BSN RN 6 years experience, poor GPA interested in AF nursing

Dranger · Oct 23, 2013

What specialty?

How old are you?

2.8 is going to hurt you a lot

Any medical issues? Simple things like asthma

coloradoRN85 · Oct 23, 2013

My experience is mainly Med-surg and rehabilitation with an extensive neuro background. I have also done some work as our hospital's stroke program coordinator and worked in endoscopy. I figured as much with the GPA. As far as other history, I have no medical issues and am 28 years old, married with 2 children. Are there any things that I can do to try and offset my GPA? I can provide great references, both from the military side and nursing side, but I understand as competitive as everything is right now, the GPA is going to be a glaring negative.

jeckrn, BSN, RN · Oct 24, 2013

I am not sure if the GPA is even high enough. You need to contact a healthcare recruiter to see what the minimum GPA is, I believe it's a 3.0 for all services. You are still young enough to repeat some classes to increase your GPA.

Raider 3/1 · Oct 24, 2013

I think going back and retaking the classes you received a C in would bump up your GPA. I went back and retook three different classes, raised my original 2.65 GPA to 3.33 over two semesters. I would recommend it

midinphx, BSN · Oct 25, 2013

Years of experience does not negate the GPA. I came in with 14 years of nursing. One of the first questions I was asked was my GPA - like I had any clue what it had been. As a civilian it never mattered.

Go back and retake what you can. Contact a healthcare recruiter though. It may be a no go - but it's definitely a no if you don't ask.

coloradoRN85 · Oct 25, 2013

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I have been trying to get a hold of a Healthcare recruiter for a few weeks now ( 2 emails and 2 phone calls without response...). Is that typical? Today I called and left a message with a local recruiter to hopefully get the ball rolling faster, not sure if that will help, but figured it's worth a try. I think I want to proceed and take a few classes over again to increase GPA but obviously want to make sure that is acceptable before I enroll in our local community college. Raider 3/1 are you currently in an RN in the Air Force? Were you completely able to replace your old grades with new? Trying to glean as much information from here while I am waiting for answers, I appreciate all your feedback!

coloradoRN85 · Oct 25, 2013

Also Raider 3/1 did you go back after graduating to the same school or to a different school? I currently do not live close to where I went to school and just wondering if I can replace my grades at a different college?

MattL · Oct 25, 2013

About the recruiter:

I noticed that you have "Colorado" in your name, so we probably have the same healthcare professional recruiter. I emailed the woman in charge of the recruiting center and thought she hadn't responded, but it turns out she and another recruiter there responded to me, but the emails went to my junk mail for some reason. Look in your junk mail if you haven't already.

Dranger · Oct 25, 2013

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I have been trying to get a hold of a Healthcare recruiter for a few weeks now ( 2 emails and 2 phone calls without response...). Is that typical? Today I called and left a message with a local recruiter to hopefully get the ball rolling faster, not sure if that will help, but figured it's worth a try. I think I want to proceed and take a few classes over again to increase GPA but obviously want to make sure that is acceptable before I enroll in our local community college. Raider 3/1 are you currently in an RN in the Air Force? Were you completely able to replace your old grades with new? Trying to glean as much information from here while I am waiting for answers, I appreciate all your feedback!

It's typical when they are not actively recruiting hard. As you stated before the military is competitive and there isn't a huge drive by recruiters to seek out nurses especially if they don't have special certifications. Unfortunately rehab/neuro would still make you a med-surg nurse which is very very common in the military.

I don't think you could go back and replace your grades...that makes no sense. If you got Cs in nursing school classes how are you going to go back after you have your RN and retake them? I would take some science classes and do well to show that you have been continuing education and can do well.

Raider 3/1 · Oct 26, 2013

ColoradoRN, I am not a current RN in the Air Force. Im prior service Navy and I have been getting material gathered up for the Navy nurse candidate program. As for the grade replacement... yes you can completely replace grades. It will still show up on a transcript that you attempted it earlier but as long as the second attempt is a B or better it will raise your GPA. They are not going to care about the older grades if you passed satisfactorily the second time.

I retook one class at the original college I attended and retook two more at a new college. It doesn't matter where the grades were from just as long as you provide transcripts from all the schools you went to. If your trying to replace the grade from a different school, what I did was had my old school transfer my transcript to the new school. When I retook those classes it replaced the grade from the other school. Hope this make sense but if you explain to the new school that your trying to replace old grades from another school; more often than not they will know what you need to do.

Best of luck to you ColoradoRN!! Study hard, limit the distractions, and make every class count. I believe the minimum GPA to be considered is a 3.00. I have a 3.33 right now and iv had the Navy health care recruiter hounding me weekly to get within my two year time frame so I can start getting paid for the Navy nurse candidate program.

Editorial Team / Moderator · Oct 26, 2013

Were your lower grades in your nursing courses, or the non-nursing courses? Not entirely sure if retaking them post-degree will work, because you've already earned the degree. I don't know if the military calculates your GPA, or if they use what the school calculated. Interesting idea, though. Please let us know what you find out! Give the recruiters some time, they usually cover large areas and are inundated with inquiries from nurses. Good luck!