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.
Specializes in Telemetry/CVU/CICU/CVICU/Neuro-ICU/SICU.
Ok I Have To Disagree With Many People On This For Many Reasons!!! First Of All There Is No Reason At All That The School Should Not Be Teaching Certain Things!! That Is Unacceptable!! I Feel Like This.... If I Am Paying My Hard Earned Money Or Taking Out Loans To Recieve A Degree, I Better Be Getting What I Am Paying For! I Agree That You Should Fight And Do Whatever It Takes To Appeal Your Grade For The Simple Fact That It Was Not Taught To The Students!! I Think Like This.. You May Have Picked Up Ten Books.. And Studied Your Butt Off, But I Feel That The Teacher When Making The Test Try To Find Ways To Challenge Students.. I Think The Teacher Needs To Teach So The Students Can Have A Better Of Idea Of What Exactly Is The Teacher Thinking!! I Don't Really Know How To Explain What I Am Trying To Say!! I Already Know That Many Are Going To Throw Me In The Pitts Of Hell For Saying This But O Well!!! At My Nursing School Things Are A Little Different, Much Different Than What I Have Been Reading. In Our Pharm Class We Have Cal And Doses Test (2) And They Are Worth 40 Percent Of Your Total Grade! Basically You Have To Pass Those Test. In Addition Cal And Dosage Questions Also Appear On Our Pharm Test And They Are Nothing Like In The Book I Tell You That!! At Our School However, The Teachers Really Teach Cal And Dosages In Pharmacology Lab And We Practice Them Regularly. Pharmacology Lab Is Extremely Wonderful At Our School As Well As Skills Lab Which We Practice Meds For Our Main Classes!! Now I Am Not Saying That Making Below 1oo Percent Is Good And That You Should Lower Your Standards..but I Do Believe That Fair Is Fair!! You Want A Student To Make 100 Percent...then Get Off Your High Horse, Stop Being Lazy And Teach It!! Nursing Education In Itself Is A Lot To Learn No Matter How Much Patho, Chem, Nutrition, Anatomy/phys, Math You Have. I Dont Know About How You Guys Schools Are But We Have Lab, Skills Lab, And Seminar Added To Each One Of Our Nursing Courses In Addition To Spotlight On Every Monday. It Is A Lot Of Work To Do!! So Sometimes Independently Studying Doesn't Work For Everyone!! And I Personally Feel That If The Instructor Teaches The Material Then There Is No Need To Go That Extra Mile. All You Should Have To Do Is Practice What You Have Been Taught And Seek Additional Help If Necessary. I Guess That Is Apart Of Your Schools Weeding Out Process, I Don't Know But Whatever It Is .. Do What You Have To Do To Get Yourself Out Next Semester! I Hate That You Have To Go Through Another Semester But If You Want Nursing You Will!! If You Are Still Thinking Of Appealing Try Academic Affairs... Appeal Through Them..maybe You Can Get Something Accomplished Through Them!! If Not Then Suck It Up And Just Handle Your Business!! Sorry For Any Misspelled Words...and I Know I Am About To Hear It!!! (bring It)
I haven't had to do anything but basic division in the hospitals, but I don't peds or infants. Do peds and infants nurses have to go into grains and such smaller proportions?
No, I work in Neonatal ICU and have never seen anything like that. Since nursing school, I haven't even HEARD someone mention grains or drams or anything weird like that. It's milligrams (mg), micrograms (mcg), and milliequivalents (meq) - that's it. Our doses are much smaller than an adult doses but that's about it. Everything is based on the infant's weight though, so it is a much more math-oriented kind of nursing.
