Don't know that 1oz=30cc/mls....and it's the Last Trimester?

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How could you pass fundamentals, med/surg etc.. and not know how to calculate a patients intake? one of my classmates and i were discussing intake for one of her patients when she asked me "how do you do that"? well, i was thinking she was talking about the intake/output sheet on where to put in the numbers. i showed her where to put it in. she says no how do you figure how much they drink with their meals? i'm like huh? let me add, this conversation was taking place in front of one of the CNA's at our clinical site. i told her how many ounces the juice glasses were and you multiply that by 30mls. she's listening and says "did we go over that"? i said YEAH and were where you during the first trimester? omg.... this girl is sooo not ready to be a nurse. i found out from her that she's barely passing exams and she's made it this far because of the low passing score, only a 74% needed to pass a course, and projects thats worth almost more than the exams. i've also noticed that she askes questions that we should automatically know like what does aspirin do? duh everything under the sun it's a analgesic, anticoagulant, antipyretic. she's always asking what is this or what is that, did we learn this? i understand that it's impossible to know everything about nursing but by this time you should know enough that you are confident and a safe nursing student. i am so mad that my school is letting her and others pass by a tiny % because they've done those stupid projects.

how is it in your lpn or rn program do you all have a ton of worthless projects to do?

I have heard several say that they don't bother working the dosage calculation questions on our exams (we usually have 2-3 of them). That, I just don't get. You're going to have to be able to do them each semester for the math test we have to take before we pass meds. And it's 4-6 points right there that you could add to your grade if you get them right!! People amaze me, too.

Do you guys have a mandatory math compentency? Our 2nd semester we have a dosage calc test that you have to pass w/ a 95% or something like that to continue on w/ the program. You get two chances and then you're repeating.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
We don't really have worthless projects, but ALOT of people at my school are only getting by because of the nullified questions we get on each exam. They complain about their grades, but will admit that they don't study, I know some of them work and have families, so I try no to judge, but I have heard several say that they don't bother working the dosage calculation questions on our exams (we usually have 2-3 of them). That, I just don't get. You're going to have to be able to do them each semester for the math test we have to take before we pass meds. And it's 4-6 points right there that you could add to your grade if you get them right!! People amaze me, too.

Shoot our teachers are telling us starting next semester (we don't pass meds until second semester) that dosage and calc questions will be easy points on our exams since we should know how to do it. I would NEVER give up points in nursing school, not when the grading scale is so strict, those 4-6 points could be the difference between passing and failing or an a or a b and so on. Yeah that makes no sense! Besides our teacher tells us they put them on their to keep us refreshed since we have the Dosage and Calc exam that we have to pass with 100% each semester.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Geriatrics, LTC.

That would never fly in my program. It wouldn't matter what your grades were if you couldn't pass clinicals. And she WOULD NOT pass clinicals in my school! We get verbally quizzed on every med we pass and we are getting ready to graduate in January and our teacher is still warning us we could fail even at this late date and even with great grades if we don't ace clinical! That story sounds crazy.

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Specializes in PICU/Pedi.
Do you guys have a mandatory math compentency? Our 2nd semester we have a dosage calc test that you have to pass w/ a 95% or something like that to continue on w/ the program. You get two chances and then you're repeating.

Yeah, it's exactly the same with us. That's why I don't understand why they are too lazy to even try those questions - it's not like we don't have a major math test every semester.

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Specializes in SN, LTC, REHAB, HH.
In our program you have to have an 80% average for your tests before they'll even add in your scores for projects and so on. So if you have a 79% on your tests and your grades you're going to fail even if your scores on your projects would bump you up to an 80%. Makes sense to me. Keeps the people that you're talking about from getting through a semester w/o actually knowing the material.

That's the way it should be. all projects should be counted in only after the passing grade was achieved. this makes no sense too me at all. some of my classmates bust their butts on those projects so they can pass on to the next level. i bust my butt for the material i need to know. i've got good grades on my projects but i never sweat over them.

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Specializes in PICU/Pedi.
Shoot our teachers are telling us starting next semester (we don't pass meds until second semester) that dosage and calc questions will be easy points on our exams since we should know how to do it. I would NEVER give up points in nursing school, not when the grading scale is so strict, those 4-6 points could be the difference between passing and failing or an a or a b and so on. Yeah that makes no sense! Besides our teacher tells us they put them on their to keep us refreshed since we have the Dosage and Calc exam that we have to pass with 100% each semester.

