CON Medication Math Competency Requirements

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UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER COLLEGE OF NURSING
Medication Math Competency Requirements Procedure	Subsection: 5.2.2
Section 5.0 - Students	Originating Dates: August, 2004
Responsible Reviewing Agency: Undergraduate Curriculum Committee	Revised: December, 2008 Revised: May, 2010 Reviewed: November, 2012
J:/RESOURCE MANUAL/Table of Contents College of Nursing Resource Manual

Policy:

1. Math competency exams will be administered at each level of the curriculum. Testing these competencies is the responsibility of the Patient Centered Care Clinical courses, I, II, III & IV.
2. Students must pass the level math competency exam with at least a 95%.
3. The exam pool of questions and the test blueprint shall be the same across all campuses.
4. The first 1-2 attempts should be administered within the first few weeks of the term to allow students maximum time to meet the requirement.
5. Students who do not pass with a 95% after the 2nd attempt, will be given the student agreement form to sign.
   1. All instructors in clinical courses in the semester will be given a copy of the signed agreement for their information.
   2. The student will be allowed to set up or pass medications for learning purposes only with direct supervision of the instructor.
   3. The student will take responsibility for appropriate remediation on medication dosages and calculations.
   4. The student must pass the semester math competency exam before the end of the term (or sooner if the time frame is specifically addressed in the course syllabus) in order to progress to the next level or to NRSG 419 Transition to Professional Nursing course.
6. The Director of the Undergraduate Program will be notified of any student failing to meet the math competency requirements in any semester or before the NRSG 419 Transition to Professional Nursing course.

(This procedure replaces 5.2.3c & Appendix O; Originating Dates: Appendix O – August 2004; 5.2.3c – October 2005)

Agreement:

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA MEDICAL CENTER
COLLEGE OF NURSING

Student Agreement - Medication Math Competency Requirement

Background: Medication administration is an important component of the work of registered nurses. A recent Institute of Medicine report on patient safety indicates errors in drug dosages cause at least 7,000 deaths annually. As the health professionals who interact most frequently with patients in all settings, nurses’ actions are directly related to patient outcomes. Better educated nurses often defend against medical errors and in one study conducted in two hospitals, nurses intercepted 86% of medication errors before they reached patients. (AACN)

The requirement for safe effective practice as a nurse mandates an ability to correctly calculate medication dosages and IV drip rates for the safe administration of drugs. As part of the educational process of preparing professional nurses UNMC-CON has established entrance and level competencies for Math and drug dosage calculations related to safe medication administration. Meeting the established competencies is required for progression through the program and graduation.

Memorandum of Agreement: Please initial each statement indicating you have read it and you understand each statement.

I understand that I have not met the competencies established for safe medication administration for my current level in the curriculum. _______

I understand that I may not prepare or pass any medications to any patient in any clinical arena without the DIRECT supervision of a faculty member. ________

I understand that I must meet the minimum passing level of 95% for safe medication administration before I can progress to the next level in the curriculum or to the NRSG 480 Transition course. I understand that I will not progress if I do not meet this competency by the end of the term (or sooner if the time frame is specifically addressed in the course syllabus). _________

I understand that I must accept personal responsibility to engage in the necessary remediation to bring my calculation skills to the required level. ________

I understand that it is my responsibility to inform my clinical faculty and/or preceptors in any and all clinical areas that I am assigned that I have not yet attained the standard of competency in medication administration established for this level. __________

I have read the above document and I agree to abide by the requirements stated here.

__________________________________		____________
Student Signature		Date
__________________________________		____________
Faculty Witness		Date