Ok I Have To Disagree With Many People On This For Many Reasons!!! First Of All There Is No Reason At All That The School Should Not Be Teaching Certain Things!! That Is Unacceptable!! I Feel Like This.... If I Am Paying My Hard Earned Money Or Taking Out Loans To Recieve A Degree, I Better Be Getting What I Am Paying For! I Agree That You Should Fight And Do Whatever It Takes To Appeal Your Grade For The Simple Fact That It Was Not Taught To The Students!! I Think Like This.. You May Have Picked Up Ten Books.. And Studied Your Butt Off, But I Feel That The Teacher When Making The Test Try To Find Ways To Challenge Students.. I Think The Teacher Needs To Teach So The Students Can Have A Better Of Idea Of What Exactly Is The Teacher Thinking!! I Don't Really Know How To Explain What I Am Trying To Say!! I Already Know That Many Are Going To Throw Me In The Pitts Of Hell For Saying This But O Well!!! At My Nursing School Things Are A Little Different, Much Different Than What I Have Been Reading. In Our Pharm Class We Have Cal And Doses Test (2) And They Are Worth 40 Percent Of Your Total Grade! Basically You Have To Pass Those Test. In Addition Cal And Dosage Questions Also Appear On Our Pharm Test And They Are Nothing Like In The Book I Tell You That!! At Our School However, The Teachers Really Teach Cal And Dosages In Pharmacology Lab And We Practice Them Regularly. Pharmacology Lab Is Extremely Wonderful At Our School As Well As Skills Lab Which We Practice Meds For Our Main Classes!! Now I Am Not Saying That Making Below 1oo Percent Is Good And That You Should Lower Your Standards..but I Do Believe That Fair Is Fair!! You Want A Student To Make 100 Percent...then Get Off Your High Horse, Stop Being Lazy And Teach It!! Nursing Education In Itself Is A Lot To Learn No Matter How Much Patho, Chem, Nutrition, Anatomy/phys, Math You Have. I Dont Know About How You Guys Schools Are But We Have Lab, Skills Lab, And Seminar Added To Each One Of Our Nursing Courses In Addition To Spotlight On Every Monday. It Is A Lot Of Work To Do!! So Sometimes Independently Studying Doesn't Work For Everyone!! And I Personally Feel That If The Instructor Teaches The Material Then There Is No Need To Go That Extra Mile. All You Should Have To Do Is Practice What You Have Been Taught And Seek Additional Help If Necessary. I Guess That Is Apart Of Your Schools Weeding Out Process, I Don't Know But Whatever It Is .. Do What You Have To Do To Get Yourself Out Next Semester! I Hate That You Have To Go Through Another Semester But If You Want Nursing You Will!! If You Are Still Thinking Of Appealing Try Academic Affairs... Appeal Through Them..maybe You Can Get Something Accomplished Through Them!! If Not Then Suck It Up And Just Handle Your Business!! Sorry For Any Misspelled Words...and I Know I Am About To Hear It!!! (bring It)
Argh! Your post gives me ADD! :chuckle Give that pinkie a rest and skip the shift key a little, will ya?
Specializes in ED, Cardiac Medicine, Retail Health.
Was the policy stated, and in writing before you started the program? Every semester we have a dosage calc test and you must get an 80. If you fail after two tries then you are out of the program. Dose calc questions are even in the regular nursing exams. I guess its something that never goes away nor should it. I hope that everything goes well for you.
The math required for Nursing calculations is basic math...on the level that should have been taught in grade school, along with basic reading and writing.
As well as the fact that most (if not all) Nursing schools require one to take either a math course or pass a math test prior to admission.
Therefore, there is very little excuse for not passing a drug calculation test, nor should a college/University be required to teach you math anymore than it should teach reading or writing...something that one should already know or one should not have qualified for or entered the accelerated Nursing program
Same thing here...I just graduated from LPN school last December and we had 3 tries to pass with an 85% on our pharm calc test. It was 100 questions. 1/3 of the clall failed the first time. Not only that, but I had to take a pharm calc test when I got hired at my job. I'm glad I still could retrieve this stuff from high school (mind you I'm 42 and its been awhile) because I don't think the school did good job teaching it. BUT, had I needed to, I would have hired a tutor to teach it to me.
Bottom line - which others have stated - math calc are VERY IMPORTANT and can cause death if done wrong. I work in LTC and still have to do calcs. Sometimes they are done for me, but I still double check them.
That being said, please keep at it and try again. Maybe you had test anxiety, maybe you need some tutoring. Whatever it is, stick with it if you really want to be a nurse.
Ok I Have To Disagree With Many People On This For Many Reasons!!! First Of All There Is No Reason At All That The School Should Not Be Teaching Certain Things!! That Is Unacceptable!! I Feel Like This.... If I Am Paying My Hard Earned Money Or Taking Out Loans To Recieve A Degree, I Better Be Getting What I Am Paying For! I Agree That You Should Fight And Do Whatever It Takes To Appeal Your Grade For The Simple Fact That It Was Not Taught To The Students!! I Think Like This.. You May Have Picked Up Ten Books.. And Studied Your Butt Off, But I Feel That The Teacher When Making The Test Try To Find Ways To Challenge Students.. I Think The Teacher Needs To Teach So The Students Can Have A Better Of Idea Of What Exactly Is The Teacher Thinking!! I Don't Really Know How To Explain What I Am Trying To Say!! I Already Know That Many Are Going To Throw Me In The Pitts Of Hell For Saying This But O Well!!! At My Nursing School Things Are A Little Different, Much Different Than What I Have Been Reading. In Our Pharm Class We Have Cal And Doses Test (2) And They Are Worth 40 Percent Of Your Total Grade! Basically You Have To Pass Those Test. In Addition Cal And Dosage Questions Also Appear On Our Pharm Test And They Are Nothing Like In The Book I Tell You That!! At Our School However, The Teachers Really Teach Cal And Dosages In Pharmacology Lab And We Practice Them Regularly. Pharmacology Lab Is Extremely Wonderful At Our School As Well As Skills Lab Which We Practice Meds For Our Main Classes!! Now I Am Not Saying That Making Below 1oo Percent Is Good And That You Should Lower Your Standards..but I Do Believe That Fair Is Fair!! You Want A Student To Make 100 Percent...then Get Off Your High Horse, Stop Being Lazy And Teach It!! Nursing Education In Itself Is A Lot To Learn No Matter How Much Patho, Chem, Nutrition, Anatomy/phys, Math You Have. I Dont Know About How You Guys Schools Are But We Have Lab, Skills Lab, And Seminar Added To Each One Of Our Nursing Courses In Addition To Spotlight On Every Monday. It Is A Lot Of Work To Do!! So Sometimes Independently Studying Doesn't Work For Everyone!! And I Personally Feel That If The Instructor Teaches The Material Then There Is No Need To Go That Extra Mile. All You Should Have To Do Is Practice What You Have Been Taught And Seek Additional Help If Necessary. I Guess That Is Apart Of Your Schools Weeding Out Process, I Don't Know But Whatever It Is .. Do What You Have To Do To Get Yourself Out Next Semester! I Hate That You Have To Go Through Another Semester But If You Want Nursing You Will!! If You Are Still Thinking Of Appealing Try Academic Affairs... Appeal Through Them..maybe You Can Get Something Accomplished Through Them!! If Not Then Suck It Up And Just Handle Your Business!! Sorry For Any Misspelled Words...and I Know I Am About To Hear It!!! (bring It)
So, you want a piece o' me??!! Just kidding. :-)
For me I felt like the math took away precious lecture time. The only thing I needed to know was the required conversions, which could have been given on piece of paper, and the drop rate formula, which could have been given in lab when we were learning the fun manual drip. I think the poster would have a point of contention if none of these were told to her, and she failed on conversions she had never heard of. If it was anything like my test, it something I could do by middle school, so frankly, I'd worried if she had a problem with that. To me, it's like taking points off for bad grammar. One is expected to have the minimum competency. (would YOU want a nurse who cannot divide?)