I know. Those same people are ONLY passing with the 4-6 pts. we get when they nullify questions after each test. If they would bother calculating like, three math problems on each test, they could do better. And yes, we have three tries on each calculation test that we take. We have to make a 100 or we don't pass. I guess they think they don't need the practice.

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Specializes in SN, LTC, REHAB, HH.
Do you guys have a mandatory math compentency? Our 2nd semester we have a dosage calc test that you have to pass w/ a 95% or something like that to continue on w/ the program. You get two chances and then you're repeating.

Our school is talking about having a dosage calculation test as a requirement for entry into the school. i know some of the RN schools are doing it now but not LPN schools that i know of.

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Specializes in LTC.

Ok I have been reading this post and these replies and for most of them I am a little disturbed. Yeah she may have asked a simple question, at least she asked and got clarification, and a far as the NCLEX how can some of you say she and others like her won't pass (kind of judgemental don't you think). At the end of the day no patient will ask did you get an a on your tests, a "C" nurse has the potential to be just as good as an "A" nurse,it is all about skill.

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Specializes in Utilization Management.

"Ok I have been reading this post and these replies and for most of them I am a little disturbed. Yeah she may have asked a simple question, at least she asked and got clarification, and a far as the NCLEX how can some of you say she and others like her won't pass (kind of judgemental don't you think). At the end of the day no patient will ask did you get an a on your tests, a "C" nurse has the potential to be just as good as an "A" nurse,it is all about skill."

Several people I graduated from PN school with graduated with amazing grades and had to take NCLEX more than once. Knowing it all and having good test grades doesn't equal passing NCLEX the first time.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
I know. Those same people are ONLY passing with the 4-6 pts. we get when they nullify questions after each test. If they would bother calculating like, three math problems on each test, they could do better. And yes, we have three tries on each calculation test that we take. We have to make a 100 or we don't pass. I guess they think they don't need the practice.

Shoot even if they don't need the refresher it's still points. who the heck throws away points in nursing school LOL. Our of 7 exams in my fundamentals class they have only added 1 point and it wasn't even everyone got the point they just ended up accepting 1 of 2 answers so only those that put 1 of the 2 answers got the point. I was mad because on that test I got a 96 or 97 % I think, I only missed 2 but I didn't get the extra point because I had the right answer to begin with lol. I wasn't like really mad but I was like dang!!

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Specializes in Urgent Care NP, Emergency Nursing, Camp Nursing.
How could you pass fundamentals, med/surg etc.. and not know how to calculate a patients intake? one of my classmates and i were discussing intake for one of her patients when she asked me "how do you do that"? well, i was thinking she was talking about the intake/output sheet on where to put in the numbers. i showed her where to put it in. she says no how do you figure how much they drink with their meals? i'm like huh? let me add, this conversation was taking place in front of one of the CNA's at our clinical site. i told her how many ounces the juice glasses were and you multiply that by 30mls. she's listening and says "did we go over that"? i said YEAH and were where you during the first trimester? omg.... this girl is sooo not ready to be a nurse. i found out from her that she's barely passing exams and she's made it this far because of the low passing score, only a 74% needed to pass a course, and projects thats worth almost more than the exams. i've also noticed that she askes questions that we should automatically know like what does aspirin do? duh everything under the sun it's a analgesic, anticoagulant, antipyretic. she's always asking what is this or what is that, did we learn this? i understand that it's impossible to know everything about nursing but by this time you should know enough that you are confident and a safe nursing student. i am so mad that my school is letting her and others pass by a tiny % because they've done those stupid projects.

how is it in your lpn or rn program do you all have a ton of worthless projects to do?

To be fair to the student:

1) I'm moderately sure this conversion was not covered at all in class or lab in my program (of which I am through one year of two).

2) In fact, we barely went over calculating input at all. The big focus was on output.

3) Most people, myself included, couldn't eyeball an ounce of fluid if you asked us to.

4) Chill out. The student will pass the NCLEX or not, same as you.

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Specializes in PICU/Pedi.
Shoot even if they don't need the refresher it's still points. who the heck throws away points in nursing school LOL. Our of 7 exams in my fundamentals class they have only added 1 point and it wasn't even everyone got the point they just ended up accepting 1 of 2 answers so only those that put 1 of the 2 answers got the point. I was mad because on that test I got a 96 or 97 % I think, I only missed 2 but I didn't get the extra point because I had the right answer to begin with lol. I wasn't like really mad but I was like dang!!

Yeah, I hardly ever get those extra points, either, because I ususally get the question right.

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