Is there anybody out there doing well in nursing school?

Tally4970 · May 15, 2013

The school I attend, you are not allowed to get anything below a B, in any class or you flunk out! It's a BSN program, I am surprised to hear so many people saying the can get in the 60, and 70's % on grades and still pass. I thought all nursing schools had the same level of grades needed.

calivianya, BSN, RN · May 16, 2013

Some of the schools mentioned in this thread accept LOW grades! Wow! I'd like to see the NCLEX pass rates on a school that allows 60s... that should be interesting.

My school requires a 77 or better to pass any class, period. Each +/-/regular grade has 3 points, if that makes sense: A+ 100-98, A 97-95, A- 94-92, B+ 91-89, etc. It really sucked earning 94s and coming out with an A- in a lot of classes - I feel like a 94 should be an A! An A- got you a 3.75 instead of a 4.0 for the class, so to have a 4.0 your classes all had to average 95 or better. Most of my classes used 50 question tests on average so that meant missing no more than 2 questions per test to get an A. I got A- in most of the classes with clinical (med-surg, maternity, peds, psych) and As/A+ in most of the ones without (A+ in pharmacology and leadership, A in research, fundamentals, assessment, both skills courses). I only got one B+ and it was a 91 in advanced med-surg, and I was absolutely ready to throw that teacher off a bridge!!! I just missed my grade being rounded up to a 92 by a couple tenths of a point. Ugh. It makes me mad even now...

My program was very difficult and we definitely lost a couple of people each year, but I just graduated with a 3.86 so I'm content with how I did, but I could have had a 3.90 if it wasn't for that stupid B+ in advanced med-surg, which was a 6 credit hour class.

truckinusa, BSN, LPN, RN · May 16, 2013

I don't know how you are able to get anywhere near an A average. I will admit my textbook looks brand new. I never read it. I do practice by reading nclex questions that are covering the same topics as I am studying in class. This seems to be the most helpful. I have scored a 74% which is just barely passing. I got a 73.85% first semester and 74.45% the second semester. Passed by 3 questions on the final. It is definitely something that doesn't come easy for me. I guess that is part of my attraction to it. I got into nursing thinking it was probably the last thing I wanted to do, but I like learning things I know nothing about. I still feel like I know nothing.

Tally4970 · May 16, 2013

@calivianya your program is set up exactly like mine! Tough standards to say the least, which can be a lot of pressure. I always just try to think at least my school is turning out nurses that have excellent grades. I would rather have somebody taking care of my family that had great grades, then somebody who passed with a 60%! I think that is crazy, this is one profession where C's should NOT earn degrees.

stephanie. · May 16, 2013

I don't know how you are able to get anywhere near an A average. I will admit my textbook looks brand new. I never read it. I do practice by reading nclex questions that are covering the same topics as I am studying in class. This seems to be the most helpful. I have scored a 74% which is just barely passing. I got a 73.85% first semester and 74.45% the second semester. Passed by 3 questions on the final. It is definitely something that doesn't come easy for me. I guess that is part of my attraction to it. I got into nursing thinking it was probably the last thing I wanted to do but I like learning things I know nothing about. I still feel like I know nothing.[/quote']
Why not read your text book and earn B's or A's?

bbble 25 · May 16, 2013

So far it seems that there is endless memorization in the A&Ps and Micro, memorize pages and pages. A lot of times you memorize the pages that you were told would be on the test and surprise the test would have other things that were not discussed. I thought it was the teacher but that has happened with other teachers. You have to read a lot and understand what you read because memorization of so many chapters is nearly impossible. Good luck.

truckinusa, BSN, LPN, RN · Jun 24, 2013

Why not read your text book and earn B's or A's?

My school has this stupid binder of class notes that you buy for $55. Supposedly everything comes from these notes, but it really doesn't. It is a mixture of stuff from the textbook and the notes and I often do not find them complimentary. I tried reading the textbook the first semester, but it is so in depth and complete that it screws me up. They really try to dumb things down compared to what the textbook offers.

ready4nu · Jun 25, 2013

I don't know how you are able to get anywhere near an A average. I will admit my textbook looks brand new. I never read it. I do practice by reading nclex questions that are covering the same topics as I am studying in class. This seems to be the most helpful. I have scored a 74% which is just barely passing. I got a 73.85% first semester and 74.45% the second semester. Passed by 3 questions on the final. It is definitely something that doesn't come easy for me. I guess that is part of my attraction to it. I got into nursing thinking it was probably the last thing I wanted to do, but I like learning things I know nothing about. I still feel like I know nothing.

This is not meant the way it will sound, but, do you think you may feel as though you know something if you read the text? Remembering questions and answers without actually learning the material wont set you up for much success.

I would hope that your school doesn't expect you to learn only from "dumbed down" material.

Jenni.S. · Jun 30, 2013

Honestly, I try not to stress over whether I get all A's or not. One thing nursing school has taught me is that there are poor test takers that do awesome in clinicals and vice versa. A grade doesn't determine the type of nurse you're going to be. It just states that you do well on test and seem to know the information in a controlled setting. You determine the type of nurse you are and how you react in an medical situation. Just do the best you can, and if you did, then that's what really matters! :)