Also, on a side issue, IMHO, "it's not fair!", just isn't going to cut it. Faculty hears that all the time. If she wants to make her case, she has to have a good argument, which she may very well have, and present it as reasonably as she can.
Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.
Once licensed, nurses have the ability to work in any setting from high tech ICU , med-surg unit, SNF assisted living, home health, physician office, medical clinic, homeless shelter or remote region of Africa or South America missionary clinic.
Hand held calculators and automatic pumps not available in times of disasters or working in some remote locations. RN's responsible to calculate meds at any time/any location.
Think my colleagues have expanded well on drug calculations and closing thread now as run its course.
CRNANUPE_2B
44 Posts
Ok I Have To Disagree With Many People On This For Many Reasons!!! First Of All There Is No Reason At All That The School Should Not Be Teaching Certain Things!! That Is Unacceptable!! I Feel Like This.... If I Am Paying My Hard Earned Money Or Taking Out Loans To Recieve A Degree, I Better Be Getting What I Am Paying For! I Agree That You Should Fight And Do Whatever It Takes To Appeal Your Grade For The Simple Fact That It Was Not Taught To The Students!! I Think Like This.. You May Have Picked Up Ten Books.. And Studied Your Butt Off, But I Feel That The Teacher When Making The Test Try To Find Ways To Challenge Students.. I Think The Teacher Needs To Teach So The Students Can Have A Better Of Idea Of What Exactly Is The Teacher Thinking!! I Don't Really Know How To Explain What I Am Trying To Say!! I Already Know That Many Are Going To Throw Me In The Pitts Of Hell For Saying This But O Well!!! At My Nursing School Things Are A Little Different, Much Different Than What I Have Been Reading. In Our Pharm Class We Have Cal And Doses Test (2) And They Are Worth 40 Percent Of Your Total Grade! Basically You Have To Pass Those Test. In Addition Cal And Dosage Questions Also Appear On Our Pharm Test And They Are Nothing Like In The Book I Tell You That!! At Our School However, The Teachers Really Teach Cal And Dosages In Pharmacology Lab And We Practice Them Regularly. Pharmacology Lab Is Extremely Wonderful At Our School As Well As Skills Lab Which We Practice Meds For Our Main Classes!! Now I Am Not Saying That Making Below 1oo Percent Is Good And That You Should Lower Your Standards..but I Do Believe That Fair Is Fair!! You Want A Student To Make 100 Percent...then Get Off Your High Horse, Stop Being Lazy And Teach It!! Nursing Education In Itself Is A Lot To Learn No Matter How Much Patho, Chem, Nutrition, Anatomy/phys, Math You Have. I Dont Know About How You Guys Schools Are But We Have Lab, Skills Lab, And Seminar Added To Each One Of Our Nursing Courses In Addition To Spotlight On Every Monday. It Is A Lot Of Work To Do!! So Sometimes Independently Studying Doesn't Work For Everyone!! And I Personally Feel That If The Instructor Teaches The Material Then There Is No Need To Go That Extra Mile. All You Should Have To Do Is Practice What You Have Been Taught And Seek Additional Help If Necessary. I Guess That Is Apart Of Your Schools Weeding Out Process, I Don't Know But Whatever It Is .. Do What You Have To Do To Get Yourself Out Next Semester! I Hate That You Have To Go Through Another Semester But If You Want Nursing You Will!! If You Are Still Thinking Of Appealing Try Academic Affairs... Appeal Through Them..maybe You Can Get Something Accomplished Through Them!! If Not Then Suck It Up And Just Handle Your Business!! Sorry For Any Misspelled Words...and I Know I Am About To Hear It!!! (bring It)