Received an "F" for a "B"!

Nurses General Nursing

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If anyone out there can offer me some advice, I'd be so grateful. I am in an accelerated second degree AAS program at a University in VA which I will not name.

I and 3 other students are currently battling the nursing department over "F" grades we received despite the fact that no on got less than a C+ in a class that ended July 31st. The reason for this is because the 4 of us did not obtain a 90% or higher by the third attempt at a 10 question dosage calculations quiz. Mind you the calculation of dosages is not taught at our school, it is considered the students responsibility to learn it themselves.

I don't understand how my overall grade of 85% can be reflected on my transcript as a "F" because of one dosage calculations quiz, which I got an 80% on. The four of us tried reasoning with the nursing staff and they basically told us tough cookies and see you next semester at a private Catholic school that costs $600 per credit! Additionally, our school has a policy where you get kicked out if you have to repeat more than 8 nursing credits.

Am I wrong to believe that this action taken was harsh and unfair? Is this just the nature of the nursing beast, or do I have a legitimate right to fight this. I sent emails to the dean and the grievance committee, but no one has responded. It has been 3 weeks.

Please help. I am ready to break down and quit, as I can't cry anymore than I already have. The callousness and cold-hearted nastiness of these ladies is absolutely mind-boggling to me.

Can anyone help?

If anyone out there can offer me some advice, I'd be so grateful. I am in an accelerated second degree AAS program at a University in VA which I will not name.

I and 3 other students are currently battling the nursing department over "F" grades we received despite the fact that no on got less than a C+ in a class that ended July 31st. The reason for this is because the 4 of us did not obtain a 90% or higher by the third attempt at a 10 question dosage calculations quiz. Mind you the calculation of dosages is not taught at our school, it is considered the students responsibility to learn it themselves.

I don't understand how my overall grade of 85% can be reflected on my transcript as a "F" because of one dosage calculations quiz, which I got an 80% on. The four of us tried reasoning with the nursing staff and they basically told us tough cookies and see you next semester at a private Catholic school that costs $600 per credit! Additionally, our school has a policy where you get kicked out if you have to repeat more than 8 nursing credits.

Am I wrong to believe that this action taken was harsh and unfair? Is this just the nature of the nursing beast, or do I have a legitimate right to fight this. I sent emails to the dean and the grievance committee, but no one has responded. It has been 3 weeks.

Please help. I am ready to break down and quit, as I can't cry anymore than I already have. The callousness and cold-hearted nastiness of these ladies is absolutely mind-boggling to me.

Can anyone help?

Sorry to hear that, but that is the rules. In our school we can't even continue our clinicals if you failed the calculation quiz. Come to think of it. If some student nurses can't do it, but they will let them graduate. It will be scary that nurses can't do the drug calculations.

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This is one in a long line of "unfairs" that you will encounter in nursing school. We had to take a calc test before each semester began and receive 90%, on 2 tries. We were also on our own to learn drug calcs. This is the norm at probably every school. However, our clinical advisors were more than willing to review anything, at any time. Best of luck to you.....

I don't think that being expected to pass the drug calc tes with 90 - 100% is "unfair". When it comes to the responsibility we have with meds-there is NO room for error. especially even more so when it comes to peds and neonatal. I would not want a nurse caring for my critially ill child or baby who could only get an 80% correct rate on a med test. When we have the privilege of the jobs we have, we have to take on the responsibility to know 100% for sure that we know our dosage calculations.

Sorry this sounds so harsh-but we have the lives of others in our care.

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At my nursing school, you had to get 100% on the drug calc test, or you were out of the program. However, it did not count against your GPA if you did fail it-you were just out of the program. :stone

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I don't think that being expected to pass the drug calc tes with 90 - 100% is "unfair". When it comes to the responsibility we have with meds-there is NO room for error. especially even more so when it comes to peds and neonatal. I would not want a nurse caring for my critially ill child or baby who could only get an 80% correct rate on a med test. When we have the privilege of the jobs we have, we have to take on the responsibility to know 100% for sure that we know our dosage calculations.

Sorry this sounds so harsh-but we have the lives of others in our care.

Was not meant to be taken literally, hence the quotes in "unfair".

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did not obtain a 90% or higher by the third attempt at a 10 question dosage calculations quiz.

I just have to ask :

Were you given this INFO BEFOREHAND ...I SURE HOPE SO but if not then perhaps you have a grievance

good luck to you

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I am in VA too hon! Oh, I feel for you! I just had my calculation test along with my classmates. Yes, I think every school is fairly similar. However, I want you to know that more than half my class failed. Yes, they have another chance...but man the pressure!

Nursing is your dream I am sure. Do whatever you can. If it means another semester or school to achieve it...do it!

Keep positive. Study hard! :stone

If anyone out there can offer me some advice, I'd be so grateful. I am in an accelerated second degree AAS program at a University in VA which I will not name.

I and 3 other students are currently battling the nursing department over "F" grades we received despite the fact that no on got less than a C+ in a class that ended July 31st. The reason for this is because the 4 of us did not obtain a 90% or higher by the third attempt at a 10 question dosage calculations quiz. Mind you the calculation of dosages is not taught at our school, it is considered the students responsibility to learn it themselves.

