Nursing Maths

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Hi guys, Im Lacie and Im writing from Sydney, Australia and i was wondering if there was anyone out there in the middle of their Enrolled nursing program?

Im hoping to get into the program this coming June but we have to do a exam in maths and comprehension and do well to get accepted. :crying2:

Im very worried about the exam as I haven't sat for an exam in eleven years and I sooooooo badly want to be accepted. I want this more than anything. I sooooooo badly want to be a nurse. I was wondering if there was anyone who might be able to shed some light on the exam and questions they ask u? any help whould be appreciated.

I hope you guys are all enjoying your studies.......................

Lacie

One of the things I've noticed from other posts is that various schools and locations seem to use different exams to qualify students for entrance to nursing schools. But as a general rule, there is some commonality about the level of competence they expect a student nurse to have.

I took the test on a whim with a friend, and I did very well. However, I also enjoy math and science, am married to a man who does too, and so we enjoy lots of thinking type entertainment--reading, TV, and talking. So my mind is already set for doing arithmetic in my head for my own amusement.

I realize this is not everybody's choice idle activity, though. :rotfl:

Check the book stores for a preparation book. The ones with sample tests and answers worked the best for me when I was preparing for skills assessment tests some years back, and I have bought several as gifts for my kids and friends when they were anticipating such exams.

Barron's and ARCO are the publishers with which I am familiar, and I can comfortably recommend them. Working those tests will give you an idea of your skills level, where you might need some extra practice and mostly will help to relieve your worries about the type of questions you will be asked. Use a timer and only give yourself the same amount of time as they will give you (you can trust the book's suggested amount of time). You can always go back and look at those questions you didn't get to, but you will see if you need to speed up, you can slow down, or what the value will be of skipping stuff you don't know--or would take longer to answer--and coming back. This maximizes your score because the questions are typically all worth the same number of points.

The more questions you actually answer, the better your chances for a higher score. (Unless they tell you that you will lose points for "guessing"--never heard of that with a nursing exam, but in some other settings--where a wrong answer counts against you more than a right one counts for you--never leave an answer blank. If there are four choices in a multiple choice question, picking SOMETHING gives you at least a 25% chance of getting the points. Picking nothing assures you of getting nothing for that question.

If you have recently taken your prereqs (within the last couple of years, anyway), the odds are good you will do well enough on the sciences. As for the math portion, if memory serves (I took the test about 2 years ago), if you can do basic math (they give you scratch paper and a pencil, but, I think, no calculator--ask them if this makes a difference to your frame of mind, so you won't be shocked and do worse because of that), you will be able to do these questions. What they used to call "story questions," the ones where you are presented with info and asked to construct and solve the problem for the answer, were, in my opinion, the most challenging (and most satisfying, but that's me... :p )

Good luck!

I took two different exams for two different colleges to get into a program. The math and comprehension was basically the same. It basically consisted of first your basics, decimals, dividing, multiplication and then went into word problems including ratios and quite a bit of problem solving. They also had questions on geometry. I had been out of school for ten years and I really freaked out when I had to take the tests. What helped me is I ordered the Pre-RN NCLEX study guide (you can get it off the web) and it was a review over everything and it really helped. It took a while to remember everything, but they have all the practice tests with the answers so it really helped me. I am sure there are other ways, but this is the route I took. The book also includes verbal comprehension and science, physics, etc. as most colleges also include those on their exams.

Nurse Maths

Hi Dramaluvr :)

Thanks for the good advice. I think Im just abit scared of taking the exam. I haven't sat for a exam in 11 years :imbar

The thought of doing a test is scaring me to death. But i really want this so I just keep pressing onwards. I to am a mother of a two year old boy and a 31 year old husband :chuckle and both are very supportive. I have bought some work books in maths and english and are working through them. Its very surprising what you forget (just about all of primary school)but also how quikly you pick it up.

Good luck to you and keep in touch with your progress

Regards Lacie :p

I took two different exams for two different colleges to get into a program. The math and comprehension was basically the same. It basically consisted of first your basics, decimals, dividing, multiplication and then went into word problems including ratios and quite a bit of problem solving. They also had questions on geometry. I had been out of school for ten years and I really freaked out when I had to take the tests. What helped me is I ordered the Pre-RN NCLEX study guide (you can get it off the web) and it was a review over everything and it really helped. It took a while to remember everything, but they have all the practice tests with the answers so it really helped me. I am sure there are other ways, but this is the route I took. The book also includes verbal comprehension and science, physics, etc. as most colleges also include those on their exams.

