Would they really toss me out of school for failing one test???

Nurses General Nursing

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I am in my final year of nursing school. I went part-time for three years, held down two jobs while doing it, and hold an 87% average. I've worked really, really hard; and I rewarded myself by taking out a student loan, quitting one job, and concentrating on school this final year.

I am still doing really well. Except for: Pharmacology. Correction: not Pharmacology - the MATH component of the pharm. I attained 85% on the last test in pharm - and 44% on the computerized IV flow rate test

A bit of background - I have always done poorly in Math. In high school, I was in grade 13 (Canada remember ) Biology and getting 80's - at the same time I was repeating Grade 10 math for the THIRD time...and failing! I was told I was lazy, didn't work hard, didn't try enough. When I told the guidance councellor I wanted to be a nurse - he laughed. Then he said I had no hope of ever doing it with my math scores. Thus I spent 15 years working in front of a photocopier for a trucking company.

After I married, I decided to take a few courses. If I do ok, I told myself, I'll try the entrance test. And I did. And I did well; which leads me to now. Most of the dosage calculations up until now I can handle, however, these IV's just throw me - as well as the test itself; which is timed and in a big room with other students from other programs and I just start to hyperventilate and panic and though I can remember the formulas, I made stupid mistakes in my calculations and there it went - 44%.

I've done everything - I have multitudes of dosage calculation books - yes I have Dosage Calculations made Incredibly Easy, for those about to mention it - I have an excellent, patient tutor, a good friend who is a math teacher and comes over every couple of days to help me out. I have made the teacher aware of my little "problem". But even at home, without pressure, on the practice tests I only average about 70 -75%, and I need 80% to pass!!!

It's consuming me - and literally making me ill. It's all I can think about. I do math in my head all day. I fall asleep, waking up in the middle of the night trying to divide the time on the digital alarm clock into gtt's per minute It's out of control!!

I have two more shots at this test, what if I fail them? If they hold me back a semester and I have to retake pharm; I'll have to quit - I'm broke and tired and just can't afford to not finish next semester. And if I fail the math, I am "ineligible to write the final" in pharmacology - even if my average on the regular tests is over 80% - which means I cannot continue on

What should I do? My practical teacher has offered to meet with the program coordinator with me; she knows how upset I am and wants to vouch for my performance at the hospital. Should I take her up on that, or will that be perceived as bringing along "mommy"???

I'm at my wits end - and I feel stupid. After all, how can a person possibly do so well and so many subjects, and just completely tank another? I don't get it. I don't understand why my brain won't cooperate with this. I really don't

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It is very possible in all honesty. I got kicked out of RN school because I made an 89.5% on a dosage calculation test that required a 90% for passing. I got all the math correct, EVERY SINGLE QUESTION, but missed a few abbreviation questions that weren't even approved abbreviations. Yup I'm serious they'll WEAN OUT even up until the last semester. I'm sorry you're struggling good luck! Most states in the US will allow you to sit for LVN boards as long as you've completed over a year of RN school...you might want to look into that as a fall back resort.

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Specializes in ER, SANE.

Forget all of the dosage calculation books. Find you a Dimensional Analysis book. It is a workbook that is so simple you can teach it to yourself and when you are finished you can do any calculation if you always remember to start with what you have on hand. I am horrible at math and when I went back to school I had been out too long for them to accept my chemistry and my prof told me about the DA book. I taught it to myself on an airplane. I keep it handy even today and sometimes check myself. Please at least try it. After learning DA I have not ever missed a calculation when I tested myself. I saw some schools fail nurses for math difficulties. When you see this concept, it will blow your mind because you start with what you have and work your way to what you want. TRUST me when I tell you that it saved my career!:p

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Absolutely take your instructor up on her offer. Unfortunately they can throw you out on this one issue.

I am guessing that you are at a college. There are likely math tutors available to students and there is probably a math department. Waste no time in finding out where you can find a tutor, math major, or math teacher. Get them to help you. If you are only doing 70% in practice then I can not honestly call this test or math phobia. There is something essential that you are missing and you need someone to help you with this.

Have you asked your nursing instructors or classmates to help you learn this? There is likely someone just waiting to be asked. But YOU have to do the asking.

Talk to the department head. Explain that you understand the need to be able to do the caluculations but in actual practice on the floor you carry a calculator and ask if you can be tested with a calculator. Many schools allow this. They have changed the rules in the states for the Licensing exam and you can now use a calculator on the Licensing exam. (this is true in some states and by now may be true in all states as each state issues its own license) If you bring this up they may reconsider and allow you to use a calculator.

Stick with it. try any and all the avenues sugested here to learn and you will get it. The only way you can fail is to give up. You may be delayed and even have to back track in your nursing education but you can get it if you just stick with it.

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.

All great advise thus far. Just want to wish you the best.

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.

Problems with multiple posts. Sorry everyone

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.

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Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.

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Specializes in Telemetry & Obs.

This semester we had to pass our drug calc test with a 95% in order to continue the semester...and next semester (our last) we have to have 100%. It's a requirement I agree with completely because there's just no room for error when you're talking about administering medications.

Honestly, I don't think I'd spend anymore time studying just *any* math, but would concentrate entirely on drug calculations. Except in the specialties (Peds and OB) they're mostly the same things over and over with a few IV formulas thrown in for fun..:p

I wish you luck.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

If the test was easy, they wouldn't let people take it three times.

Don't listen to ghosts of the past.

You can do this and you are not going to fail. If you write the script in your head that you will fail, and worry constantly about "what if I fail", then you're setting yourself up.

You are not going to fail.

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God I have always done poorly with math. I needed 1 math credit to graduate high school mand slid by . This of course did not help me when I started nursing school.I did math calculations for a whole summer before my math calc class started, I mean the basics. I just had to do a 90 or better for PEDS, and had to retake the quix once, But have succeeded. I feel for you . The dimensional analysis book is a lifesaver, try it...GOOD LUCK!

Lanette

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