I'm a Level 2 (i.e., second-semester) nursing student right now at Santa Fe Community College in New Mexico. My GPA from Level 1 was a sold 3.0. This semester, I'm struggling with Adult Nursing/Med-Surg 1 exams. The material isn't difficult, just standard A&P and nursing assessments, but the tests are brutal. My GPA in the class at mid-term is below a 75, which is the passing mark for the course. More than half the class are failing and we were in the top 10% of the applicant pool grade-wise before we began the program. Damn.
My question to all of you is what kind of GPA should I be striving for in order to be competitive when I graduate from nursing college (2-year ADN/Associate's program culminating in an RN certification)? I would like to achieve a GPA that would help me remain competitive in applicant pools for jobs, and higher education like a bachelor's degree and eventually a master's. I know my current GPA right now is abysmal and I plan to work night and day to hike it up, but what is a decent, competitive GPA to have when finished a 2-year nursing program? (do not write 4.0 cause that ain't happening, although, due to the current **** economy, I wouldn't be surprised if that becomes the new standard).
I'm a Level 2 (i.e., second-semester) nursing student right now at Santa Fe Community College in New Mexico. My GPA from Level 1 was a sold 3.0. This semester, I'm struggling with Adult Nursing/Med-Surg 1 exams. The material isn't difficult, just standard A&P and nursing assessments, but the tests are brutal. My GPA in the class at mid-term is below a 75, which is the passing mark for the course. More than half the class are failing and we were in the top 10% of the applicant pool grade-wise before we began the program. Damn.
My question to all of you is what kind of GPA should I be striving for in order to be competitive when I graduate from nursing college (2-year ADN/Associate's program culminating in an RN certification)? I would like to achieve a GPA that would help me remain competitive in applicant pools for jobs, and higher education like a bachelor's degree and eventually a master's. I know my current GPA right now is abysmal and I plan to work night and day to hike it up, but what is a decent, competitive GPA to have when finished a 2-year nursing program? (do not write 4.0 cause that ain't happening, although, due to the current **** economy, I wouldn't be surprised if that becomes the new standard).
If I were you, I'd wonder why the whole class is doing poorly. Your instructor should be consulted about this and if no satisfaction, go to the Director of the program. If you find it easy, why are the tests so brutal? Are you trying to work a lot and have no time to study? Do you know how to "critically think" through questions? I'd be wondering why.
And BTW, no patient ever, ever asked me my grades in nursing school. It truly doesn't matter. It might matter when trying to get into a BSN or MSN program. Good luck whatever you do...and please talk to your instructor. Just my
Hi there. And thank you for responding to my post. The material isn't necessarily easy, it's 200-level college anatomy and physiology-based with some basic chemistry. I enjoy science, especially biology, and mathematics, so I find the material interesting. Here's what is wrong with the tests.
The first exam combined chapters from Lewis et al. "Medical-Surgical Nursing" text, a "higher-end" med-surg textbook maybe more appropriate for an honors course (?) The first exam covered:
1. Cancer
2. Fluid and Electrolytes
3. Acid-Base Balance/Imbalance
4. Genetics
5. Allergens/Immune Response
These are 40+ page chapters. In addition we have clinical paperwork that takes on average 16+ hours a week to complete and various side projects (e.g., demonstration labs, papers, etc.) for which we receive 0 credit (pass/fail).
This next exam will cover 2 chapters of sensory input related problems (i.e., auditory/visual), 4 chapters of cardiac, introduction to neuro (1 chapter), and DM (1 chapter). 250 pages worth of reading. The instructors stand at the podium and parrot what's written on powerpoint slides that pop up on screen. THAT'S IT. In order to prepare for the exams you need to thoroughly OUTLINE the chapters. I'm not sure if you're familiar with Lewis et al. but it is DENSE DENSE writing. I've written over 30 pages of outline notes per chapter. There's just not enough time.
I value your 2 cents. Please respond if you have the time. I think one of the issues we as a class are facing is that there isn't enough time to go through all the reading.
Hi there. And thank you for responding to my post. The material isn't necessarily easy, it's 200-level college anatomy and physiology-based with some basic chemistry. I enjoy science, especially biology, and mathematics, so I find the material interesting. Here's what is wrong with the tests.
The first exam combined chapters from Lewis et al. "Medical-Surgical Nursing" text, a "higher-end" med-surg textbook maybe more appropriate for an honors course (?) The first exam covered:
1. Cancer
2. Fluid and Electrolytes
3. Acid-Base Balance/Imbalance
4. Genetics
5. Allergens/Immune Response
These are 40+ page chapters. In addition we have clinical paperwork that takes on average 16+ hours a week to complete and various side projects (e.g., demonstration labs, papers, etc.) for which we receive 0 credit (pass/fail).
