Has anyone ever failed out because the couldnt pass the math/dosage calc tests?

Nursing Students General Students

Published

Im soooo nervous, seems like its something that can make or break you. You do all this work just to get into NS and if you dont get 90% on one math test your out???

Anyone not good at math share some positivity...... I like calculators personally.

Anyone know of people who flunked out of a program because of this?

We had two out of 30 students fail out of the program from the med math test. We get three attempts to pass. Both of these students were so confident that they had passed the third time that neither double checked their work.

I'm mediorcre at math and these tests make me a nervous wreck, but I've always passed on my first attempt (so far). I'm reworking all the chapter tests in my med math book for practice. If you've made it thru statistics, you know you can pass a med math test!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Math needed for nurse usually consists of a few formulas where you then plug in the values. I personally found it challenging because I am so afraid of math. However, speaking as an experienced RN, I know that I always, always, always double-check my calculations.

Hospitals nowadays also have a double-verify list of meds where you must draw up your med, look at the order and then have it confirmed by another RN. Meds that are commonly double-verified include:

heparin

digoxin IV

insulin

many pediatric dosages

Good luck.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I can't tell you not to be nervous about it. I CAN tell you that most of the time first semester testing is heavily centered on conversions between systems, like grams to oz and so on. And also on order interpretation. The math part itself is relatively simple, but it's a conceptual thing. Putting it in the framework of nursing when you are still early enough in a program not to know exactly what that is, can be very hard on students. It was on me.

But I just finished my 3rd semester and am heading into my 4th and 4th math test as well. It can be done. Just hang in there, remember to study and learn the conversions/formulas and breathe ;)

Chadley

Up Vote Up Vote ×
You shouldn't be nervous at all. That's what gets people into so much trouble--nerves.

Why did that girl fail?? I don't know. We wondered why she didn't come to us for help. She had already failed one semester, so when she failed the math test she was out. Why don't people ask other people for help? I certainly loved helping fellow students out, and never hesitated to ask someone else when I needed it.

The last test was on titrations, amiodarone, heparin, theophylline...etc. They are harder to calculate, but still easy enough for you to do. You did far harder calculations in your math prereqs!

It's the 100% pass which'll make me nervous. 90% -- no sweat, but no mistakes allowed? Yikes! I'm reaaaaal good at math (two semesters of college Calc) so that's not the issue, just the pressure you're under to make no mistakes.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Policy, Emergency OR, Peds OR, CVOR.
It's the 100% pass which'll make me nervous. 90% -- no sweat, but no mistakes allowed? Yikes! I'm reaaaaal good at math (two semesters of college Calc) so that's not the issue, just the pressure you're under to make no mistakes.

my program has 100% required too..... to steal your expression.... Yikes!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Oncology/Haemetology/HIV.
Im soooo nervous, seems like its something that can make or break you. You do all this work just to get into NS and if you dont get 90% on one math test your out???

Anyone not good at math share some positivity...... I like calculators personally.

People are generally not naturally "good at math"...they had to work at becoming "good at math".

How does one become good at math? One practices. This means using a calculator ONLY to check work and to work things out by hand first. Your check book, etc.

You need to set the calculator to the side and LEARN THE MATH!!!!! Especially if you are going for FNP.

And yes, people do fail out of nursing school, from failing dose calculation tests. For good reason.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

My friend last year had to drop out and retake all of first semester courses this coming semester due to a failed dosage test. At her school one has to get 100% to pass and you get to try two times, but shheeeeesh! She had to start all over again when she had finished almost the whole semester.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Cardiac Care.
my program has 100% required too..... to steal your expression.... Yikes!

Same here. At the beginning of each semester, the students must pass the calculations with 80%; they have three tries to do it. In the last semester, the student must get 100%, but they still have three tries. If the student doesn't get it, they're dismissed.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

This is the scariest post I have ever read.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
This is the scariest post I have ever read.

Only some nursing schools make it tuff on students to pass a math test..At our school, in order to graduate students would have to make a 90% or higher to graduate..Just think about, if you were a patient in a hospital, would you want a nurse that did not know much about dosage calculations? How about overdosing a patient or miscalculating IV fluids? It is the benifit of the patient that nursing schools make it difficult for students to pass..

Up Vote Up Vote ×

If I can't pass that test, I don't want to be a nurse! I'd be a danger to other people.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
If I can't pass that test, I don't want to be a nurse! I'd be a danger to other people.

Thats true! We'd feel pretty dumb though. At least I would.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment