4.0 GPA ...Great memorizing abilities.Yes...Good thinking/reasoning skills maybe not!

[RNsoon!]

I've notice alot of posts regarding NS drop outs! Whats going on? Can it be that the instructors aren't competent enough? Is it that many students have other responsiblities besides NS( families, jobs, etc).I wonder if this also happens in MEd school!!

Once AGAIN guys, I did not say admission standards are or should be affected by Instructor Incomptence.What sense would that make.I said, some students may drop out of NS maybe because of their instructor's lack of knowledge/skill.AGain, this doesn't always happen, but there are schools who cannot afford the best instructors.Thanks.

How many of Today's Nurses were straight A students? Not that many I can imagine.I have known people who got into NS with a 2.7-3.0 GPA and there are great Nurses! LOl being a straight A student is not a indication of becoming a a competent Nurse in the future nor does a 2.7 gpa .Am I right or am I right?lol.How about lower the standards to what they were for those lucky Nurses out there and higher more competent instructors? I think thats the only solution to our shortage and the depression among those who really want to be a Nurse but just arent "A" students but do have GREAT RESONING ABILITIES.

[santhony44, MSN, RN, NP]

I had an interview for graduate school.

I agree that they are important- I think you can get a better idea in person than just on paper.

I've known of schools which did not do interviews for admission. Oddly enough, they did not hire employees without an in-person interview! I guess they were afraid that if they saw someone face to face and that person didn't get admitted, the prospective student would say that it was because they were old/young, male/female, black/white/brown/purple or whatever.

[BSNtobe2009]

I did NOT know that entities looking for employees could access said potetial employees' student transcripts. For whatever reason, I just assumed that was either illegal or unethical. ?????????? My son is in his first year @ a prestigious engineering program and some of his more experienced peers are warning him that GPA is destiny when it comes to the hiring process. Seriously, your potential employer can ask for your transcripts?? Who knew??

Yes, some employers do ask for evidence of GPA when GPA matters in the hiring process. Very few companies do this anymore, but IBM, I can assure you, is one of them.

I have a cousing that is over recruiting at a Nuclear power plant..her job is to find these whiz kids and hire them for job descriptions that are difficult to pronounce. Part of what she asks for, is college transcripts for evidence of GPA. Their training program is just to expensive to waste it on a 2.1 student.

[BSNtobe2009]

I am not sure so many programs interview candidates, even BSN ones. I have not heard of too many that do. That was why I suggested this be done---as well as taking a look at what volunteer/community service activities a given candidate has participated in. The whole person should be considered when selecting people to enter the nursing career field.

I do know entry requirements for most programs, whether they be BSN, ADN or diploma, are getting tougher due to fewer and fewer slots being available. But I think too many are just relying on increased GPA requirements, and to me, this really is not the best criterion on which to judge. We all know book-smart people who would make terrible nurses.

I totally agree with you. One of the nursing programs that I am applying to will not use your college GPA only unless you have a minimum of 30 hours completed. This is because their only pre-req is Chemistry and they had too many high-school students graduating from high school with a 2.2, taking only Chemistry, getting a 4.0, and then using that as their "college" GPA. That happened for years until they changed their policy.

[Plagueis]

I am not sure so many programs interview candidates, even BSN ones. I have not heard of too many that do. That was why I suggested this be done---as well as taking a look at what volunteer/community service activities a given candidate has participated in. The whole person should be considered when selecting people to enter the nursing career field.

I do know entry requirements for most programs, whether they be BSN, ADN or diploma, are getting tougher due to fewer and fewer slots being available. But I think too many are just relying on increased GPA requirements, and to me, this really is not the best criterion on which to judge. We all know book-smart people who would make terrible nurses.

The LPN program near here does require an interview as part of the admissions requirement, and it does require two letters of recommendation. However, the RN programs near here are still based on GPA and test scores (the highest ones get in) as the deciding factor in whether someone will be accepted into the program. There is no interview, nor are any personal references required. Many law and medical schools require these "extras" for admission, so I find it interesting that some nursing schools don't.

[cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN]

I think that GPA has some bearing on a student's ability to do well in nursing school, because there is a tremendous amount of information to learn.

Yes, GPA has some correlation with how well a student will perform in nursing school, not in nursing. So a GPA should have some bearing. But then we should look at the things that might correlate with being a good nurse. Community work, healthcare experience, etc. Then we should look at how well a person will represent nursing, can they write a cohesive sentance, can they interact with people? An essay and interview could evaulate this.

All of the top 5-10 people in my program (GPA, clincial work, interaction with people and patients), where PCTs in hospitals who had higher GPAs when they applied to the program.