This next exam will cover 2 chapters of sensory input related problems (i.e., auditory/visual), 4 chapters of cardiac, introduction to neuro (1 chapter), and DM (1 chapter). 250 pages worth of reading. The instructors stand at the podium and parrot what's written on powerpoint slides that pop up on screen. THAT'S IT. In order to prepare for the exams you need to thoroughly OUTLINE the chapters. I'm not sure if you're familiar with Lewis et al. but it is DENSE DENSE writing. I've written over 30 pages of outline notes per chapter. There's just not enough time.
I value your 2 cents. Please respond if you have the time. I think one of the issues we as a class are facing is that there isn't enough time to go through all the reading.
Thank you.
Are the tests multiple choice? Does she/he hold a review before the test? That's a HUGE amount of BIG topics for one test!!! How often does the instructor test? Does he/she do test reviews for all of you after the grades come in? You must talk to your teachers/Director. It really isn't easy material at all!! And you're probably just memorizing facts for the test! Are the test questions at a high cognitive level?
I've never seen GPAs posted with job application; only for fellowships and internships, which is understandable, because they are competitive in a different way than jobs are. The only other time a GPA will matter is if you decide down the road to pursue more schooling; that is, a BSN, MSN, etc. I know my local state college doesn't accept less than a 3.4 for nursing grad school.
It doesn't matter that you barely made it through nursing school. "C" means continue in my mind! Being a good nurse is all that is important...and a good attitude towards others, especially your patients! Good luck to you!:yeah::yeah::yeah:
I have never been asked about my nursing school GPA. Employers do not care. Only thing that matters is you passed NCLEX and have your license. Pursuing further education, however, that is different. Some programs are very competitive to get into, so anything less than 3.6 will be a long shot.
Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.
I've had employers ask for a transcript of my grades...many employers. That being said, they're checking to see that you didn't get below C on things, if you failed anything, and that you actually graduated from where you said you graduated. I believe they base hiring on references, interview, and experience more than they do on grades if grades are adequate.
I've had employers ask for a transcript of my grades...many employers. That being said, they're checking to see that you didn't get below C on things, if you failed anything, and that you actually graduated from where you said you graduated. I believe they base hiring on references, interview, and experience more than they do on grades if grades are adequate.
If you get below a "C" in a nursing course (and many other college level courses) you don't pass the course. They look at transcripts to find out if you graduated where you said you graduated from. As long as you hold a license from the state in which you are trying to work in, facilities don't care as long as you passed the state board exam.
Truthfully, I've never had an employer even ask for my GPAs or copies of my degrees, and this was for 3 different hospitals. All they were worried about was my license and past work experiences. I must add that I am looking to pick up some additional per diem hours at a smaller trauma center close to me and my interview is scheduled for next week. One of the forms emailed to me by HR was a education verification. Maybe has something to do with their magnet status?
The new grad programs I was applying to all wanted to see GPAs over 3.0 to 3.3. One place I got an interview at told me that my GPA was one of the things that made me stand out. The job I ended up getting didn't even want to see my transcript since I was already licensed and that was all that mattered to them.
Do the best you can so that you never have to wonder if your grades are hindering your post-school plans, so that you know you did the best you could do. Look at your GPA and the classes that you have left and think about what is a realistic goal for you. You have a limited number of credits to take to bring your GPA up, and assuming that you'll get A+++++ in all your remaining classes might not be realistic, but even if you DO get perfect grades from here on out, those grades will still be averaged in to your other grades.
This is the website I used to calculate my grades (I liked to go in to the final exams knowing what I needed to pass, what I needed to get a grade I could live with, and what to get to get a super awesome grade): http://web.ku.edu/~utile/grade_calculator.html
You can use it for GPA too by substituting your institutions percentage grades for letters.
:yeah:
OldNurseEducator
290 Posts
If I were you, I'd wonder why the whole class is doing poorly. Your instructor should be consulted about this and if no satisfaction, go to the Director of the program. If you find it easy, why are the tests so brutal? Are you trying to work a lot and have no time to study? Do you know how to "critically think" through questions? I'd be wondering why.
And BTW, no patient ever, ever asked me my grades in nursing school. It truly doesn't matter. It might matter when trying to get into a BSN or MSN program. Good luck whatever you do...and please talk to your instructor. Just my