I want to be a nurse but im not good at math

[wizardwendy]

hello, so im just wondering, do i need to be good at math to be a nurse? im 15 years old and next year id be in senior high and i want to take the strand STEM which basically stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Im not really good at math but i want to be a nurse so i dont have a choice. also, i told my mom and my grandma that i want to be a nurse and when i become a nurse i would still study to be doctor so it wouldnt be too expensive and so i could support myself, my mom was okay about it but my grandma's response is discouraging. she said its too expensive and even as a nurse i wouldnt be able to afford it, she said kind of the same thing when i said i wanted to be a vet, she sait itd be too hard for me. please reply asap im really confuse and i want to do an advance studying. i really want to be a nurse because i promised my dad that if i become a nurse he dont have to go to the hospital every week and he could just stay home and ill take care of him. i still want to fulfill that promised even if he already passed away, i want to help other people too because i know how much it hurts losing someone. if my dad is still here, im sure hed support me for everything i want :)

[Have Nurse, ADN, RN]

Don't despair, Sweetheart! I wasn't the best in Math either. But there are general math courses you can take, and also, some colleges offer courses like Elementary Algebra and Math anxiety courses too. I had a terrible time with math as a child. I could add, subtract and multiply on paper, but not in my head. Division was a nightmare for me!

Part of it had to do with anxiety I had due to being told I was "stupid", by my First grade teacher. I never told my parents because in those days, one believed what ever the Teacher said.

It wasn't until I got into college that I took some extra courses such as the ones I mentioned above. It really helped. Now I can do all of what I need to do my job, including algebra.

Also, our brains are constantly developing new abilities as we get older so sometimes it's easier to learn at that time V.S. the younger years, for some that is.

Go for it!!

[djh123]

First things first: study math in high school, and graduate. But as far as math and nursing, generally speaking, you don't need to be a super math whiz. Yes, sometimes you do need to calculate something, but it's not what I call 'higher math'.

[pedi_nurse]

In all honesty, the older I get the more I realize that a good number of careers are about how much work you put into it and not about being "smart enough." You do NOT have to be a genius to be a doctor, but you DO have to work your tail off. And you need to be willing to continue to work hard throughout your career. As others have suggested, create those habits of hard work now, so that you can develop a solid foundation of knowledge and set yourself up to do well as the subjects get tougher. Sure, there are some careers where a certain aptitude for the field puts you ahead, but the majority of the time it is all about the effort you put in.

In other words, you can totally be a nurse OR a doctor, if you work for it.

[Alex_RN, BSN]

Nursing math is just arithmetic: multiplication, division, and ratios. Nothing fancy! You have to be comfortable working with the metric system and converting between different measurements, like milliliter to microliter. Really, don't worry about it. You will have plenty of time to practice these equations.

[Rocknurse, MSN, APRN, NP]

I am terrible at math, to the point where I would describe myself as numerically dyslexic. However, I've come to realize that it's more to do with my confidence than my ability. I decided, despite my fear, to give it a shot and I got an A for my undergraduate statistics class, even though I had to get a tutor. And then I got an A for my graduate statistics class that I did without a tutor. I realized that my perception of my abilities did not match with my actual ability. It was all fear. Give it a shot and try or you'll never know Get a tutor if you have to, and you'll feel much more confident.

[Meow278]

Hey, I had people who told me nursing was too hard as well. Honestly, the way they said it implied that they thought I couldn't do it. Don't let that hold you back from doing what you want to do in life. I let it affect me and here I am 30 years old just now realizing I can do this if I apply myself. And guess what? You can too.

If you are struggling in math I would ask your school if there is any extra tutoring you can do, or take the initiative and study what you don't understand by yourself. Start with YouTube and work your way through it. Today I just registered for my prerequisites for the nursing program at my local community college. I discovered they offer free tutoring - so that's another option. Check to see when you do apply if they offer free tutoring at wherever you go.

Also I don't think I'm very strong in math, but in those classes I plan on asking for help if I need it and putting in extra study time. My point is don't let not being strong in math worry you so much you have options for help!

[lifelearningrn, BSN, RN]

I was never good at math. I learned in college chemistry "dimensional analysis" and it was the most useful mathematic tool for nursing, as the math you encounter is usually conversions and basic arithmetic.

Yes, you can be a nurse! :)

[LPN1118]

I was a "C" student in high school and hated math. After graduation I just worked some regular jobs before going back to college a few years ago. I failed math the first time. It was an online class and I was clueless and honestly didn't put in the effort. When I repeated it, I noticed that each question had an example to help walk me through the process and with that and Googling I was able to pass. I'm sure the majority of us are not math whizzes but we passed and you can too.

Work hard now and try to get good grades in every class - this can help if your school offers scholarships and you will be eligible for them. Start off at a community college where the cost is much less to help you not go into debt. You can do it! don't let anyone tell you different. Good luck!

[lmichelle25, BSN, RN]

The good thing is that you at least have your mother's support. When I was a teenager, my mother was extremely discouraging and didn't pass up a chance to let me know how dumb I was or what I screw up I was. Needless to say, that wasn't helpful and took me a long time to get over. Fast forward a few years, I've gone back to school and made consistent A's in every college class, even in algebra and statistics. And there is plenty of help out there if you need it-in the form of tutoring, Kahn Academy, etc., so please don't think that a math class can keep you from becoming a nurse. You got this!

[applesxoranges, BSN, RN]

If you want to be a doctor, don't go to nursing school. Go to nursing school if you want to be an RN. There are easier ways to get into medical school and being a nurse will do you no favors.

[Leader25, ASN, BSN, RN]

I feel for you ,nothing worse than negative persons that discourage you.Turn a deaf ear and proceed.Concentrate on your studies and forget the rest of the negative remarks.Discuss with your guidance counselor your options and the path to it.What you study as a nurse is different than a doctor.I was afraid of math until a guidance counselor kept sending me on these job interviews requiring math,or getting tested for one type of job and they would offer me the accounting dept.I needed to believe in myself and focus.You will too,good luck.

[AnnieNP, MSN, NP]

You can do it!!! All of the positive and supportive comments here makes me smile!!!!