Questions Regarding Grades in Nursing School??

RNLola035 · Mar 7, 2009

In my school (CSU East Bay) C's were acceptable. If you failed one class you were able to re-take it, but if you failed a second time then you were out. I failed one class and I was so scared! I know why I failed it though..too much partying every weekend..so i cut my partying in half and I passed the second time...

You seem like a very bright and focused person! Just relax a little and keep the positive vibes going! You can excel in anything you want to! From my experience, I almost dropped out of high school...got bunch of D's and F's..went to a continuation school where they don't even give you grades..graduated high school..went to a community college and then transfered to a university for nursing...and VOILA i'm a rn! yay! So I guess I can say if I can do it you can do it!

Oh and congrats on graduating soon!

RNLola035 · Mar 7, 2009

Oh and my friend did get kicked out of our nursing program because supposedly she falsified documentation regarding a medication error during clinicals, and luckily she did find a nursing program elsewhere.

cjcsoon2bnp, MSN, RN, NP · Mar 7, 2009

Congrats. on being interested in nursing! Its a great field and if your interested in it then its great that your deciding to pursue it.

As a nursing student here are my responses to your questions.

1. In general, what letter grade must be maintained in the nursing courses?

Most colleges require that you get at least a C in all courses (both pre-reqs and the clinical courses.) But in order to be accepted into most programs you should have at least a B in each of your pre-reqs.

2. I have mostly read that you must have a C grade in order to pass classes and continue with the nursing programs. Is it usually a requirement to maintain a letter grade of C throughout the entire nursing program, or must you at least have a C at finals in order to pass a nursing class?

You need to have a C in every class in order to advance. If its a pre-req then you can retake it and then continue but if you have been accepted into your schools nursing program most clinical courses have a limit on how many times you can retake them if you don't get the minimum passing grade (which is usually a C.) I know that in my clinical courses you have to have a C average in both the written exams and clinical portions in order to pass the class (but really its not that hard if you study and prepare for it.)

3. I would really like to become an RN, but I am concerned. Can you really get kicked out of a nursing program? Do all nursing schools have this option?

Some community colleges allow you to become an LPN but for the most part most nursing schools are training you to become an RN. Yes you can get kicked out of a nursing program for failing the classes (or in a rare case inappropriate behavior like cheating or something.)

4. Is it generally acceptable to repeat nursing courses, and how many times would be allowed?

In your pre-req courses (like Chemistry, Psychology etc.) it depends on the school but usually you can repeat two or three times. Once your "in the nursing program" and doing clinical courses that's different and depends on the school. At my school you take 12 "nursing classes" once your in the program and you can only repeat one class and after that you are out (unless you make a plea to the nursing dean and academic committee.)

5. Is it common that students are dismissed from nursing school?

Not really, some people do fail out but once you've gotten that far to be "in the program" you know how much hard work it takes and your not willing to quit at that point.

6. Have you, or do you know anyone who has been dismissed from a nursing school? If you know, or care to tell, what was the reason for the dismissal?

I know of a few people and it was for failing more then one class, but they knew they weren't going to make it because they were not willing to put in the study time needed.

7. If dismissed from a nursing program, can you attend another school for nursing? If so, would it be very difficult to get accepted into a new school?

You can but in reality you probably won't because if you have already been kicked out of one school of nursing then you have probably realized that nursing isn't for you. I know that I said you can only repeat one nursing course at my school but if you actually study and put in the prep work needed then its kinda hard to completely bomb a course.

You sound like a good student who works hard so I doubt you will fail once you get in, I would suggest with any college course that you study and prepare yourself for the class and if you feel your having trouble then seek help early on so you don't have to fail the class. Everyone has a subject that they're not perfect in (mine is Anatomy) but I did great in Psych, Physiology and Chem. you just have to study hard and be willing to work. Allnurses.com has been a big help for me as a student.

!Chris :specs:

cjcsoon2bnp, MSN, RN, NP · Mar 7, 2009

Oh and my friend did get kicked out of our nursing program because supposedly she falsified documentation regarding a medication error during clinicals, and luckily she did find a nursing program elsewhere.

