No calculators allowed as an RN?

[dancediva234]

My high school teacher, who is an RN, has made us use no calculators when converting temperatures to Fahrenheit to Celsius. I understand her reasoning for not allowing us since we are not allowed to on standard tests, but she is adamant as an RN that we are not allowed to use calculators in the Nursing field. Is this true? What is the reasoning behind it if it is true?

I don't understand the reasoning behind it if it is true. It is much easier to use the internet or a calculator to convert quickly and be precise. Perhaps she was trying to scare us.

[Lev, MSN, RN, NP]

What she is staying simply isn't true. Most if not all charting systems have built in calculators.

[Okami_CCRN, BSN, RN]

That is completely untrue, I work in critical care and use a calculator for just about everything from drip calculations to intake and output. Even when I sat for the NCLEX-RN exam a calculator was accessible in the computer window.

[meanmaryjean, DNP, RN]

Have your high school teacher call me and I'll 'splain it to him/ her.

[Luckyyou, BSN, RN]

Not only do I use a calculator on a daily basis, but I use the one on my PHONE. The horror!!

[WellThatsOod]

Not only do I use a calculator on a daily basis, but I use the one on my PHONE. The horror!!

*gasps*

[dancediva234]

You all made me laugh! Thank you for the answers. I was more than sure there were plenty of nurses out there who used their calculators. She is middle aged so she may just be old school about everything. She wouldn't even let us use out calculators on worksheets. We had to show ALL our work on how we go out answers from F to C, ml to L, oz to lbs, etc. The math is pretty easy but to write it ALL down for 20+ questions is ridiculous. I was about to go nuts in her class. :)

[FlyingScot, RN]

Not only do I use a calculator on a daily basis, but I use the one on my PHONE. The horror!!

I'm middle aged. What is this phone you speak of that comes with a calculator? 😜

[Spidey's mom, ADN, BSN, RN]

Be careful - many middle-aged nurses here.

In high school, I am a huge fan of learning to do everything long-hand. No calculators, ever. You are in high school and should be learning do to math without a calculator.

But she is wrong that we, as nurses, don't use calculators. We do.

However, I am glad I know how to do the calculations without a calculator because sometimes, we just don't have access to one. So, we need to know the fundamentals of how to calculate things by hand.

[BeachsideRN, ASN]

You all made me laugh! Thank you for the answers. I was more than sure there were plenty of nurses out there who used their calculators. She is middle aged so she may just be old school about everything. She wouldn't even let us use out calculators on worksheets. We had to show ALL our work on how we go out answers from F to C, ml to L, oz to lbs, etc. The math is pretty easy but to write it ALL down for 20+ questions is ridiculous. I was about to go nuts in her class. :)

You're in high school. You need to learn the dimensional analysis. What happens if, God forbid, there are no calculators or the internet around - you will still have to know how to get the answer. Fwiw. In my nursing program we have to show work for every single question on our medication dosing exam, even though we can use s Alcatel. Understanding HOW you got the answer is just as important as the answer

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

In real life, if you want to convert from Fahrenheit to Celsius or vice versa, hit the "F/C" button on the thermometer.

[Mavrick, BSN, RN]

The trials and tribulations of High School.

No, Grasshopper, you may not use a calulator until you have passed into middleagehood. Be grateful you still don't know how to use a slide rule.