Just wondering if doing math in head is really important? I consider myself fairly good in math(80s in calculus).I can do subtraction, addition,divide, multiplication when I write them down but when it comes to doing it in my head, I just cannot do it. Is it really an impediment in nursing school/nursing career? I tried using Khan academy but they just show videos...
Have you met someone that has a same problem as me? What should I do?
Math was easily my strongest academic subject back in the day. I'd average 99-100% most semesters. I loved physics, too.
But I am not great at mental arithmetic. I would never, ever rely on it where dosing is concerned (except for simple things, e.g. 650 mg APAP = two 325 tabs; or labetalol which I give nearly every day and know is 5 mg/ml, so for 20 mg will count 5, 10, 15, 20 as I draw up to the 4 ml mark on the syringe). First of all, it's not a vital part of nursing; my husband is a human calculator and is an overall brilliant guy, but he wouldn't make a good nurse--by his own admission. Second, pts' lives depend on our accuracy, not on our pride. If you harm a pt by an incorrect dose, the fact that you did it in your head will mean nothing. On the contrary, you know that you have a limitation in this area, and so NOT using a pen or calculator to me seems negligent. Do what you need to get the dose correct.
Being able to do math in your head will certainly make things a lot faster. Pretty easy to figure out 325 + 325 = 650. And 650 x 4 = 2400
Being able to make out simple calculations in your head is valuable. The following three calculations are the most common ones to go through in nursing.
1) 2 + 2 = 4
2) 6 + 8 = 14
4) 8 + 9 = 19
It goes a long way because you aren't always needing to do it on paper. Just remember that if you aren't 100% sure then it is better to do it on paper. Contrary to what some people think, 650 x 4 is not 2400, but rather 2600. And 8 + 9 makes 17, not 19. If you didn't catch that earlier, you might need to write things down. You also should have caught that I skipped a third item on that list and jumped immediately to item 4.
Being able to do math in your head will certainly make things a lot faster. Pretty easy to figure out 325 + 325 = 650. And 650 x 4 = 2400
Being able to make out simple calculations in your head is valuable. The following three calculations are the most common ones to go through in nursing.
1) 2 + 2 = 4
2) 6 + 8 = 14
4) 8 + 9 = 19
It goes a long way because you aren't always needing to do it on paper. Just remember that if you aren't 100% sure then it is better to do it on paper. Contrary to what some people think, 650 x 4 is not 2400, but rather 2600. And 8 + 9 makes 17, not 19. If you didn't catch that earlier, you might need to write things down. You also should have caught that I skipped a third item on that list and jumped immediately to item 4.
You're like one of those games on the back of a child's place mat at a restaurant.
The thing that messes me up is when the MDs start writing dosages as formulas, time how long it takes you to solve for x, then have one of their PAs check my work. That really burns my biscuits.
Specializes in Care Coordination, MDS, med-surg, Peds.
with VItal signs it is easier to simply count the pulse or respirs for one minute!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NO MATH NEEDED!!!
you can spend 60 seconds with a patient. Even if you did the pulse, the respirs for one minute each and then the BP and temp, so you may only spend 5 minutes or less, not hard, right?!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.
There's not a thing wrong with calculating on paper if you need to do it. As far as vital signs go, you probably would write them down on a piece of paper anyway, so you don't forget them before you get to record them officially. Just calculate what you need to calculate when you write things down.
Besides, as far as vital signs go, it's often recommended to count them for a full minute rather than multiplying what you get for a shorter period of time.
I was awful, AWFUL at math in high school and college. I used to sit at my kitchen table and cry because I thought I'd never get it. Nursing math is easy peasy for me...if you can do calculus you can certainly set up simple algebra and ratio/proportion. I do set mine up on paper occasionally just to see it laid out but I usually just use a calculator on the computer toolbar. If it's a peds calculation I have someone double check the math with me. It's not bad.
As far as vitals, it seems hard at first, but keep doing them and it will seem like second nature eventually. When I was doing CNA training I had an old cranky LPN tell me I'd never be a nurse because I struggled the first few times I tried a manual BP. Well, here I am.
You will do fine. Mental math is not particularly important in nursing. In school you will do calculations on paper and in real life you will use a calculator. However, if you never thoroughly learned multiplication tables then I would suggest trying to learn them in your free time just because its a helpful thing to know for life in general.
Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
Thanks guys. What about doing vital signs, taking blood pressure? I feel like if I can't calculate on spot, I'll be embarrassed. Should I let the professor know before hand? I'll be starting the nursing program in September.
What you should be doing is enjoying the summer, before your life revolves around nursing school.
I am actually good at mental math, but I still calculate my numbers on paper. What I use mental math for is primarily doing a rough estimate in my head after I solved the problem on paper/calculator. My mental math is more of a "does that make sense for an answer" double check.
Thank goodness for calculators because I certainly do not have my multiplication tables memorized thoroughly....but I never have really felt hindered in life by this. Clearly I was born in the right decade or I would have been in big trouble!
Pumpkinn
129 Posts
Good question, I'm here to watch the replies :)