How did she falsify documentation regarding a med. error? I'm just curious.

!Chris :specs:

BabyLady, BSN, RN · Mar 7, 2009

-->questions:
1. in general, what letter grade must be maintained in the nursing courses?
most nursing courses require a c or better, however, the "standard" of passing is much higher. most traditional college programs, an "a" is a 90 to 100 and a "b" is 80 to 89. for example, in my nursing program, you have to have a 93 to get an "a" and anything below an 80 is considered failing. this is one of the reasons why nursing programs require a higher gpa.
2. i have mostly read that you must have a c grade in order to pass classes and continue with the nursing programs. is it usually a requirement to maintain a letter grade of c throughout the entire nursing program, or must you atleast have a c at finals in order to pass a nursing class?
see above...however, you have to think about the future rather than the bare minimum. if you ever want to advance yourself by getting a bsn, etc..it will be difficult if you graduate with only a 2.0 gpa.
3. i would really like to become an rn, but i am concerned. can you really get kicked out of a nursing program? do all nursing schools have this option?
yes, any academic program at any college has this option. nursing schools have special rules and guidelines because we do clinicals at hospitals and we are guests of the hospitals. if you don't follow the rules, it can result in a dismissal, and all of us have seen it happen. however, any job you have in any line of work has rules or you can get fired..so it's much easier to learn how to follow them now.
4. is it generally acceptable to repeat nursing courses, and how many times would be allowed?
most nursing courses will allow you to repeat a course one time. however, there may be other limitations that vary by program. if they do offer it, it's usually on a space-available basis.
5. is it common that students are dismissed from nursing school?
no...but any student that doesn't pass, maintain the required gpa, cheats, or doesn't follow the rules...students are "dropped" every semester.
6. have you, or do you know anyone who has been dismissed from a nursing school? if you know, or care to tell, what was the reason for the dismissal?
we have had about 3 dismissed for cheating. one for threatening an instructor with bodily harm. we have lost about 14 to poor grades. we have lost about another 2 for not showing up to clinical...no phone call either.
7. if dismissed from a nursing program, can you attend another school for nursing? if so, would it be very difficult to get accepted into a new school?
yes, very, very difficult to get into another one..b/c if you get dismissed, the reason is usually documented on your transcript, with rare exception.

any comments, opinions, advice, or recommendations will be greatly appreciated! =d
-summer :typing
p.s. i am aware that i must take prerequisites before even having the possibility of becoming accepted into a nursing program.

good luck.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Mar 7, 2009

Generally, you need a C to pass each NS class...however, you need to be aware that the grading scale for NS is NOT the same as college in general. Where in college most Cs begin at 71, in nursing school, a C begins at 80. Exact numbers will vary depending on the NS.

So in short: the 85 that would have gotten you a B in your English class would likely net you a C in NS. The grading scale in NS is often a financial aid killer

Yes, you can get kicked out/dismissed from NS. So far, most people I know who were dismissed from my program were let go because they failed the dosage calculation tests. Many schools let you fail one class; if you fail again (either the same class or a different one), you're out. And I've also had one classmate fail clinical and thus the class because she was never prepared and got into it with the CI (neverminding she just didn't show up to a clinical one day). I'd like to say she's learned her lesson during the retake, but from what I've heard from both her and others, she hasn't. So I don't know what happened to her this last class.

But you can be immediately dismissed from the program if you are unsafe in clinical--I heard that one student was dismissed because she/he didn't lower the bed to the lowest position when they were finished.

I don't know how easy it is to get into another NS--that would be between you and the new NS. I know of a couple who were dismissed from my program (failed out) who have been able to enter a diploma RN program. I don't know if they were able to transfer any courses though.

Rhone · Mar 7, 2009

In my LPN program (and I think it works the same in my school's ADN-RN programs):

75% or higher is required to pass a class (though 80+ is still a B and 90+ is still an A).

Furthermore, 75% is required as a test average before other parts of the grade are considered. e.g. If you have a 74.9 test average, it doesn't matter if you aced the papers/projects, you still fail.

If you fail one class, you're out of the program.

