Math in nursing school

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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How much math do nurses have to know? I'm in Pre-calculus as my math pre-req and I can't figure out how to practice..this BS is difficult. I feel like giving up, saying **** nursing, and blowing my brains out..

I mean really..

Did you guys have college algebra to worry about? Or Calculus I? I remember a community college in Washington state required Calculus I as a pre-req and I'm like why? Is it really that much math? Here at my school they only require college algebra(pre-calc I is 80% the same so pretty much an equivalent)..

And I think to myself...if I can't make it in this math class, I can't make it into nursing school...or through it...

I feel like breaking down and crying..

Also, was nursing school more practice and less memorization?

Like is it like biology where you can study stuff by reading or flashcards or writing or was it like math where you can't use flashcards or reading you just have to keep writing the equations?

check out pharmacology videos and dosage calculations on you tube, its not hard math! You will only learn how to do conversions and solve for x using fractions. Don't let fear hold you back!

A well known youtuber NurseNicole failed college algebra three times before starting her nursing courses. She graduated Nursing school and is now a working RN finishing a nurse practitioner program!

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Specializes in mental health / psychiatic nursing.

The math in nursing school isn't hard. I hated math most of my life, really struggled with it, and I haven't had problems scoring 100% on medication calculation exams. Most of what you need to know is "solve for x" word problem type questions, basic ratios, and basic addition/subtraction/multiplication/division.

Some understanding of statistics may also be beneficial for evaluating research when citing papers and journal articles, but I don't think all programs require this (mine does, but I'm at a research based institution).

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Specializes in LTC, Rehab.
Can nursing school, tests for dosage calculations and the like, really complicate the problems or are they pretty straight forward? Can they make it really, really difficult or does it get really, really difficult?

At least at my school, NO, the dosages & calculations tests (and we had to take one at the beginning of every subsequent semester to make sure we hadn't forgotten it) were not super hard.

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Can nursing school, tests for dosage calculations and the like, really complicate the problems or are they pretty straight forward? Can they make it really, really difficult or does it get really, really difficult?

Med dose calc questions are pretty straight forward. That is there is really only so many ways to ask a question.

Examples:

The physician ordered: Digoxin 250 mcg po qid. The label reads 1 tablet equals 0.25 mg. How many tablets will you administer to your patient?

The nonsteroidal medication naproxen (Naprosyn) has been prescribed for a patient, 1375 mg/day in divided doses. Each tablet contains 0.275 g. How many tablets equal this daily dose?

The order reads: Ketrolac gr iss. The ampule reads 0.06g per 1 ml. How many milliliters will you administer to the patient?

The label reads Heparin Sodium 10,000 USP Units/mL. The order is for Heparin 6,000 U q6h sc. How many milliliters will you administer to the patient?

The physician ordered 180 mg of Dilantin po q8h. The patient weighs 98 lb. The label of the drug reads 250 mg per 5 mL. How many milliliters will you adminster to this patient per dose?

More and answers: Nursing 823 Medication Dosage Practice Exam

As you can see as with any other word problem often you are given more information than required. That is there are things mentioned in the question that have nothing to do with how you will calculate the dosage. Your job is to separate out what is needed from what is not; set up the problem, then answer. Once having an answer knowing how to check if it is correct. Again pretty much standard primary and secondary school math.

Only way can think of for a school or even pre-employment exam to make things "difficult" is not allowing the use of a calculator or similar devices.

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Ugh I avoided the programs that required precalc, statistics is annoying enough and I have never been great at math. Is there an alternate you can attend that doesn't require the calc or do they all want it?

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Ugh I avoided the programs that required precalc, statistics is annoying enough and I have never been great at math. Is there an alternate you can attend that doesn't require the calc or do they all want it?

There's a community college who does an associates program that doesn't require statistics but having an associates would bar me from better opportunities.

I hope nursing schools teach you how to calculate right and help you succeed. I've heard some schools require you to get 100% on the test or you don't advance..

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There's a community college who does an associates program that doesn't require statistics but having an associates would bar me from better opportunities.

I hope nursing schools teach you how to calculate right and help you succeed. I've heard some schools require you to get 100% on the test or you don't advance..

Yea I'm going BSN but the Universities I looked into only had intro Statistics as the highest math I had to achieve. The rest I was like not happening because I excel at everything but high level math. It stinks only the associate programs don't want to torture you with math. Pitch a tent outside of tutoring. í ½í¸‚í ½í¸‚ I have to do that with statistics. I swear the know my footsteps by now. í ½í¸‚í ½í¸‚

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Specializes in Psychiatry, Community, Nurse Manager, hospice.

The most complicated math problems in nursing school are IV drip rates. If you know how to do dimensional analysis you are golden. If not, you can do it with ratios. It's only the simplest of algebra. Stuff I learned in 8th grade. In my school you have to pass a med math test with a 90% every semester before you are allowed to give meds. Every semester, some students fail it and have to retake it.

If you really hate math and chemistry, CRNA is probably not right for you. Worry about that later though. First, get through nursing school.

To really see what med math is like in nursing school, check out the book on pdf. Search henke's med math 7th ed pdf and you will find it. Download it. Or buy it really cheap, like for 5 bucks. You don't need the recent edition. It really teaches you how to do the problems and gives you a ton of practice.

Precalc is way, way harder than med math.

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Precalc is way, way harder than med math.

I hope you've taken Pre-calc to back that quote :cry:

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The most complicated math problems in nursing school are IV drip rates. If you know how to do dimensional analysis you are golden. If not, you can do it with ratios. It's only the simplest of algebra. Stuff I learned in 8th grade. In my school you have to pass a med math test with a 90% every semester before you are allowed to give meds. Every semester, some students fail it and have to retake it.

If you really hate math and chemistry, CRNA is probably not right for you. Worry about that later though. First, get through nursing school.

To really see what med math is like in nursing school, check out the book on pdf. Search henke's med math 7th ed pdf and you will find it. Download it. Or buy it really cheap, like for 5 bucks. You don't need the recent edition. It really teaches you how to do the problems and gives you a ton of practice.

Precalc is way, way harder than med math.

Is it also way harder than IV drip rates? If that's the hardest math, is there something that can also help with that too? Like youtube or khan academy or books or a special website that's better than all 3?

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My nursing school uses the book Calculate with Confidence. You can find it on Amazon. It's very helpful.

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I'm taking statistics this term because I thought I'd work on busting out some of my BSN prereqs prior to starting the ASN program just to have them done. This class has seriously made me consider switching fields entirely.

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