Grades.....In Nursing School

maccheese · Mar 15, 2012

I know I'm not emphasizing my GPA anymore. I am for real glad to be in the program and progressing. I kind of take it as if they say I'm passing, then I must be doing alright. I don't want to add anymore stress than there already is. Also, isn't 80% a B and not a C. I like to always look at the positive side of things, especially during this stressful program. Under 75 is is a failure in our course so, if I get an 80 on a test, in stead of me saying I was only five points from failing, I'd rather just rejoice in passing, figure out what I can do better, and just try to maybe redeem myself a little more on the next test by learning from my mistakes. Once the test has been taken and I've passed, not going to stress on how that test grade should have been better.

Also, since you are intereted in advanced education, I would ask NP's, MSNs, or Nurse Educators what their grades were like. You may be surprised as what you find out. I talk to MANY BSN nurses and many of them talk about how they struggled through nursing school going through what we are going through. I kind of find it hard to believe that if you want to move into graduate level education, you HAVE to have a 3.5 GPA. I don't know if that will even be an average GPA for an undergraduate educated nurse. I may be wrong though.

I say be encouraged by choosing not to get stressed. Take it one day at a time, one test at a time, one project at a time. Don't look at the whole course, the whole program, and the cumulative of all you have to do over the course of the week. Set a plan for the week, knock out that plan day by day. And just get through the day.

knittygrittyRN, MSN, RN · Mar 16, 2012

From graduate degrees I've looked into in the schools in my area they do want a minimum of 3.0 GPA. But I feel that most people try to work full time and do their Master's on the side so if you're only taking a class or two every semester it's not that difficult to make the grades.

I have the same problem in school I kick myself for not doing better on an exam because I know I'm capable of A's but it is incredibly difficult. Especially when there's others in the class boasting about their amazing grades. (Which many people lie about anyway, and there's a few girls who have failed out and are repeating a course so they should be getting better grades).

In the end you have to judge yourself against yourself. I know this is hard because I struggle with it but you need to know you did the best you could. Don't focus on your GPA so much, there are plenty of nurses who have gotten amazing GPAs in school and were terrible nurses just like there are nurses with 'poor' GPAs and are excellent with patient care. Your GPA shouldn't define you because once you graduate no one's going to say so and so got this in school or had this GPA.

Skips, MSN, RN · Mar 16, 2012

It is very frustrating! I am totally type A, and I feel like I have failed if I get a B. But an 87% to a 93% is a B in my program...and an A is a 94%. I totally feel you.

Heck, why don't you ask the advanced practice nurses on this site about how they got into a graduate program. I'm sure they'd love to help you. (: Good luck, and stay strong! You can do this.