You can also be kicked out of the program for failing dosage tests (you have 3 chances on the dosage tests, but must get 90% or above to pass).

You also have to pass lab skills tests (3 chances I think) or you're out.

You also have to pass clinicals, and it seems that the instructors can somewhat arbritrarily kick students out for mistakes made at clinical, as well (happened to one of my favorite classmates this week :scrying: ).

More than a third of the students my class started with were gone after the first semester (most due to test grades). We were joined this semester by several students who had failed out of my school's RN program and were allowed to enter the LPN program in the second semester. I suspect many more will be gone after this semester.

In four years working on my previous BA degree, I had one B+ and the rest of my grades were As and A-s. I'm a good test-taker; I scored in the 99th percentile on the entrance exam I had to take for my LPN program (TEAS). But I have to study my butt off to get Bs on the nursing tests. Even when I feel like I've studied the material as much as I possibly can, I still end up with a B thanks to test questions that are ambiguously worded or that require knowing something that wasn't in the assigned reading.

Not trying to scare you or anything, but from what I've seen and from other posts here, it certainly seems that many community college nursing programs weed people out left and right. One might cynically be inclined to believe that they do that primarily to maintain their perfect or near-perfect NCLEX pass rates. :)

Don't let that stop you, though. If you set your goals high and you resolve yourself to do what it takes to achieve them, you will succeed.

My advice:

Get As on all your pre-reqs and ace any entrance exam that needs to be taken.

Aim for As in nursing school but don't beat yourself up if you end up with Bs instead. Better to aim for As and get Bs, than to aim for Cs or Bs and fail.

Stay on good terms with your instructors! Seriously. Some of them can be very rude/harsh--take it in stride. They are only human, and sometimes they will insist something that you know is verifiably wrong (or at least contradicted in your text books). "But the book says..." will often get your head bitten off by an instructor who despises being challenged or argued with, while "Mrs. Teacher, can you take a look at something in the book and clarify it for me?" will usually produce better results. I'm not saying to suck up, just to be diplomatic.

300g · Mar 7, 2009

wow! stop worrying about all the negative... worrying about all this negativity only takes up space in your conscience mind. it won't solve anything and it will get you nowhere.

but it will be my first time taking nursing courses, let alone my first time at college

just like nearly everyone else that will be entering college/taking nursing courses. nursing school is not filled with 'a' students... there are a lot of 'b' and 'c' students too that do just fine. have faith in your instructors... they'll teach you what you need to know.

think about the positive. you're an 'a' student. you know what it takes to get good grades. the same principles that earned good grades in high school will apply in college. listen to your instructors, do your work, study hard and you will succeed!

think of all the people who have been through nursing school before you... if they can do it, so can you!

:yeah:

vashtee, RN · Mar 7, 2009

If you can manage straight As in high school, what with all the back-biting, hormonal fluctuations, age-related insecurities, etc, I don't see why you should worry excessively about nursing school. It IS hard, but if you can stay focused, you can do it.

In my program, the flunk-out rate during the first semester was the highest, at around 35%. I think that was mostly due to lack of adequate preparation for tests. It isn't enough in nursing school to be able to define something; you actually need to COMPREHEND it so you can answer questions in a new format, and if you don't know what words mean, you need to actually look them up in a dictionary.

Also, you will do well to think of clinical rotations as boot camp - some instuctors are great and very encouraging, but others can be very, very tough. Also, I noticed that some of the nurses in the hospital were especially rude to the younger girls. In my experience, the best thing to do is to be prepared, and don't try cutting any corners, no matter how tired you are, and most importantly, have a very thick skin. It doesn't last forever.

PsychMaven · Mar 7, 2009

Hi Summer,

As I'm sure you can tell by the number of responses, this is certainly an understandable fear. I started an Entry to Practice program last summer (everyone already has a BS in another field) and am finishing with my BS in Nursing this May. Basically I've taken 60 credits and completed upwards of 750 clinical hours in one year. All I can say is that if I can do it, so can you...especially considering you have excellent grades from high school! I had all the same fears as you last year and here I am preparing to take my NCLEX, time will fly.

