The "Nursing Games" claims it's first victims...

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I posted on another thread recently how nursing school is like "The Hunger Games." Today was a particularly rough day. I heard the cannon sound for several of my fellow classmates. They failed the required drug calculation test and have been dismissed from the program. I feel so sad for them. It just really, really suck to have put in so much time and hard work, not to mention money, to be admitted into the program and then get dropped the first month. I can still see the tears. Blerg!

Specializes in Forensic Psych.

Wow. That's rough! I agree that math is super important and it needs to be grasped early on, but my program really works hard to make sure we all pass. We have three tries at the test and mandatory math classes if you don't pass ;meaning less than a 90%) the first or second one, so I really don't think anyone ever fails out due to the testing. We also take a pharm course before entering the program and most people get dosage calc there, so that helps.

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Yep, I agree, do math tests before school starts! in 1st semester our test is 3 weeks in! 2nd semester we have a basic dosage calc test the first day of clinical, then 3 weeks in is our IV test. 3rd semester we had our Peds math test the 2nd week, and our IV/dosage test the 3rd week! I'm not sure about 4th semester yet.

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How should one prepare themselves for dosage calculations? I'm not too crazy about math and am not accepted just yet, but want to get a head start on learning and familiarizing myself with it. Any suggestions? Websites? I may start nursing school in December. Thanks.

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My program requires 100% pass rate on dosage calc and only 1 try, but we are given lots of support and resources. Also, a Statistics class was a prereq for our program, and most places don't let you into stats without some form of college algebra.

I really like our required text: "Calculate with Confidence." It would be a good resource to brush up on the required math skills. Also, learn how to use dimensional analysis.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.
I think that there should be a pre-requisite course in Dosage Calculations. Must pass the drug calc class in order to apply to the nursing program. That way, people don't pay for classes and books when they can't meet the minimum requirements.

Some people are just NEVER going to get the math, and math errors can and do lead to patient injuries and deaths. If you can't do the math, you should not be a nurse. Period.

Yeah, it sucks that some people who would make great caregivers can't be nurses, but it that's just life. I'm not a fast runner, so if my dream were to be an Olympic track athlete, I would never achieve my dream. Not everyone gets to realize their dreams in life.

But I do think it's unfair (and just plain short-sighted) that it's not part of the pre-requisites. My original cohort was 80 people. I think there are less than 30 of us left after 5 of 7 semesters. Obviously, the pre-reqs for my program aren't meeting the needs of the program, because they're letting in way too many people who cannot handle the curriculum.

Many schools do claim to have a prerequisite; either a math class as part of the core requisites of the school/degree, or obtaining a competent score on the entrance exam. The problem is, oftentimes these students who perform poorly on these are still granted admission into the program (the math is overlooked, with the assumption that the student will figure it out).

I agree 100% that there is no room for error. This is basic math we are talking about here. Junior high school math.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.
How should one prepare themselves for dosage calculations? I'm not too crazy about math and am not accepted just yet, but want to get a head start on learning and familiarizing myself with it. Any suggestions? Websites? I may start nursing school in December. Thanks.

Dosagehelp.com. Give it a look.

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I just recently passed a dosage calculations test. It was really easy, but it was just basic and didn't factor in different units aside from liters and grams, flow rate, body weight, body surface, etc. Rather than take it for a grade, My Med Surg Practicum class used it as an indicator of our progress through out the semester. What they do to prepare us is by having us work problems on the board in front of the class while the professor explains each step and what to look out for. After that, they assign us pages to practice on and then we'll have a quiz a week later. The real test won't be until the end of the semester and I believe we have to make a 100% passing rate. However, I feel that the instructors are preparing us well.

I think it's important to do well because in a situation where we mistake 0.8 mL as 8 mL, we'll be in huge trouble! The way you write, look at a measurement, or place a decimal point is just as important as getting the correct dosage calculation.

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Specializes in ICU.

I may have missed the answer but question - does your school consider 100% as passing? Just curious (my school does but we get one more chance if we do not get 100% on the first test).

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What kind of calculations are you all doing?

We had our first math test (1st semester student) and it was very basic, conversions (moving decimal point), and how many ml in oz/teaspoon/tablespoon, stuff like that. Very basic so far.

Are you all doing harder stuff your 1st semester?

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Specializes in ICU.

If one cannot perform basic high school-level math, there is a problem and they either need remediation before admittance to the program, or to pick a career where math mistakes can't kill anyone.

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Specializes in ICU.

We had a girl fail out of our med math class because we weren't allowed to use calculators and she had never seen a long division bracket before because she'd never done math without a calculator.

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Ouch, we have to qualify for each clinical with a medmath exam at the start. You get two shots to pass and there is a mandatory remediation session before the 2nd attempt. Plus all students come out of fundamentals with one practice exam under their belt. If they flunked it it may have hurt their class average a bit, but they are sent to mandatory remediation to prepare them for the real one. Ie the one that could end their nursing school career. Sadly, there are those that do not pass despite having tutoring. It is sad yes, but necessary. I think if they have been taught the method and given numerous chances then maybe nursing isn't the proper career field for them as screw ups can have potentially life-threatening consequences.

However, if there were no pre-reqs for math, and they have not been given any instruction in the ways of medmath then the blame lies with the instructors. Just like a good nurse should consider patient background in treatment a good instructor should consider student background in teaching. You cannot assume every student comes from the same academic background if you don't have minimum standards as far as college level math goes.

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