On a side note, I've heard people say that 4.0s or high GPAs were easy because students took one class at a time. If that were the case, students would be on the waiting list forever. Quite the contrary, most students are taking more classes now so that they can get on the list ASAP.

BTW, when I got hired at my job, they did ask for certified transcripts. So it's not just IBM looking at that! I was the only new grad hired in my dept, and I had to give them a reason for wanting me.

[cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN]

Many law and medical schools require these "extras" for admission, so I find it interesting that some nursing schools don't.

LOL! I did my final project in my Nursing issues class on this very same subject. It was evaulating nursing school admission criteria vs other professional programs, such as med school, law school, pharmacy school, and dental hygiene. We lack sorely in comparison.

[SmilingBluEyes]

I am shocked that ANY school uses "first come, first served" as a basis/criterion for entry. Unbelievable.

See, this proves my point that more consistent guidelines for entry criteria for incoming nursing students are needed, and NOW. We don't need "fast" or "slick" people----we need intelligent, caring people who have a bit of integrity!

[BSNtobe2009]

On a side note, I've heard people say that 4.0s or high GPAs were easy because students took one class at a time. If that were the case, students would be on the waiting list forever. Quite the contrary, most students are taking more classes now so that they can get on the list ASAP.

I just wanted to make one clarification before anyone takes my post out of context.

I also said in the same post that I did NOT think that everyone that had a 4.0 GPA took one class at a time.

However, it would be interesting to see how many of the 4.0 students that were dropped from the nursing program due to failure, in fact, did. Taking a full class load is not the same thing as taking one class at a time and requires a whole different issue with time management.

When I was in college the first time around, I took my most difficult courses during the summer months so I could focus all of my attention on them and nothing else.

[floridagirl0103]

I am in my first semester of nursing school at a community college. We have 130 students (400 applied) and about 10 of the students failed out last year. My instructors are VERY competent and smart. The drop up is probably due to the demands of nursing school. I graduated from a university w/ high honors and it was MUCH easier than nursing school at a community college. It is extremely intense. There is no such thing as studying or cramming the night before. You have to want to learn the stuff to keep you motivated or you will crash and burn. Personally, I love learning and am having much fun. I barely am holding on to my "A" average. There are many students who were used to getting straight A's that are now getting C's. That is just the way nursing school is.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

I am shocked that ANY school uses "first come, first served" as a basis/criterion for entry. Unbelievable.

See, this proves my point that more consistent guidelines for entry criteria for incoming nursing students are needed, and NOW. We don't need "fast" or "slick" people----we need intelligent, caring people who have a bit of integrity!

I don't know Deb, this way everyone who wants to be a nurse, and who is willing to wait the years it takes to get in, gets an opportunity. I think the long wait lists weed out a lot of people who really don't want to be a nurse. Nursing school is currently weeding out 4.0 nurses and nurses who are interviewed at alarming rates, so surely nursing schools will continue to weed out those who can't cut it.

Those kind, caring, compassionate people with excellent bedside skills, but a 3.5 get in alongside those 4.0 brainiacs. :)

I'd like to think I have all those qualities you mentioned and come from one of those schools of first signup first in line. We were an odd bunch. 60 in and 62 out (two LPNs joined us the 2nd year), the first time that ever happened in my school.

Just a thought.

[cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN]

I just wanted to make one clarification before anyone takes my post out of context.

I also said in the same post that I did NOT think that everyone that had a 4.0 GPA took one class at a time.

However, it would be interesting to see how many of the 4.0 students that were dropped from the nursing program due to failure, in fact, did. Taking a full class load is not the same thing as taking one class at a time and requires a whole different issue with time management.

When I was in college the first time around, I took my most difficult courses during the summer months so I could focus all of my attention on them and nothing else.

I didn't quote you in my original response for a reason. I said I've heard some people, and that means more than on person. I've heard it from lots of people in school as well. When you have a really high GPA, you hear it a lot. If I were referring directly to you, I would have quoted your response, like I've done now.

[Freedom42]

A previous poster wrote: "LOL! I did my final project in my Nursing issues class on this very same subject. It was evaulating nursing school admission criteria vs other professional programs, such as med school, law school, pharmacy school, and dental hygiene. We lack sorely in comparison."

How can you compare nursing school admission standards to those of med school and law school, which require bachelor's degrees at a minimum? I can't speak to pharmacy programs -- there are none in my home state -- but to be admitted to nursing school (ADN or BSN) or a dental hygiene program requires only a high school diploma as the minimum academic credential. (I'm not talking GPA here, only credential.) So, yes, nursing admission standards "lack sorely" in comparison because a BSN requires far less education than an MD or a JD.

Wouldn't a more apt comparison be between graduate nursing programs, medical schools and law schools?

Flame on. I'm wearing asbestos.