How important is GPA while in Nursing school?

Nursing Students Student Assist

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Hello, I was curious as to how important it is to maintain as close to a 4.0 as possible in Nursing school. I'm not suggesting or wondering whether its ok to slack off, but I feel like it'll be easier to learn the material not stressing out about having a few B's every now and then.

Scholarship is a good point. My nursing school paid for 90% of my tuition including uniforms and all that jazz... Based on academic performance. And I don't have to pay back a penny, since it was all from scholarships...good grades pay, in more than one way

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Since I'm just starting nursing school in the fall I'm not quite sure how the whole gpa thing works. When you graduate do they combine your pre-req grades with your nursing school grades? Also if one were to go on to an advanced specialization such as anesthesia would they look at your nursing grades more so than the pre-reqs?

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Specializes in Community Health.

Here's my thing...

There are people who simply don't test well. They will study for hours upon hours and they know their stuff like the back of their hand. But for whatever reason, they just don't perform well on tests. For those students, I think that the whole C=RN mantra can fairly apply, and in the grand scheme of things their GPA doesn't matter because once they get out there in the field they will prove themselves as excellent nurses who put the effort in and are passionate about what they do.

Then, there are people who DO test well, and maybe don't need to put all the effort in. They can get passing grades without even opening their books. Once they hit the field though, they will run into a lot of trouble with that kind of work ethic.

So I guess the most important thing is that you always strive to do the best you are capable of doing. If you are capable of getting straight A's, there's no reason why you shouldn't consistently pull those kinds of grades. It might not "matter" as far as getting through nursing school, but what happens when you are out there in the field? When you are confronted with a real life-or-death situation there is no "best guess" or multiple choice to fall back on-you need to know your stuff, bottom line.

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Specializes in Psych, Chem Dependency, Occ. Health.

You don't know what the future may hold. GPA has turned out to be very important as I apply to graduate programs. You may decide down the road to pursue advanced practice or education or administration. Your undergrad GPA will matter. I say don't slack off and settle *if* you can do better.

Sue, RN

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okay, i might sound stupid but i would like to know if the gpa you have when you get into nursing school is calculated into the gpa during nursing school. or is your nursing gpa separate from that?

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Specializes in Current: ER Past: Cardiac Tele.

I'm still in nursing school. And so far I have an 'A' average, but this semester I'm closer to a B and fighting for an A. And I thought the same about C=RN which is true, but I'm thinking about becoming a nurse anesthetist and I'm thinking about some other classes that i took BEFORE nursing school and will probably retake them because some specialties it does matter. So go for gold because you don't wanna be denied a future because you just laid back a bit in nursing school.

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Specializes in CTICU.

As in everything, you should do the best you can. Of course GPA matters, as it reflects how well you apply yourself, as well as your intelligence. Getting good grades is a lot more hard work than luck, and I'd always rather hire someone who is a hard worker.

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First reason to maintain a good GPA is to remain above the minimum required to avoid being kicked out. The second reason to maintain the best GPA you are capable of attaining is that you never know that you will not want to attend graduate school in the future. You want to have a good enough GPA to be acceptable for grad school without a hassle.

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Wow thanks for all the feedback guys.

When I first posted this question I was posting because I got a C- on my first pharmacology math test (I did get an A on the theory part tho). I had done something really stupid by forgetting to put my answers with their units. "How many grams is x?" I answered x rather than x "g." I was really stressing out cause I felt like I dug myself into a hole to get an A for this class cause of that.

In anycase I'm not tripping out as much about it anymore. I know I'm capable of doing much better and I'm glad that I did this in a pharm class rather than in the real world!

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okay, i might sound stupid but i would like to know if the gpa you have when you get into nursing school is calculated into the gpa during nursing school. or is your nursing gpa separate from that?

All calculated into one big GPA at the end. That is what is posted on your final transcripts. However, for certain situations, such as admittance to grad school, your nursing school GPA might be looked at separately, just like certain prereq class GPA might have been looked at separately for admission to nursing school.

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All calculated into one big GPA at the end. That is what is posted on your final transcripts. However, for certain situations, such as admittance to grad school, your nursing school GPA might be looked at separately, just like certain prereq class GPA might have been looked at separately for admission to nursing school.

Thanks for clarifying this :D

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A lot of grad schools will look at your nursing courses only...they forget all the American History, Literature, and whatever else you took outside nursing school..even the Micro, A&P, Chemistry, and other fun stuff. But here's another good reason to have good grades...when you and 500 other graduates are fighting for maybe 10 extern positions, or even an RN position, what are you gonna say when they either ask for your transcript?..or better yet ask the key question, "So tell me how you have done academically? or What kind of student would you describe yourself to be?"

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