I've spent some time on both Amazon and Barnes and Noble looking for the Pre-RN NCLEX Study Guide with no luck. If you have the chance, could you please let me know where you found it? It sounds like it was a big help to you. Does it have some microbiology and chem tutorials in it? I had gotten another one, but I've prefer something affiliated with the NCLEX people.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Katherine

I've spent some time on both Amazon and Barnes and Noble looking for the Pre-RN NCLEX Study Guide with no luck. If you have the chance, could you please let me know where you found it? It sounds like it was a big help to you. Does it have some microbiology and chem tutorials in it? I had gotten another one, but I've prefer something affiliated with the NCLEX people.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Katherine

Look on Amazon and it is called RN Pre-Entrance EXAM (that is the name of the book). It is by Mary E. McDonald so if you cannot find the title. To answer your other question the book includes verbal questions, comprehension, math, geometry, pre-algebra, algebra, ratios, chemistry, science, biology, physics - all the stuff they sometimes question you to gain entrance into a nursing school. I hope this helps. The book is from the National League For Nursing.

Angie:)

Thanks Drama! It turns out that I've already got it! :chuckle Boy, I'm glad I've checked with you all as I was considering returning it to get something made by those who did the NCLEX. It's great that I don't have to return it because we live a little ways from the B&N that I bought it at. That's why I love Amazon home delivery; I've found them to be a bit cheaper, too.

Thanks again!

Katherine

Well, after I did some looking around and discovering that I have the book that Dramaluvr was talking about (sorry if I got your name wrong :)), I looked at the ratings it got from Amazon and they don't look very good. The book got an overall 3 out of 5, and some of the comments stated that the book was a waste of money and paper (for what that's worth). I don't know, when I got the book from B&N, it looked fairly comprehensive, covering more subjects than other test books. Have other people used this book and found it helpful?

Not that I'm doubting Dramaluvr, I'm just curious if others have used this book.

Thanks!

Katherine

Well, after I did some looking around and discovering that I have the book that Dramaluvr was talking about (sorry if I got your name wrong :)), I looked at the ratings it got from Amazon and they don't look very good. The book got an overall 3 out of 5, and some of the comments stated that the book was a waste of money and paper (for what that's worth). I don't know, when I got the book from B&N, it looked fairly comprehensive, covering more subjects than other test books. Have other people used this book and found it helpful?

Not that I'm doubting Dramaluvr, I'm just curious if others have used this book.

Thanks!

Katherine

I know you wanted to hear from others. I will just tell you how it helped me. I had been out of school for ten years and was looking for something to refresh my memory. It explained all the math and gave overviews of the essential basics in chemistry, etc, as well as giving practice tests which are like the ones given in the actual RN exams. When taking the RN entrance exams most schools expect a composite score of 100 to enter and I feel I did well with the help of this book, scoring a 125. I have been offered entrance to two different nursing schools. Hope this helps.:)

I think it all depends on how long you have been in school and what you already know. For me I couldn't remember much and the practice tests really helped me.

hi, my name is Rafael (call me rafa). I am finding the forum really helpful. I am taking the entrance exam on April 3rd in NYC and I am extremely anxious. I have studied using the Barron's book and i decided to order the book you are talking about by Mary McDonald yesterday. I hope it would arrive soon since I only have 2 weeks. I have been out of school for 10 years. I am Spanish and with a Degree in Nursing in the UK but I want to get a license in NYC where I live.

Did you guys find the test easy or difficult?

By the way, has anyone tried the chat room? it is good, well designed but hardly anybody there.

I know you wanted to hear from others. I will just tell you how it helped me. I had been out of school for ten years and was looking for something to refresh my memory. It explained all the math and gave overviews of the essential basics in chemistry, etc, as well as giving practice tests which are like the ones given in the actual RN exams. When taking the RN entrance exams most schools expect a composite score of 100 to enter and I feel I did well with the help of this book, scoring a 125. I have been offered entrance to two different nursing schools. Hope this helps.:)

I think it all depends on how long you have been in school and what you already know. For me I couldn't remember much and the practice tests really helped me.

Thanks for your input Drama... it's great to know an actual person who's used this and what they were able to acheive on an entrance exam. I'm going to use it, and I hope it works for me, too! :)

Katherine

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