IS nursing for me?

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hello guys! So, I've been working at the casino and doing part time care giving, for my great grandma, which i really enjoy. I thought, I'll transper my under the table care giving job, to a career. I've decided to go back to school and was thinking, of getting into the nursing career, since I loved that care giving experience. I've been doing my research and what nurses do on the job. I've read that you need a good amount of math skills to do iv and medication dosage. I'm HORRIBLE at counting and anything to do with numbers, Gives me the sweats and makes my brain hurt. I know it's important to be accurate with your math, since your dealing with someone life. I even have trouble doing simple counting adding and subtracting.. yes I know it's pathetic, but I've always wanted to be a nurse and have the motivation and dedication. Right now, I'm trying to get my feet wet, by getting into this LVN program, but feeling iffy. I would like some advice, from people who work as a rn. I think, I'll enjoy working as a Lvn and most likely do a bridge to rn if I like it.

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Specializes in Prior military RN/current ICU RN..

I think math is not your only problem. The grammar and run on sentences in your post are brutal.

Would you want a Doctor who was "horrible" at school? No you cannot be a nurse if you are "horrible" at adding and subtracting.

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Become a psych nurse in an inpatient unit that is non medical and uses a Pyxis. All medications are pre dosed so you just have to make sure you match up with the MAR. No IVs on my floor, therefore no complicated dosage calculations

But you will need to be able to pass pharm which includes med math. So you better be able to do simple addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. And you must take some algebra classes because med math uses a lot of it.

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Sorry my grammar isn't perfect. I'm at a point in my life, where I'm trying to turn it around.

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Become a psych nursearrow-10x10.png in an inpatient unit that is non medical and uses a Pyxis. All medications are pre dosed so you just have to make sure you match up with the MAR. No IVs on my floor, therefore no complicated dosage calculations

But you will need to be able to pass pharm which includes med matharrow-10x10.png. So you better be able to do simple addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. And you must take some algebra classes because med math uses a lot of it.

are you working as a Psych nurse right now?

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I'm not strong in my math skills either. Never have been. But, if you work really hard at it, it is possible to improve and get stronger. Start working on it now while on your own time and not under the time constraints of school. Buy your own workbooks. Use free websites. Check to see if there are night school classes for adults in your area and repeat a high school level class. If you really want to be a nurse, you'll have to put in the hard work to improve in this area. You will need to get to the point where you can work with basic algebra.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

If OP suffers from a learning disability that affects math ability, nursing school - or any healthcare profession - will be very difficult. I would encourage some type of formal testing to diagnose any underlying problems. Usually, school districts can provide the name of qualified diagnosticians. If this is the case, there are 'helping professions' on the social science side that may be a more realistic goal.

Wishing all the best as you move your education forward.

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Really what it will come down to, OP, is that you will go one of two ways. Either you will get better through practice and possibly tutoring, such that you will be successful in completion of math requirements and be able to get through dosage calculation exams.....OR.....you will not get past it and should reconsider your options.

Try the former.....then see how it works out.

Good luck!

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Specializes in ICU.

Here is what I see as your problem. You need to become semi-proficient in math in order to pass the math classes to even get into the program. I would find a tutor. Not all psych units have a pyxis. Not sure where that comment comes from, that somehow just go into psych nursing because no math is used? Not true. Find a tutor, start taking some basic math classes, and see where it goes from there. You will need skills of adding, subtracting, multiplication, and division at the very least. Just to become a LPN you will need that. You will need more skills to get into a RN program. Some require stats and some require college algebra. I had to do college algebra for my ADN program, but if I want to do a BSN program down the road, stats will be required.

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I would try remediation courses at a local community college. You'll want to possess better English skills (both reading, writing, and speaking) because many programs require application essays and interviews. The minimum level of math that most programs require is typically college algebra, if not precalculus, so do brush up on those.

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Specializes in Prior military RN/current ICU RN..

The OP did not say his math skills were just lacking. He stated he was "horrible at counting". This is not a person who has a few problems with algebra...apparently the OP has problems with 1,2,3,4 etc. I am just going by his post as I cannot assume anything other than what he states.

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Specializes in LTC, Med-surg.

HAHA ^ I laughed out loud at this sentence, "This is not a person who has a few problems with algebra...apparently the OP has problems with 1,2,3,4 etc." If this is true, OP, then you have a REAL problem.

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