Grades in nursing school

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Do the grades you get in nursing school really matter nowadays? Once we graduate do employers ask us what kind of grades we got in nursing school?

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I am on the hiring committee for my floor. Yes, the grades count. We look at your GPA on your transcript, and if you didn't put it on there, we ask you about it. We also ask for at least one of your references to be an instructor at your school, and we talk to them. If you struggled in school, honestly, that will count against you in the hiring process. It wouldn't exclude you from a position, and we look at other aspects such as work experience, what your references say about you, and the face-to-face interview itself; but I'll be honest, poor grades do reflect poorly upon you in the hiring process. Average grades do not--I don't feel that we care one way or another, if someone got all As vs As and Bs vs mainly Bs. But being a solid C student, that does not help you out.

Grades also count if you are getting certain forms of financial aid, and if you ever want to advance your education. RN-BSN programs and grad schools have minimum grade requirements for application, and their average GPA is typically significantly higher than their minimum grade requirement.

Edited to add: Grades count MUCH more in our decision if you are a newer grad. If you've been out of school for a couple of years and have a good work record with good reference, grades don't count much at all. It might boost you a bit in our eyes if you graduated with honors; but conversely, having an average or below average GPA doesn't negatively affect you, in this situation.

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Specializes in L&D/Maternity nursing.

Yes, I do think grades matter. For our immersion/preceptorship we had to have resumes and cover letters. It was as if we were apply for a job. Since we were going up against students from all schools in the state, we needed to stand out and one way to do so is to have the grades. Additionally, many past students have gotten hired out of the immersion, contingent on them passing NCLEX, and I am hoping for the same.

Some hospitals have new grad programs where they look at your grades. And in a market where the pool of new grad nurses is huge and few openings to fill, you have to look better than all the rest, and grades help with that.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

As a recent graduate...a high GPA and top honors didn't automatically lead me to a plum nursing job the moment I passed the NCLEX. Classmates who did worse than me got hired faster than I did because they worked in hospitals as CNAs and/or knew someone already there who gave them an "in."

However, my grades did help me be competitive in job hunting and eventually helped me to land a job in place that hires few new grads.

And yes, nearly every interviewer asked for my GPA and/or a copy of my transcript, and that was before we even started talking about possible job offers. There's such a glut of nurses out there that in this market, employers can be very selective and cherry-pick applicants as much as they want. Grades are just one aspect of you as a nurse though, and they alone won't get you hired...but as said before: anything that can set you apart from other applicants and get you noticed helps!

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No employer has ever asked me what grades I got. Nor did they ask me what school I went to or what degree I got or if I got a degree. They verified the status of my nursing license and asked me about my experience working as a nurse.

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Have to agree with Meriwhen. I had classmates who graduated w/o honors and were "average" students in regards to grades, but got a job bc they worked as a PCT/CNA or knew someone. I also know a couple of classmates who graduated with honors, were in Sigma Theta Tau and are still looking for jobs. Start applying to jobs 3-4 months in advance prior to graduation. And just to reiterate what the previous poster said, do your best to stand out (internship, volunteer at a hospital, work as a CNA/PCT, take a position in the NSNA committee, NETWORK like crazy, show your leadership) and get your foot in the door in the mean time.

Some hospitals look at your transcripts and some don't. It really depends.

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Specializes in Psych, EMS.

Yes, I just landed a new grad position, not only did they ask for my transcript but they also asked for my official HESI score. With no nursing experience, I think employers see grades and test scores as a clue about our knowledge repertoire.

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Specializes in ICU.

Even beyond your first RN job, your grades will still matter if you ever decide to go onto grad school. Many individuals decide later on in their careers that they want to move onto their masters or doctorate and having a high gpa is a huge plus for acceptance. Even if you don't think that you'll ever want to go beyond your undergrad, do your best to keep your grades up anyways because you never know how you'll feel down the road...

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I am curious about this as according to the school I go to anything below an 88% is failing and if you fail any of your classes you're out. Are the rules different per school/state?

100-95% is a A

94-88 is a B

I would greatly appreciate any information you can provide on this!

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I am curious about this as according to the school I go to anything below an 88% is failing and if you fail any of your classes you're out. Are the rules different per school/state?

100-95% is a A

94-88 is a B

I would greatly appreciate any information you can provide on this!

The school you are applying to would be the one setting the standards. I wonder about this because I am planning to attend a school that does not give grades, therefore there will be no GPA (at least not that I know of). I imagine that grad schools would have to have a way to look at this type of graduate.

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The school you are applying to would be the one setting the standards. I wonder about this because I am planning to attend a school that does not give grades, therefore there will be no GPA (at least not that I know of). I imagine that grad schools would have to have a way to look at this type of graduate.

Thanks! Yeah, I'm not sure how that would work. Is it points based or no grades at all? I would start checking with grad schools now to see what they do in these situations. Surely some previous graduates of your program have decided to further their education as well.

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Specializes in ICU.
I am curious about this as according to the school I go to anything below an 88% is failing and if you fail any of your classes you're out. Are the rules different per school/state?

100-95% is a A

94-88 is a B

I would greatly appreciate any information you can provide on this!

Yowser! That's a tough scale! The only ones I have memorized for my school is:

95-100% A

92 - 94% A-

88 - 91% B+ (I think?)

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