1. In my program you must maintain a 3.0 each semester, cumulatively. If you fall below that you are placed on academic probation for at least one semester and if you do not bring it back up I imagine you are dismissed.

2. In my experience you must maintain whatever the school's minimum GPA is throughout the entire nursing program.

3. It is possible to be removed, for example my program requires immediate dismissal if you fail a CLINICAL course which is very very hard to do unless you simply are not trying, asking questions, or getting involved.

4. I believe it is acceptable to repeat courses, however if it was a pre-req for the next class in your program that could set you back tremendously.

5. Plan on being dismissed if you do not measure up to your particular institution's requirements, it is possible and it does happen.

6. I know of several people dismissed from our program for their grades.

7. If dismissed from a nursing program, you could get into another program theoretically. The grades that got you dismissed, however, would likely make this very difficult.

I would suggest that you look into the exact requirements for the programs you are planning to apply to, everywhere is different. Just do your best and study, study, study. Don't let failure be an option, most schools have tons of resources if you are having trouble and your professors will surely want to help you succeed. Take a deep breath and dive in, best of luck Summer!

EwwThat'sNasty · Mar 7, 2009

Chill out girl, smell the roses. Ok you can ignore that crass statement, for I too was once anally obsessive about getting straight A's. Now my take is that if you are getting better than a 3.3 (A-) you're missing out on life too much. Grades are not everything.

However you may, if you wish, retain your need to achieve until life's travails wizens you up a bit. 'Tis your choice.

1. A "B" is adequate. In some schools less than a "B" is unacceptable. You will achieve >3.0 (B) because it's what you do.

2. Depends on the school. In my little community college (with an NCLEX pass rate of ~93%) a "C" was unacceptable anywhere. Do you want an "average" nurse tending you in hospital?"

3. Yes, you can get kicked out for low performance. It used to be a common practice, so it is said, at the Concord, NH hospital school (now defunct) to over enroll, to week out the weak. I don't think this is a common practice anymore. My best friend in Nursing School missed the final by one single point and was terminated. However there was more than met the eye in this case. Bottom line: "If you work hard, it is likely that everyone else will work hard to help you pass."

4. You can usually repeat classes, and there might be valid reasons to do so (dyslexia, pregnancy, nasty boyfriends, hissy fits, etc.) But in reality unless there was a real valid reason, it is often the case that repeaters drop out or fail again. If you get "A's" in HS, it is not likely that you will need to repeat (unless you are a disruptive drama queen that gets kicked out, or some other "pressing " reason.

5. No, it's not common. Only one in my class was expelled. Another left due to pregnancy.

6. Yes, my best friend, sadly, and though when the two of us were together we were a bit disruptive, we also added a lot to classes, we were FUN. Why did this person get expelled? Because this person missed the minimum grade on the final by one single point. Why did this person really get expelled? I really don't want to say, but I will say that the real cause is not one that will affect you.

7. Of course you can get accepted at another school. That is if you can present a "why did I drop/get expelled, and why will this not occur here.

Much depends upon the status of schools in general. 3-5 years ago there were 2-3x as many applicants as slots for students. In this case you had better have a good story and be willing to wait in line a year or two. I believe that the "shortage" that is talked about is no longer the case, and that we are entering an era of an overabundance of nurses. So I believe that probably starting last year and continuing into the near future there will be a decrease in the applicant/available slot ratio. Due to the economic melt-down, there is a concurrent drop in elective medical needs as well as in "real" medical needs. People are putting off things and losing their insurance, or worse, having real insurance replaced with what I call "comic book" insurance. For instance in Michigan (the home of GM the auto maker) there are now dozens of resumes in local employment sites whereas a year ago the norm was none.

Trust me, you'll do fine. It's in your blood. Some advice: "Ease up, have fun, when the professor is not looking animate the skeleton...." They might threaten to expel you, but they won't. It's not easy. In reality a BSN degree is really being crammed into ADN programs (a reason to go for a BSN) I've a BS in chemistry and another in Safety Studies, and the ADN was in my opinion a lot more intense. Don't try to work part-time if you can help it. Start with a low course load especially with anatomy/physiology. Get an A on this one, for it will help you out forever. Good luck and enjoy.