77% Rule

USAFRN 13 · Aug 24, 2005

my school had a rule that all courses in the major had to be passed with a "c" or better, which i think is a pretty common rule. i have never heard of the 77% rule. I do know of the 10% rule, which you will learn when you graduate and start your practice...

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Aug 24, 2005

I was wondering if anyone has the same rule at their school. At the school that I will be attending for my nursing classes they have this rule that if you do not pass your final with a 77 or better you do not passt the course. They do not care if you have gotten a 100% in the class up to that point you will not pass. I have overheard other students saying that the rule is unfair and I know that some of the teachers want to bring it to the dean so maybe they can change it. One particular instructor says she disagrees with it because some of the best nurses were not the best students and it puts undue stress on students. What do you guys think or does your school have the same rule?

I think that is crap. That's the main reason why I work so hard to get high grades on my other tests-so that I don't have to stress out over the final.

dave1117 · Aug 24, 2005

If you do well all semester why would you worry about failing the final. We need a C+ or 75% to pass our classes. 74.7% does not round up to 75%. A lot of people have a problem with this also...I don't get it...And I love the whole "the best nurses aren't always the best students" crap. Do I need to remind you that in order to be the best nurse you first need to pass the big test...Your school and professors have one goal, whether it be selfish or not, and that is to get everyone to pass the NCLEX exam. You can be the best clinical nurse but if you can't get a 77% on the final then there is a good chance you won't pass the NCLEX. The numbers and statistics are in the schools favor. That my friends is why nursing school is so tough. First, because not EVERYONE is cut out to be a nurse, and second because not everyone is smart enough to be a nurse. Sounds like a tough statement but think about it...peoples lives are in your hand 12 hours a day. They see their Doctor who has at least 12 years of college and medical school in his pocket for 5 maybne 10 minutes a day. The rest of the time you, with your 2 years of community college are in charge of life and death decisions. Am I getting my point across. It shouldn't be easy. Do you want your nurse, God forbid you are ever in a life or death situation, to be the one that your school felt sorry for; the one who just got by because they were compassionate or caring. Or would you want the nurse who excelled? The one who took things seriously enough to stay up late and spent weekends making sure they didn't get a 76% on the final?

Once again not being mean, just pointing out some of the reasons why nursing school should be hard and demanding. Even if you want to bring in the financial aspects of nursing. What other two year degree "gaurentees" you a license to make $100,000 a year in some markets with some overtime.

I will get off my soap box. But since I live with a nurse of 27 yeasr and have many friends who are already nurses, I have known many good and bad nurses. The one thing the good nurses all have in common is they love being a smart, thinking nurse. I want to believe this ideal started in nursing school when the difference between A's and C's mattered.

Good luck to you. As I started out saying...if you can get good grades all semester, the final will be a piece of cake.

Dave

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Aug 25, 2005

If you do well all semester why would you worry about failing the final. We need a C+ or 75% to pass our classes. 74.7% does not round up to 75%. A lot of people have a problem with this also...I don't get it...And I love the whole "the best nurses aren't always the best students" crap. Do I need to remind you that in order to be the best nurse you first need to pass the big test...Your school and professors have one goal, whether it be selfish or not, and that is to get everyone to pass the NCLEX exam. You can be the best clinical nurse but if you can't get a 77% on the final then there is a good chance you won't pass the NCLEX. The numbers and statistics are in the schools favor. That my friends is why nursing school is so tough. First, because not EVERYONE is cut out to be a nurse, and second because not everyone is smart enough to be a nurse. Sounds like a tough statement but think about it...peoples lives are in your hand 12 hours a day. They see their Doctor who has at least 12 years of college and medical school in his pocket for 5 maybne 10 minutes a day. The rest of the time you, with your 2 years of community college are in charge of life and death decisions. Am I getting my point across. It shouldn't be easy. Do you want your nurse, God forbid you are ever in a life or death situation, to be the one that your school felt sorry for; the one who just got by because they were compassionate or caring. Or would you want the nurse who excelled? The one who took things seriously enough to stay up late and spent weekends making sure they didn't get a 76% on the final?
Once again not being mean, just pointing out some of the reasons why nursing school should be hard and demanding. Even if you want to bring in the financial aspects of nursing. What other two year degree "gaurentees" you a license to make $100,000 a year in some markets with some overtime.
I will get off my soap box. But since I live with a nurse of 27 yeasr and have many friends who are already nurses, I have known many good and bad nurses. The one thing the good nurses all have in common is they love being a smart, thinking nurse. I want to believe this ideal started in nursing school when the difference between A's and C's mattered.
Good luck to you. As I started out saying...if you can get good grades all semester, the final will be a piece of cake.
Dave

