Entrance exams and GPAs

[jonnysangel777, LPN, LVN]

I think there is a need to petition against entrance exams and required GPAs for nursing schools, especially for LPNs/LVNs and those who have Associate degrees and higher. Currently practicing nurses and those who have already gone to a college and graduated with a degree are obviously capable of earning a nursing degree. With the current shortage in nursing, those entrance exams and GPA requirements should be waived and nursing schools should be recruiting LPNs/LVNs as well as encouraging those interesting in nursing who have other degrees to apply. It's not about one's grades or test scores. Grades and scores aren't worth anything once you are working as a nurse, it's your hands on clinical skills that matters. A person might be "book smart" they cannot always apply what has been learned. Lately, I have met many nurses who have no clue on what they are doing and many take short cuts and don't truly care about what it means to be a nurse. If schools want to "weed out" nurses I think they need to focus less on GPA and exam scores and focus more on a person's character, their beliefs, morals, and ethics. Require essays and professional references over exams and GPA scores.

 

Just my thoughts...