Is this universal or just my program?

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Just curiosity...

In my program we have a dosage calculation test on the first day of each semester. You must get 100% to pass, but you are allowed 3 attempts to do so. Each semester the questions are progressively more difficult.

I am now in fourth semester and about to graduate in May. We just lost 3 people from my class because they failed to achieve the 100% standard.

To be clear, none of these people failed for serious calculation errors, they failed for things like not circling their answers or in one case a labeling mistake.

I understand the point of the 100% standard but...I feel like all of this testing should have been completed by the end of second semester.

The people who are failing out are only 8 weeks from graduation and it just seems so unfair.

Any insight?

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

We have this same policy. I just took my last dosage calc exam today. We get 3 tries also and have to pass with 100% and always take it right before we start clinicals. I honestly don't have a problem with the way it's done. You get 3 chances. You don't want a nurse that gets her dosage calculation right 90% of the time or any other percent other than 100. I mean by semester 4 you obviously know how to do the math, the math doesn't change. It's just a matter of taking the time to make sure you didn't make any dumb mistakes and triple check your work.

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We had 2 tries in my program. People failed for not circling, rounding, labeling, etc. If they say circle your answer...circle your answer.

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Thanks for the responses, and I do agree that 3 chances should be enough...Just sad to lose some great people when we are so close.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
Thanks for the responses, and I do agree that 3 chances should be enough...Just sad to lose some great people when we are so close.

It is hard. We lost majority of our students first year. Thankfully as the semesters go on and people get closer we have lost less people. I have been fortunate to not lose any of the people I am close with. Granted I am only close with 2 people. LOL One girl in my class had a close group of like 5 people, she is the only one left. That had to be really hard on her.

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We have the same policy. 3 tries to get 100%. I am not sure they are super strict about labels and stuff but I am not sure since I have always passed! Next week is my LAST dosage test!! woo!

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.
We have the same policy. 3 tries to get 100%. I am not sure they are super strict about labels and stuff but I am not sure since I have always passed! Next week is my LAST dosage test!! woo!

It will feel so great to have it done. Today it was so nice to know I won't have to do another one!!!!

I remember 1st semester when we had the dosage calc and even returns, even though we got more than 1 shot, we would get so freaked out and worked up over it. Now, it's like, oh well, if I have to come back no biggie. I think just that alone, takes off the pressure and I know more people pass the first time around now than used to. Today our last dosage calc only 4 people have to come back to take it. For dumb mistakes too, not that they didn't understand the math. But they weren't upset at all.

I think first semester half the class had to come back because they were so dang nervous. I only had to come back my second exam (out of 5 total) and it was from inverting 2 of my numbers. An error I could have easily avoided had I double checked my work. Which I did after that.

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Took my dosage calc test on Monday. We also need to get 100%. However, its not given on the first day of class. School started in January. We have 3 shots at it as well. There are instructions given with the test, example, round to 10th or to the whole number for such and such, so I make sure to pay close attention to the instructions

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We had the same policy. That policy just ended Fall 2010. Before we had 3 chances to pass or we were out of the program. First semester we had to make at least a 90. Second-Fifth semester we had to make at least a 95. I have no idea why they got rid of it. Now the policy is 2 math (dosage) questions per test.

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Yeah, we've got a ten question test with a 90% required to pass. You get one retest. However, before you take the test you get to review what's on it a couple days earlier.

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Specializes in Ortho, Neuro, Detox, Tele.

it's not fair, but that's the way it is. If you don't label, circle, etc. you may make a error even if the number is right. If you got somthing other than ml/hr for a IV pump, maybe you'd misprogram it. It sucks but that's the way school works. I hear ya, I had to try the 3rd time during the first doseage test...I was so afraid I was gonna fail! you do have to look out for number one during school though, so good job on getting through!

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We had the same policy. That policy just ended Fall 2010. Before we had 3 chances to pass or we were out of the program. First semester we had to make at least a 90. Second-Fifth semester we had to make at least a 95. I have no idea why they got rid of it. Now the policy is 2 math (dosage) questions per test.

We have dosage problems on every test as well.

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