Can I Become a Registered Nurse While Being TERRIBLE At Math?

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Hello, I'm 16 years old and my dream is to be a registered nurse with a specialty in either forensics, psychiatric, or women's health. Overall, I would say I have a high intelligence in every subject except for math, I may even go as far to say I have a learning disability when it comes to it. My weakness is so strong sometimes I have to use a calculator for simple division, multiplication, addition, or subtraction. At work I can take a 30 minute break starting at 4:43 and it can take me about three minutes to figure out when to get back. I almost failed Algebra 2 this year, I cannot remember my grade in Algebra 1 from last year, but it was very low. In my medical class I take as an elective, I am very good at it. I understand anatomy, biology, pathophysiology, infection control, patient care, etc extremely well, even better than all of my class, I may have the highest grade there with a 97%. Even in my basic high school classes I have A+ to B+ in all of my grades, nothing lower, except my Algebra 2 grade, which was a failing grade for 18 weeks, I passed for the year by two percent. My question is, can I still be a nurse while I am terrible at math? I am terrified to think my weakness could potentially end a life.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

You will need to to grasp basic algebra for med dosage at the very least. If you apply to BSN programs you'll also have to get through statistics. So I'd say when you go college study hard & get extra help in math. I'm no wiz in the math department by ANY means, but the math we do isn't complicated.

There is also the Khan Academy online or YouTube. Try to get all the extra help you can get.

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Specializes in hospice.

Have you gone for tutoring or extra help? Sometimes having someone explain it to you a different way, or show you a different method, is all it takes.

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I'm actually looking for an ASN program, I studied hard and I never seemed to grasp the concept.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

Have you ever gone for tutoring?

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Been there, done that. Having a teacher who hates their job makes it less helpful. It seems in high school they want to teach you the hard way to prepare you for the easy way, and then they never teach the easy way. Why couldn't they just teach the easy way first?

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
Been there, done that. Having a teacher who hates their job makes it less helpful. It seems in high school they want to teach you the hard way to prepare you for the easy way, and then they never teach the easy way. Why couldn't they just teach the easy way first?

Well if you don't have a helpful teacher that isn't gonna get you anywhere. As far as long way/short way, it's what they are taught to teach you. Is there anyone else or anywhere else you can go to for tutoring? If not try the Khan Academy online or look up videos on YouTube.

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I actually feel bad for my class, he made a point at the end of the year that almost all of us failed. He gave up on teaching us. Threw his book on the ground and said "I'm done, you're all going to fail in life". That kind of attitude in a teacher scares me. As for tutoring, I cannot stay past school because I have a job that I always work from 3:30 to 10, and school is out now. I will be moving on to geometry next year. For online content SOME subjects are extremely different from what I learned in class, such as learning different details in class which I cannot find online. It happens quite often on subjects that are complicated. I do have all my notes from Algebra 1 & 2, I hope on cutting back on my work hours so I can have some time to study.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

Yikes, he sounds like he's burnt out. He needs a loong vacation.

Well I hope you get the tutoring you need. There are a lot of resources out there. :)

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Specializes in hospice.

Uh, yeah, sounds like the teacher is the problem.

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He's terrifying like you wouldn't believe, he made three girls cry by just yelling at them. We're in high school.

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Specializes in hospice.

Why didn't anyone go to the administration about this?

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