Nursing School GPA Question

[NewTexasRN]

In my nursing program, an 80 is a "C" which is the minimum you need to pass in the program. The grading scale goes: 80 to 87 is a "C" , 87-93 is a "B", and 93-100 is an "A." I personally think it's ridiculous because I got a 93 in pharmacology and it's saying I got a "B." I got an 83 in nursing and now my overall GPA is a 2.20. Do you guys have this problem at your school? What's your grading scale like? I applied for an externship and was denied because they said my GPA was too low. I tried to explain that the 2.20 doesn't mean I got somewhere in the 70's, but they already made their decision. I'm worried about getting in a BSN program! I would love to start off in ICU, but my boss told me that you have to have an "A" to start out in the ICU. Am I doomed? Also, I would like to pursue CRNA, but most schools won't even look at your application if your GPA is below 3.0. :(:(

Thanks

[bekindtokittens]

This is my community college's ASN grading scale--

93-100 = A

85-92 = B

77-84 = C

You must have a 77 to pass. Not a 76.99, either.

[tiggerdagibit]

Ours is

A 93-100

B 86-92

C 80-85

You must pass with an 80 for the semester. I don't have a problem with it because I wouldn't want a nurse taking care of my family that couldn't make at least average grades.

[Penguin67]

The institution where I taught previously had a similar grading scale. (They are becoming quite common among nursing programs, as research is finding strong correlation between low 70 grades and poor performance on NCLEX. Not the strongest argument, but it is the reason. I'd prefer to make better test questions and prepare students better in class, but I only get one vote on faculty issues!)

Anyway, students where I taught previously had similar worries. The faculty were not willing to retract the grading scale, so they came up with a stamp that could be placed on official transcripts that explained the new grading scale, so it would be obvious to anyone who read the transcript that a 93 average equated to a B, etc... It worked quite well. And that program has had several students successfully accepted into MSN and CRNA programs. Another way to go around it would be to get the faculty who write letters of recommendation to mention the grading scale in their letter. That way, it's on official letterhead form a school rep.

I just read through the rest of the thread and saw a plyus-minus grading scale mentioned. Yikes. I hated that, as the previous institution where I worked had that, as well, for the entire university. It was voted in the year before I was hired. I hated dealing with that. Students fought for every point, because every point was so important for their overall GPA. It was horrible. I wouldn't wish a plus-minus system on anyone, and it wreaks havoc on the instructor, as well as the student.

:twocents:

[husker_rn, RN]

I graduated from a BSN program in '92 and our grading scale was { and still is } exactly like yours. I graduated with a 3.39 GPA and worked for every point of it. Like everyone else has said, it's doable but plan on no-life for the time you're in school.

[Smokey9283]

I think that that is a good thing that nursing programs have such high standards with grading. In nursing you aren't fixing a computer. Some of the decisions you make as a nurse can mean life or death for a patient, so it is necessary to make sure that the people that are being sent into the field are competent.

[scribblerpnp]

Where I teach (BSN) our scale is

75-79- C

80-89-B

90-100 A

74 and below test average is failing, even if you nahve a 76% total average due to written assignments, etc.

When I was a student at the same place the scale was

75-83 C

84-92 B

93-100 A

The scale was changed because (and rightly so), the nursing students said the older scale made it difficult to keep scolarships or compete for scolarships against other majors who had the traditional college scaling.

Our NCLEX pass rate (100+ students graduate each year) is 97%.

[casi, ASN, RN]

Sounds like a pretty normal nursing school grading.

My ADN program is:

A: 92-100

B: 85-91

C: 78-84

D: 70-77

F: below 70

[tiggerdagibit]

I guess I'm not understanding the confusion/complaint. Are most colleges on a 10 point scale or something? Our "regular" grading scale for programs other than nursing isn't much different than the ADN scale.

Regular-------- ADN

94-100 A ------93-100 A

86-93 B -------86-92 B

78-85 C -------80-85 C

70-77 D

Below 70 F

[-MNC_RN-]

Sounds pretty typical. In fact, my wife's undergrad grading scale (non-nursing...music, actually) was 92%+ was an A. It's becoming more and more common in colleges/universities, period.