LPN school starts MOnday!! arghh

Cherry2 · Apr 20, 2007

Oh I am so jealous! My program doesn't start till September...

I have been doing dosage calculations in my math classes this term and they aren't too bad. I need a lot more practice, but I am sure I will get lots, lol.

Good luck with school- let me know how it goes!

Deac Jn · Apr 23, 2007

I really identify with the math "issues". Math was NEVER a subject I could fell comfortable with. But having just graduted from Nursing school, I was blessed with a great teacher who gave us just a few formulas that work in just about every situation.

Part of the process of going throuhg school I found out was learing to read the questions. i know that sounds self explanatory, but believe me it's not. For some reason the usual way to ask test questions often times goes out the window in nursing school! It's not always tricky, but often just the way the question is asked. I usually 'read' too much into the question and tried to do things that were not asked for...

That said, I purchased lots of extra help books on math, spent the entire summer teaching myself ways to solve problems etc. To no avail. But in one class my teacher taught us how to read the question, see what is being asked for and use the formulas (that you too will learn) to solve the problem.

One thing to always do: ALWAYS write out the formula for the problem you are working on ALWAYS. doing this keeps you honest to the problem and provides a road map of where you need to go to solve what is being asked of you.

last, as much as i said I will never use this stuff...it is still used, take time to learn it. It is as much a skill to master as any other clinical skill you will be learning. That's a good way to look at it. I you can learn to insert a Foly catheter, you can learn to solve math problems.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Apr 23, 2007

The math is not so bad once you strart working on it, but, I am a poor math student myself, so, I totally understand your fear. I shocked myself by getting an A in the dosage calculations class, and yet, now, after having received my license and have no reason to study, I have forgotten most of the formulas except for the extreme basic ones. And, please, do not ask me about how to calculate a pediatric dosage anymore...I just may pass out!! But, the key is to keep working at the examples, and know that there are several formulas. Pick ONE and stick with that one at all times. That made it easier to me.