Fail math exam and we are out!!!! Help!!!

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I am a second year nursing student with a new Director of Nursing. She has turned the program upside down and changed everything. She instituted a policy for 2nd year nursing students that we are given a proctored dose calc, iv calc, peds calc exam with only 10 questions. We need to get a 90% or better and have two chances. If not, we are kicked out of the nursing program. None of the second year instructors agree with this policy or think that it is fair. Does this seem fair? No remediation, no help. We already went through this last year and have passed. Our math tuturing center won't help us because they say it isn't math, it's nursing. 1/3 of us failed yesterday. If we miss one day of clinical (2 days a week) we can be expelled. Do we students have any recourse for all of the money, time and effort we are expending or can they just kick us out despite good grades, excellent clinical feedback and never missing a class. Please someone respond!!!!!!

why are peds dosages harder????????

Because Ped's orders are usually written in mg/kg/dose, or based on body mass index, which is different than adult prescriptions and which adds an extra layer of calulations (which is usually done by the pharmacy but which the nurse must double check). Even when they aren't, and the order is for an exact amount: 250 mg q4h, you have to go to back out the order and double check that this is within the range that is correct for your pediatric patient, based on his weight. Add to that the fact that we have safe infusion rates to consider too, and some conversions to make, plus the added fun of knowing that some drugs can kill a tiny patient in very small miscalculations...and there you have it! All the joys of Peds math calculations!

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Specializes in Surgery, Ob/Gyn.
Because Ped's orders are usually written in mg/kg/dose, or based on body mass index, which is different than adult prescriptions and which adds an extra layer of calulations (which is usually done by the pharmacy but which the nurse must double check). Even when they aren't, and the order is for an exact amount: 250 mg q4h, you have to go to back out the order and double check that this is within the range that is correct for your pediatric patient, based on his weight. Add to that the fact that we have safe infusion rates to consider too, and some conversions to make, plus the added fun of knowing that some drugs can kill a tiny patient in very small miscalculations...and there you have it! All the joys of Peds math calculations!

that and you have the rehydration calculations to do, plus we had to draw and label injections sites, how much you can give in each site for pedis/infants, and 3 pros and cons to giving that particular amount in that site.

and throw on top of that our instructor does her calculations sort of backwards to everyone else, and you have a room full of confused people trying to learn how to do calcs. and also, they were inconsistent in their rules on rounding. I do believe it was the rounding instead of the actual ability to do the math that caused those 3 ppl to fail the test 3 times.

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:yeahthat: You are so right about the rounding errors. It was a source of confusion to us too! Plus when we calculated BSA, some of us were using the math formula and some of us were using some type of quick approximating tool we were allowed to use, I forget what it was called. It looked a little like the percentile charts for growth and you used a ruler to check across and get right answer. If we used the actual math formula (which I learned right away and used), then our answers were different from those who didn't. Thankfully, our instructors allowed both answers.

BSA [body Surface Area] calculations:

kg X cm / 3600 THEN DO SQUARE ROOT AND ANSWER IN METERS^2 {meters squared}

OR

if using inches and pounds: lbs X in./ 3131 THEN DO SQUARE ROOT AND ANSWER IN METERS^2 {meters squared}

FYI: If all of this seems overwhelming, its really not. :wink2: Its just a matter of learning a few new things and new terminology. Math for Meds, by Curren, teaches nursing math in very easy language, with lots of practice questions!!

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Holy crap!!!!!!!

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Specializes in Surgery, Ob/Gyn.

don't freak out. when you get there, you'll see how easy it is. its just basic algebra. its all looking at what you have, and what you need and not looking at the extra information thrown in there. For me, it helps to just try and do the problem myself, instead of listening to them show us how. Just do whatever works best for you

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Holy crap!!!!!!!

I don't know why, but this all looks worse on 'paper' (ie. on this thread)...remember that hundreds, if not thousands, of nurses with a lifelong fear of math have managed to catch on. I really mean it when I say that nursing does not use really hard math, its just important to be able to do it without making mistakes becuase mistakes can KILL in the real world. On those rare exams where we weren't allowed to use a calculator, there were no square roots (we could use calculators for BSA calculations), it was ALL just straight multiplying, subtracting and dividing with some metric conversions thrown in (which you simply must memorize), and remembering a few (not zillions) of easy formulas. Peds math can be the most involved of all, but it just builds on what you learned before you got there. All nursing-specific math is FAR easier than algebra and Stats, however. No comparison.

If you buy an easy how- to book, like Math for Meds or any others suggested here, they really explain and give examples in EASY language. Fear not...you all CAN all do this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :wink2: Remember, you lived through the pre-reqs and some of THEM were pretty tough too!

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Specializes in OB, NP, Nurse Educator.

Just wondering Ex-Techie if you passed your math test?

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

We had to get 100% our fourth and fifth semesters as well. We had 3 chances to do it or failed out of the program. I hate math just as much as the next person but....I totally understand because I sure wouldn't want someone giving me or my family meds when they were not sure what dose they were actually supposed to be giving or know what they were supposed to set my IV rate at. Good luck to you!!!

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The ADN program that I just graduated from gives meds and dosage exams every quarter, first and second year. If you don't pass it the first time you have to take a remediation class before taking it the second time. I don't know what happens if you fail the second one, as no one in my class did. The text that we used was Dosage Calculations, 7th Edition by Gloria D. Pickar and it was extremely helpful. It has easy to understand text, lots of practice questions, and comes with a CD too. I hope this helps. I understand your frustration with the big changes in your program, but I think that it's very important to prove competency with dosages...every day, nurses literally hold their patients lives in their hands.

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we have two math tests a semester. 1st semester have to pass with 90% have one other chance to pass or you are out. 2nd semster same thing. 3rd semester one test pass with 90%. Last semester 100%. There are several good books out there for dosage calculations. Math for Meds is one of them.

Just don't panic. Whether it is what you consider fair or not. It is the way it is. It gives you a good idea of what dosages should be and helps you with double checking yourself in the hospital

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