Clinical calculations and what to expect first seamester of Nursing School?

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i won't be starting school for a few months and saw one of the classes i'll most likely be taking in my first seamester is clinical calulations. math isnt my strong point so i decided to try and start brushing up on it now or trying to. for those that have taken it, where should i start trying to study math wise? what else is involved with the class? anyother info. would be helpful. also what should i expect my first seamester with clinicals and such?

thank you!:)

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If you are starting off in drug dosage calculation, I recommend you try this site for starters : Medication Math for the Nursing Student

The book that I still refer back to is Medical Dosage Calculations by Olsen, Giangrasso, Shrimpton and Dillon (ISBN 978-0-13-238-470-4). It's excellent.

I can't comment on clinicals as every site/speciality/floor is different.

HTH

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Specializes in Cath Lab & Interventional Radiology.

We didn't have a clinical calculations class, so I don't know what you will expect. This site shows you how to do a lot of medication calculations. http://www.ehs.net/2231/pdf/calculations.pdf It is from a community college paramedic program, but much of that is what you will need to know. The textbook we used in skills and pharmacology was "Calculate with Confidence." It did a nice job of explaining at least four ways to do every problem. Good luck to you!!

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Flight.

Nearly all nursing schools have some type of calculation textbook. Just grab a used copy of the one your school uses at the book store or on half.com and start working through it. None of the math is difficult, you just need to find the method that works best for you and the only way to do that is to do some problems.

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everyone's advice about calculations is great! as far as what to expect first semester: nursing is a special type of profession filled with special people. at my school, first semester was a huge transition from the mindset of a student to the mindset of a nurse. trying to adjust to the way of life of nursing school, with skills to learn and nursing-style tests, may be tough, but in my experience, you'll grow as a person as you take the first major steps toward becoming a nurse! i imagine the specifics are different at each school, but no matter what, strive to embrace every moment of it (even the hard ones) because there's probably no other major at your school that teaches you how to love and care for other human beings! we spent a lot of time at our first clinicals bathing patients and cleaning them up after bowel movements, brushing their hair, and visiting with them (our first semester clinicals were at a nursing home), and even that was amazing because we were getting to meet the most basic needs of people we didn't even know! just let yourself be excited and don't worry about people's gripes about nursing school being so difficult! the griping is probably just related to lack of sleep in later semesters (and even the lack of sleep doesn't outweigh the great aspects of nursing school!). congratulations on being accepted! :)

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

As a former instructor I would recommend a book on math for meds like the one referenced above. It is a type of workbook and will walk you through the process. You will find they are basic algebra for the most part.

As for what to expect - assume you have entered a world where you do not know the culture or the language and you have no identity. Nursing school is an endurance test. Do not try to make it fit anything you have known in the past. It is what it is. Stay away from classmates who spend a lot of time whining. They will bring you down. Just dig in and work.

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Thanks everyone for the replys, they are all very helpfull:)

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