How many A's in the actual nursing courses?

Nursing Students General Students

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Specializes in ICU.

I start nursing school this fall (finished prereqs). I have heard of only one case where a student at the school that I am attending has made A's. I hear alot of "barely" passin' with 77%, the cut off point. I hear alot of failures with 76.99999. My school does not round off. I have heard people say that it is the hardest thing they have ever done. What I want to know is how many people (already in the actual clinical and lecture nursing courses) have been making A's? Is it nearly impossible? What the method of study for that?

Specializes in Urgent Care.

I was talking to some girls in their first year yesterday, and they said the teacher would NOT give out ANY A's. The classes were too hard. How could you NOT give one out if someone did well, that is what I want to know???

Specializes in Emergency Dept, M/S.

I hate hearing that a teacher will not give out A's. I think those kind of teachers are either primadonna's, or have no confidence in their ability to teach. How can you not give someone who nails every test and has great class participation an A? Those kind of teachers stink - how can you judge people before you know what they are capable of? Failing people just on principle alone?

I like teachers that state that everyone starts will 100% - it's up to the student to keep it there, or as close as they can. It sounds like the other teacher is saying everyone starts with a 0, and has to prove themselves, but in the next breath says they won't be able to. :angryfire

Specializes in OB, lactation.

Those teachers peeve me too!

I am in my second semester. I had patho, assessment, and another class in my program last semester (9 credit hours), and I got all A's. This semester I have pharm and a rural/cultural class. The pharm is hard because we have weekly quizzes and I haven't been able to zero in on the most important facts that she's looking for each week out of the zillions of bits of drug info so I've been averaging 80's on the quizzes, which are 40% of the grade. We had a paper that's 20%, which I got a 100 on. The final is the remaining 40%, which I heard she does a good review for but I'm still not holding my breath for an A. I'm hoping I get an A in Rural (I have one for the time being with one paper and a midterm done, have another paper and final yet). I am super anal about my grades, though and I know that I got the highest grades on at least a couple of tests in my classes out of about 60-80 people. At least until these pharm quizzes, that is! LOL I think A's are possible but you have to be putting in that much more effort unless you are just super bright (which I'm not! :p ). If you make A's now and it's a priority for you, you will probably continue to unless you just have one of those nutty teachers mentioned above that pop up now and then.

Oh, and for method of study... I take tons of notes in class, last semester I recorded classes and then relistened to them on my 110 mile (one way) commute, made flash cards or quiz sheets in Word (with two columns, where I can fold it over to hide the answer and then reveal it), etc. I also make a recording of the notes in question form that I listen to and see if I can answer them. For assessment, I practiced on my husband and kids or whoever would let me. I have never missed a class except when my husband was in the hospital, and that was only once. I put a lot of time and research into papers. I've gotten lazy about recording this semester... maybe that's why I'm not doing as well in pharm??!!

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

The program director has said to use "I do not give out As, students earn them." And they have.

Don't be discouraged by what you hear, I heard the same thing when I was starting nursing and it scared me to death (I am on scholarships and have to keep my grades up)!! Granted we have had some fail out, and some pass by the skin of their teeth, but there are students who make A's in nursing, myself being one of them. Not trying to brag, just saying it can be done with a lot of hard work and a little luck (being able to rule out what the wrong answers are and going with your gut to pick out of the answers left). Just try your best and remember, you will still graduate and can still be a great nurse, even if you don't make straight A's!! Good luck!

I've received about half As and half Bs in the nursing program. In my class there isn't anybody who has received all As. Setting a goal to get straight As is great, but don't beat yourself up if you get a B or a C. Focus on learning and the passing grade will follow.

Specializes in L&D.

Yep! Definately not impossible. I find nursing easier than Biochem or Micro. Those were my two hardest classes. Oh and also Clinical Nutrition. At my school it was just a continuation of Biochem.

In my program, not a single student has earned an A in our class since first semester (we're in our fourth). Yes, it is that hard. And, yes, I was a 4.0 student in the prereqs!

The lesson here is that in nursing school you can't measure your success based on getting straight A's. I know some will say nothing is impossible but believe me, a 4.0 is not possible in my program. (I'm sure it is at others). I measure my success based on how much of what is taught in lecture I can apply to the hospital. I hate getting C's as much as the next overachiever, but I always remember..

C=RN :)

In my program, not a single student has earned an A in our class since first semester (we're in our fourth). Yes, it is that hard. And, yes, I was a 4.0 student in the prereqs!

The lesson here is that in nursing school you can't measure your success based on getting straight A's. I know some will say nothing is impossible but believe me, a 4.0 is not possible in my program. (I'm sure it is at others). I measure my success based on how much of what is taught in lecture I can apply to the hospital. I hate getting C's as much as the next overachiever, but I always remember..

C=RN :)

This is a healthiest position to take going through nursing school. I went to school with several who were just absolutely anal about getting A's. What's important is to keep your grades up as much as humanly possible to make way for the possiblility you may have a bad test here or there along the way. Other than that, learn the material so you can apply it for the day when you are working, because believe me, no one will ask you what your grades were in school.

Specializes in Critical Care, ER.
In my program, not a single student has earned an A in our class since first semester (we're in our fourth). Yes, it is that hard. And, yes, I was a 4.0 student in the prereqs!

The lesson here is that in nursing school you can't measure your success based on getting straight A's. I know some will say nothing is impossible but believe me, a 4.0 is not possible in my program. (I'm sure it is at others). I measure my success based on how much of what is taught in lecture I can apply to the hospital. I hate getting C's as much as the next overachiever, but I always remember..

C=RN :)

I know that's right. I recently went to an interview where everything was going really quite well until the manager looked at my resume and started asking me about my GPA. She then went on a monologue about how grades don't mean anything, you don't really learn anything in school and blah blah blah. It was like she was assuming that I didn't have good hands on skills because I had a good GPA. She didn't even ask me clinical scenario questions... just stuff like " tell me why I should hire you instead of the other 50 people who've applied for these 5 slots". Which is the type of question I absolutely detest because it requires that I either slam my nursing sisters/brothers or become an egotist. Sorry I digress but I am very sad about the situation... :o

Looking back on this quote I see my post doesn't exactly relate too well :chuckle I guess I was trying to say that sometimes having good grades can work against you, especially if the manager has her own issues with the subject.

Specializes in OB, lactation.
because believe me, no one will ask you what your grades were in school.

They will at graduate school, which I intend on going to ASAP. I know that doesn't apply to everyone, but it's one reason I'm so anal about my grades. I think any program (in any discipline) that doesn't have any A's has something wrong, or that stupid nursing school bootcamp mentality, which I can't comprehend. There are funny instructors here and there, or ones you just can't get on the ball with (like me and pharm, as I wrote about above) but if no one is getting good grades that's crazy. Just MHO. I'd be transferring if I did 'A' work and got C's.

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