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.
I'm actually looking for an ASN program, I studied hard and I never seemed to grasp the concept.
Harleyquinn- I would recommend a BSN program because many hospitals around my area (NJ) are not accepting nurses with ASN degree. It may be different in other states, but when I was a volunteer at the hospital for the ER, the coordinator told everybody in orientation to make sure to get a BSN since new laws are being passed regarding the "ideal" degree to have in a hospital setting.
Math is not my fuerte either but if you put effort in it then it should not be too hard. If you are able to do chemistry math then you can do the necessary math that is needed.
Maybe you can change your work availability so you can be available for after school math tutoring. Trust me I know the woes of having a job young, I've been working since I was 15. School is important. Your dream to be a nurse is important. They are more important than your part time after school high school job (unless you have unavoidable financial burdens - I worked at 15 for some spending money and if my grades slipped, my mom told me she would make me quit. But I know others are in different financial situations)
The math that nurses do is very basic algebra. I'm terrible at math (I was in remedial math in middle school, barely made it out of high school math, and I had to take a remedial math course in college before they would let me take a basic 100 level math course) and I passed my med calc class with a 100.
Go to Khan Academy, and start at 1st Grade math. Work your way up, especially if you have trouble with basic math (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division).
I start college in the fall, and I placed into Intermediate Math (remedial, I will have to pass this to get to College Algebra). I want to be terrified, but I keep reading that perseverance and practice is key. I've correctly done some algebra problems, and I sit back and feel like a Wizard, hah.
I think it greatly depends on who is teaching, their method, and what methods of teaching you understand.
I've never been good at math. When I started my dosage and calculations class last fall, I was terrified. The teacher showed a few different ways in which it could be done. The majority of the class did it one way while I did it another (as well as a few others). I found what worked for me and stuck with it.
When I started Chemistry, the instructor insisted on dimensional analysis. My mind was blown. I couldn't understand it. I spent hours just doing a few problems for homework because I couldn't grasp the concept. After withdrawing from school, I took an online pre-req (approved by the school I'm applying to). The way dimensional analysis was presented in the online course... I couldn't believe how easy it was. That completely ended my issues with dimensional analysis.
So I really do think that it has to do with how it's presented to you and finding a way you learn best (especially if there are a few ways it can be done).
Someone recommended Khan Academy. It's definitely a great resource. I don't know if your HS offers tutoring or not, but if they do, utilize it. Since you're no longer in Algebra, you might not be able to, but there may be some great resources online if you're wanting to work on your Algebra prior to college.
If not, check into your future college's math tutoring once you're there. Even if you require going into lower math courses, it may be beneficial as the material may be presented in a better way (or you may be able to get more help from your instructor even). Once you start to grasp a concept, keep practicing it until you master it (and keep up with it to retain what you've learned).
While I was studying for the TEAS last summer, I had to re-learn a lot from over 10 years ago, and learn things I never learned. I spent 10 hours a day practicing math problems. I wouldn't move onto the next concept until I felt I had mastered the one I was working on. Definitely look into Khan Academy and start working on practice problems. If you're off during the summer, maybe try doing so many problems each day.
Get yourself a tutor, change your studying habits, practice more, try to make it interesting- find a way to make it make sense because you need to be able to do math in order to do dosage calculations that lives depend on.
If it's because of a "bad teacher" - find a way to deal with it or work around it. I hate seeing people blame the instructor because the onus is on us students to meet our own expectations. If the professor's teaching style doesn't work for you, find a way to make it so!
If this is your dream, you'll find a way- it just might not be the same as your peers. Go get 'em!
If it's because of a "bad teacher" - find a way to deal with it or work around it. I hate seeing people blame the instructor because the onus is on us students to meet our own expectations. If the professor's teaching style doesn't work for you, find a way to make it so!
Did you read her description of her teacher's behavior? This is not an issue with teaching styles.
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".
If this is accurate, the teacher needs to be fired.
I didn't read past the second page. More often than not, we see students blaming the teacher unfairly. "I don't get it because the teacher wasn't good".
If this teacher threw a temper tantrum and told his students that they're going to fail in life, then action should be taken by the parents of these students to have this teacher investigated at the very least.
Even so, not to be harsh in any way; this is not the only math teacher that the OP has had. They're struggling with math across the board and it didn't start with this particular instructor. Personally, I would find a way to learn the material with a tutor or some other method- for me, it's self teaching and watching video tutorials. If sitting through a lecture and going home with homework that you don't know how to do isn't working for you, try something else because trying to do the same thing every day is beating a dead horse. Khan academy is great, I love to use the answer key when doing homework so I know what the answer is before I do the problem so I can take whatever steps I can to get that correct answer. If a tutor or a peer helping you understand the material will help, try it! Harleyquinn, you're more than capable of understanding math. You're clearly very intelligent and articulate, you work hard; but something about math just isn't clicking for you. Talk to your guidance counselor about the issues you've had with the subject and see what resources they can offer to you to ensure your success in math. I'd also bring up your teachers ridiculous behavior.
If this teacher threw a temper tantrum and told his students that they're going to fail in life, then action should be taken by the parents of these students to have this teacher investigated at the very least.
I agree with you, but she says her parents won't approach the school.
The students are minors and if the parents aren't coming forward the students are still able to report this behavior to the school - I didn't have a teacher like this in high school, but we did have a teacher where about half of the class was failing. Kids complained and the rest of the class was proctored and co-taught. Maybe it's an option
It's already been mentioned, but there are three key resources for people having trouble with math:
Khan Academy
Khan Academy
and Khan Academy
You will not find a better resource for math. It's fun and easy to use and the explanations are clear and easy to understand.
If you haven't yet, go to Khan Academy and set up your account. Do math there every day.
(no, they don't pay me anything to promote them)
You won't be able to pass dosage calculations without mastering some algebra. Also, with the right encouragement, you may find that you like math more than you thought you did. If you find you don't mind it so much after a while, I'd stick with Khan Academy and work on statistics there. You may need to take a statistics course in your nursing coursework, and Khan Academy's lessons will probably be more than enough to help you succeed with that.
Good luck, and let us know in a few weeks how things are going!
eris08, BSN, RN
60 Posts
Harleyquinn- I would recommend a BSN program because many hospitals around my area (NJ) are not accepting nurses with ASN degree. It may be different in other states, but when I was a volunteer at the hospital for the ER, the coordinator told everybody in orientation to make sure to get a BSN since new laws are being passed regarding the "ideal" degree to have in a hospital setting.
Math is not my fuerte either but if you put effort in it then it should not be too hard. If you are able to do chemistry math then you can do the necessary math that is needed.