Math is not just a requirement for admissions to a college-level program or for passing a licensing exam in nursing. It is an essential component of a nursing education and a skill set that you will utilize on a daily basis during your career.
Patient safety is the primary goal of nursing—and math is a critical tool for achieving this goal at all levels of practice, according to Donna R. Swope, an adjunct professor of nursing at Stevenson University.
Math abilities are vital for nurses who execute the routine but critical work of medicine administration.
“Adopt the perspective that nurses and math are inextricably linked in terms of patient protection,” Swope advises. “Do not view it as studying for a test and then letting the material slip.”
Math abilities are vital for nurses who execute the routine but critical work of medicine administration. “During the testing, production, distribution, and prescription of pharmaceuticals, nurses serve as the final line of defense because they are the ones who administer the medication to the patient,” Swope explains.
Throughout the process, math calculations, measurement conversions, and data interpretation occur, which includes the following:
- Adhering to the “rights” of pharmaceutical administration: the appropriate patient, the appropriate medication, the appropriate dose, and the appropriate time.
- Calculating a dose requires consideration of several variables, including the patient’s weight and the prescribed amount per pound.
- Calculating a dose based on a patient’s capabilities; for example, determining if a patient can swallow the medication solely in crushed or liquid form.
- Adjusting dosage in reaction to a patient’s response; for example, increasing or decreasing the flow rate of an intravenous medicine in response to a patient’s blood pressure.
Additionally, nurses use math to design and understand research linked to healthcare and nursing practice. That is why research and statistics courses are required in undergraduate and graduate nursing schools.
“Nurses must be able to read, analyze, and understand research findings as well as modify procedures, protocols, and policies to ensure that the standards of care that guide their practice remain current,” Swope says.
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You learned the majority of the arithmetic necessary for nursing in middle and high school. You are not alone if you don’t recall the majority of it. Preparing to take a pre-assessment test for admission to a nursing program, such as the PAX or TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills), will assist you in reviewing and solving arithmetic and algebra problems.
Numerous practice guides and tests are available. Community institutions also provide pre-college math courses if necessary.
Examinations for Dosage and Clinical Nursing Courses
In most programs, students attend an introductory clinical course that covers dosage and the math required in pharmaceutical administration. “The fundamentals of ratio/proportion, algebraic formulae, conversions, and pharmacy measurements are reviewed, and students’ knowledge is tested,” Swope explains.
At Swope’s university, “students have three chances to earn a perfect score on the dosage exam at the conclusion of this review.” They must resign from the clinical course if they do not get this score,” she explains. “Each subsequent clinical course includes a dosage exam on the first day with the same standards: three attempts to pass the exam.”
At the majority of nursing schools, students will encounter identical testing techniques and policies.
Mathematics Requirements for Nursing Programs
Two to three years of high school math are required for admittance to most institutions’ nursing programs. However, some of the more competitive nursing programs require four years of high school math.
The following is a summary of the common math prerequisites and courses required for nursing program graduation. These courses are in addition to the math assessments administered prior to the start of clinical courses.
Nota bene: The term “one college-level math class” refers to undergraduate math coursework such as algebra, pre-calculus, or calculus taken during the first two years of college.
Nursing Assistant with a Certification (CNA)
Prerequisites: Solid understanding of fundamental mathematics
Graduation requirements: There is no further mathematics required.
Practical Nurse Licensed (LPN)
Two to three years of high school math, including intermediate algebra, are required.
Graduation requirements: Vary between none and one year of college-level mathematics
Nursing Associate’s Degree (ADN)
Two to three years of high school mathematics, including intermediate algebra, are required.
Graduation requirements: One college-level mathematics course
Nursing Bachelor of Science (BSN)
Three to four years of high school mathematics, including intermediate algebra, are required.
Graduation requirements: One course at the college level in mathematics and one course in introductory statistics
Nursing Master of Science (MSN)
Prerequisites: One course at the college level in mathematics and one course in introductory statistics
Graduation requirements: Courses in descriptive and inferential statistics, as well as biostatistics
Nursing Doctor of Science (DNP)
Prerequisites: Courses in descriptive and inferential statistics, as well as biostatistics
Graduation requirements: Courses at the graduate level in statistics and study design, assessment, and outcome measurement
Ph.D. in Nursing (PhD)
Prerequisites: One course at the college level in mathematics and one in descriptive and inferential statistics or biostatistics
Graduation requirements: Although it varies considerably, it often involves numerous graduate-level statistics and research technique courses.