I got an 88% on a test last semester. It was my lowest. I would prefer that I not have to stay up all night to study for a comprehensive final just in case I happened to miss 23 questions (which will never happen). But last semester before my final I got food poisoning (from my work cafe food!!!!) and I really couldn't study for the previous couple of days. Yes, that was the test I got the 88 on, but what if I didn't do so well? What if I got the 77% on that test. Then I have gotten As on all of my tests and I fail. That's crap.

dave1117 · Aug 25, 2005

While your situation for that lower grade might have been justified, there are many that are not. I am friendly with most of my professors and am amazed with the crap they hear from struggling students. The funny thing is that the students must think the professors don't talk, because the same students give the same crap excuses every semester to different professors. In most cases the excuses are just that...crap.

Unfortunately the school has to play the numbers game. And over many years the numbers don't lie. They just are what they are.

I hope you have a great semester, whatch what you eat...:chuckle

Dave

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Aug 25, 2005

I hope you have a great semester, whatch what you eat...:chuckle
Dave

Thanks! :barf01:

You are right though now that I think about it. There are A LOT of complainers in NS. This isn't fair, that isn't fair... I do think a lot of student expect NS to be easy and for them to always get their way.

angelac1978 · Aug 25, 2005

in my program, all of our major tests had to be passed with a 75% for the first year. In the second year, we have to pass the tests with an 85%, If we don't pass, then we are allowed to remediate the exams which involves a lot of extra work. The remediation exam is harder too, no multiple choice, it's all essay and short answer. If we fail 2 remediations, then we fail the course and we are out of the program.

A

jerryh55 · Aug 25, 2005

Most of us know up front how things are gonna be as far as grades and what's to be expected. We all know what we have to do in order to get through NS. Are there whiners in NS,, sure,, are there whiners in any other job or feild you have ever worked,, sure,, always that 10% no matter where you go or what you do. But to make the assumption that A's = better nurse and C's = a nurse of less quality is so absurd. Now granted my spouse has only been in the medical field for 21 years, I have never been able to tell the differnce between an RN who got A's and one that got C's in nursing school. But what I do find even more important is whether or not the nurse cares. A's dont make a caring individual as C's dont make a non caring person. Just take everything in stride and remember why you wanted to become a nurse. But always keep in mind the polocies of the NS your attending. Always keep in mind the requirements so you dont get caught wondering what happened. But whether your making A's or C's, dont ever let anyone tell you that your anything less thn you are. For some unknown reason I smell a BSN in here.

Have A Great Day And Be Safe

Jerry

**RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN** · Aug 25, 2005

I was wondering if anyone has the same rule at their school. At the school that I will be attending for my nursing classes they have this rule that if you do not pass your final with a 77 or better you do not passt the course. They do not care if you have gotten a 100% in the class up to that point you will not pass. I have overheard other students saying that the rule is unfair and I know that some of the teachers want to bring it to the dean so maybe they can change it. One particular instructor says she disagrees with it because some of the best nurses were not the best students and it puts undue stress on students. What do you guys think or does your school have the same rule?

We have to pass with a 74 or better. Never heard of that rule and think it is unfair and ludacris. You can't expect everyone to pass it with flying colors especially if it is a cummulative final grade. :rolleyes:

dave1117 · Aug 25, 2005

Just a lowly ASN...:chuckle

Don't get hung up on what I said about A's versus C's... My major point was that NS is tough for several very good reasons. There are some, and maybe it is the 10% you refer to (however I think it is more) that seem to just get by with lots of excuses. I study with several C+ to B students and I think they are going to make excellent nurses. My comments about the A vs. C was directly attacking the all to frequent comment on this board that "C students usaully make better nurses than A students". I just don't get that mentality at all. It takes hard work, compassion and yes smarts to be a good nurse. If you are a smart C student so be it.

Anyway, enough said...my intention is never to offend anyone :crying2: just pointing out some of the obvious as I see it in my rose colored glasses. :specs:

Now let me get back to studying. :chuckle

Have a great day all. Dave :)

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Aug 25, 2005

Actually this is actually very liberal, in my school each component of every nursing course had to be passed with at least 80-85% . And the final can be considered a component.

As a nurse, you can work very hard every day, but the day that you only work 75% of your ability can be the day that harms someone. You cannot slack just because you have worked 100% on all other days of your career. And your nursing school policy is a reflection of that.

This means also when you get out of school, you get plenty of sleep before work, that you keep most of your personal issues out of the workplace, you show up on time everyday, etc. You are getting practice in school that should carry over to your workplace as a good habit.