I don't understand how my overall grade of 85% can be reflected on my transcript as a "F" because of one dosage calculations quiz, which I got an 80% on. The four of us tried reasoning with the nursing staff and they basically told us tough cookies and see you next semester at a private Catholic school that costs $600 per credit! Additionally, our school has a policy where you get kicked out if you have to repeat more than 8 nursing credits.

Am I wrong to believe that this action taken was harsh and unfair? Is this just the nature of the nursing beast, or do I have a legitimate right to fight this. I sent emails to the dean and the grievance committee, but no one has responded. It has been 3 weeks.

Please help. I am ready to break down and quit, as I can't cry anymore than I already have. The callousness and cold-hearted nastiness of these ladies is absolutely mind-boggling to me.

Can anyone help?

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Specializes in ER (new), Respitory/Med Surg floor.

When I applied for the job I am at now I had to take a med dosage calculation test before I was hired. You really have to learn how to do it. I do not understand why your school was not teaching or offering a tutor for dosage calcuations. I loved algebra in school but it really is a different style of calculations.

melissa

Exactly. I enjoyed math in school and got mostly A's but going into nursing you sometimes need direction than expected to read and understand a book. That's awful. Calculations are important so why not teach students or give them the framework to do it. I'm not talking an entire class. Like I said before my program took only approx 2-3 hours the first days of the schooling to go over calcutions explaining typical problems that we would allways see in nursing specifically. This set it up for the entire program and after that no class time on it at all just taking the test every semester and forced to get 90% or better to go on. And of the 2 1/2 was working together problems out then asking questions. It just made it more clearer. I'm sure some can get what they need right out of books but makes it more clearer when you get some guidance. If not offered and you can't understand it like other's said see if the program offers tutors or go 1:1 with a teacher for help. Then do lots of practice problems.

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Specializes in ER (new), Respitory/Med Surg floor.
Dosage calculation is the equivalent of elementary algebra - taught to many 7 and 8th graders. So for all these nursing students having problems with dosage calc - what does that say about America's education system? Many fall through the cracks, esp when it comes to math.

This is what I don't understand. I would get As in math then my father would tell me to add certain numbers together, calculate percentages and I had a hard time doing it. I'm not dumb. He's a baby boomer and refered to it as "the new math" whatever that means but he learned tricks to remember calcutions in his head that I have no clue. I do med calculations fine but when I first started I needed just some explanation and practice took 2 hours and fine. It seems applying basic concepts to other situations I could not compute and I'm not alone. And the one major problem I had in all the math classes were the specific word problems. The nursing calculations for ex the gtt/min I needed some direction to get the grasp of it. Sorry I'm going on and on but I'm just pointing out there seems to be too many short cuts and calculators now but there's nothing wrong to include some lecture time to explain it. If it was so bad our education it would take more than 2 hours to grasp the idea. But I do see diferences. But then again my father also never learned south africa had a city with buildings and was not just huts in the wild during school. Yea.

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Specializes in Rural Health.

We are not taught dosage calculations. We are required to purchase a CD and book the 1st semester and we are "self taught" our 1st year off of those materials. We have tutors available if there is a problem and our teachers are awesome at helping you out...your 1st year...to keep your 90% average.

2nd year...different story. 100% on all med tests, which is 2-3 per week. You get 2 chances to get your 100%. Tutoring is not available and instructors are not so nice your 2nd year about helping you get it.

This system must work because in the 5 years they've been doing this, only 2 maybe 3 students have failed nursing school because of falling below the required percentage. It's not a system designed to make you fail, its a system designed to make you take responsiblity for learning what you need to learn.

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.
we are not taught dosage calculations. we are required to purchase a cd and book the 1st semester and we are "self taught" our 1st year off of those materials. ......it's not a system designed to make you fail, its a system designed to make you take responsiblity for learning what you need to learn.

the focus of nursing education for adult learners has shifted. instead of yesterdays shoveling in facts, memoriztion of facts and reguritation of same on tests/oral quizzes, adult education (influenced by second degree students) is designed for the student to take responsibility for learning what you need to know with goal of independent critical thinker.

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I have math anxiety, though I have had college algebra. I was reading this thread, and I got nervous! My school is 90%, like most schools here. At first I was kind of taken aback.....90% seems a bit harsh....but then I realized that mistakes in the math can be the difference between being helpful and seriously harming a patient. But I'm still anxious! :eek:

I ran a Google search "nursing drug calculations practice" and got a whole bunch of great websites where you can learn formulas and take practice quizes. I think the sites will be very helpful.

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I have math anxiety, though I have had college algebra. I was reading this thread, and I got nervous! My school is 90%, like most schools here. At first I was kind of taken aback.....90% seems a bit harsh....but then I realized that mistakes in the math can be the difference between being helpful and seriously harming a patient. But I'm still anxious! :eek:

I ran a Google search "nursing drug calculations practice" and got a whole bunch of great websites where you can learn formulas and take practice quizes. I think the sites will be very helpful.

Just wondering what the site is. I complete my clinical computations course last semester, but every semester we have to take and pass a dosage exam w/90% or above. I'm starting med/surg and patho on the 29th and have heard that the exam will be given the second week of school. Although I did extremely well in the class I know summer break has turned my mind into mush:rotfl: ! I wouldn't mind taking a few of the practice quizes to make sure I still have it.:rolleyes:

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