that they haven't had in several years. Good luck. darby

Froggy · Jul 12, 2002

Jennifer,

This book may help you with the math aspect of nursing it has me. Dimensional Analysis for Meds by Curren and Munday. Once you learn this way you can do just about all calculations needed from how much to give to drip rates and such. Hope this helps, Froggy

Peeps Mcarthur · Jul 12, 2002

Algebra is one of the most "user friendly" courses you will take.

It has well defined rules of order(unlike some of this crap) and if you learn the rule for each kind of problem,you will not miss any.............should you?

Correct answer is : No

As far as what you really need in nursing..............Operations with fractions is all Drug Calculation class is. Be able to do anything to a fraction by the time you hit Drug Calculations class and you will be comfy.

I've been told that ICU nurses use very basic algebra but why worry?.............Be happy!

Now if you want to achieve any kind of academic status then you will need higher math classes,but as we can show with other parts of a curicculum you won't really learn anything about nursing until you do nursing for a living.

Like the above posts say,find an everyday application to what you are learning and that will make it practical,after that it's like psychology classes..........just get a grade and then get paid.