77% Rule

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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?

77% is not passing w/flying colors - it's passing w/the minimum "C".

Let's translate this into working as a nurse - with a 77% performance you may not kill your patient. But that's not what you want to go home every day with - well, I managed not to kill anyone today.

Policies that may seem arbitrary and *unfair* serve a purpose - they prepare you for a field in which one error, one episode of carelessness, can have disastrous consequences. It's easy to whine "it's only one test ...". Translate that one test performance into one human being who is your patient and see if that changes your perspective.

We are all human ... but as a nurse you need to be aware of and prepared to live with the consequences of having an "off" day.

We will all have to live with the consequences of our mistakes. Even the very, very, very best nurse who made 100% on every exam in school and is extremely conscientious and who follows all the protocols in place will make mistakes. It's inevitable. It's statistics. When you deal with that many patients, that many procedures, over a lifetime, you WILL make mistakes. And you will cope somehow and move on.

Frankly, I don't see how this policy will help prevent nurses from making mistakes.

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At my college we have to get a minimum of 60% in each course or we have to repeat the course. We also have to achieve a term average of 65%.

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Specializes in CVICU.

Update on te rule:

The powers at school had another retreat and have decided to keep the rule. Last semester, which was 1st semester for me, we did lose many students due to that rule. One was a lady who had horrible test anxiety and did well all semester but bombed the final due to her anxiety. We do have to take ATI so they are trying to see if we take ATI and pass then we won't have that rule for the final. I am happy that I made it but sad fro the ones we lost, but I quess it is expected that you will lose some along the way.

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so far, we need a C to pass (65%) each course. Pharmacology is the exception needing a 90% or higher final grade (A+). Our Clinicals have us doing skill tests (only 3 attempts) and written skill tests (2 attempts) each week. We must successfully perform the skills within 3 attempts and achieve an 80% or higher on the written test within 2 attempts. We lost many students because of this.

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The school wants a high NCLEX pass rate..That is why they make it that tuff on you...Your school does not want to produce people who will fail the NCLEX..

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Specializes in CVICU.
The school wants a high NCLEX pass rate..That is why they make it that tuff on you...Your school does not want to produce people who will fail the NCLEX..

This is sadly true. But as I said before a A nurse does not equal a good nurse. While I know that we have to pass the NCLEX in order to be a nurse we loose so many do to this rule that would have passed the course overall with even with the grade they got on the final that was below a 77. I am only talking about the test grades not other compnents. I do not have test anxiety but going into my final I was sick to my stomach. I had prepared to the fullest but was double guessing myself because I knew that I could blow everything with this one test. Once I calmed down I went back and checked my answers and could not believe the mistakes that would have made. It was information that I knew inside out but because this rule was in the back of my mind I made changed answers instead of going with my gut instict, which was right. So I wonder how many knew the information on the final but was overcome by nervousness.

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Our standard is a 76 or better average. You can bomb the final so long as your final average for the course is a 76 or higher. You get an unsatisfactory in clinical and have a 100% test average and you get an F for the semester and can't come back til next year. Make below a 76 (and that means a 75.9 as they do NOT round) and you get an F for the semester and can;'t come back til next year.

All programs are different though. theres an ADN program in the next county over where unit tests and the final exam only count for 40% of the average and clinical grading on a numeric scale counts for 60%.

Our climnicals are graded S/U only and carry no weight on your class grade other than the pass fail thing if you flunk them.

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Specializes in ER.
Update on te rule:

The powers at school had another retreat and have decided to keep the rule. Last semester, which was 1st semester for me, we did lose many students due to that rule. One was a lady who had horrible test anxiety and did well all semester but bombed the final due to her anxiety. We do have to take ATI so they are trying to see if we take ATI and pass then we won't have that rule for the final. I am happy that I made it but sad fro the ones we lost, but I quess it is expected that you will lose some along the way.

We have ATI. No matter what our grade up to that point, if we fail ATI, we are out of the program.

T

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Specializes in LTC, Community.

wow thats kinda scary... i get test anxiety but not too bad during.. jus before i usually throw up...

i know my school u have to pass with at least a 70% avg..

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Had orientation today, start on Monday(8/21/06). We have to pass with a 76% average. I didnt think to ask if they round up....will have to ask on Monday. I have high hopes and plan to not be that near to worry.

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