What Does Your Grade Consist Of?

pinkiepie_RN · Nov 10, 2008

The only assessment tool used in my program is test grades, which I do not agree with. I am not adverse to testing being the majority of the grade but there should be other items incorporated to assess our knowledge (case studies, annotated bibliography, research paper, class presentations, etc). I have suggested alternatives to testing and am met with resistance. The excuse from the instructor is "We are preparing you for the NCLEX" or "I don't have time to grade research papers". I believe that other assessment modalities would help solidify the material and help with applying the subject matter.
I would like to know what other institutions use to assess their students.
Thank you in advance for your input.

In most of my classes, although clinical itself is pass/fail, there are typically projects assigned in clinical such as teaching plans or case studies that are graded and part of our final grade. They're not calculated into the final grade until we have a 73% (passing rate) on all exams, including the final exam.

I know it's hard for lecture instructors to grade everything but clinical instructors have 6 students to grade, so I think it's less stress on them. I think assignments in clinical definitely help apply that nursing aspect rather than just teaching to the test which I feel happens in lecture.

Hope this helps!

D1914 · Nov 10, 2008

In my program you have to maintain a 75% on all exams regardless of anything else. A 74.99 on exams and a 100% on term papers and a 100% on group projects equals a failure for the course.

COLPN · Nov 10, 2008

70% Exams

10% Final Exam

10% Care plans

10% Quizzes and "other projects".

Also we have to maintain a 77% or above on Exams in order to sit for the Final Exam and pass the class.

CrazyNurseGrrl · Nov 10, 2008

100% test grades, final included as any other test.

Everything else is pass/fail.

I actually like it - you either know the skill or you don't. And if you can't do it without contaminating or some other mistake - well then, you nee more practice!

lilo2010 · Nov 10, 2008

9 quizzes count 25%//8 tests count 45%//final exam counts 30%

80% or above is passing grade Clinical is pass or fail

I like it this way. Don't have time for lots of research papers, etc.. We've had a few projects, but they usually count toward a quiz.

sunnysideup09 · Nov 10, 2008

90% exams/quizzes (6 exams, 1 final exam, quizzes), 10% consists of an APA paper, and 2 projects like a PPT presentation/teaching pamphlets. Half the class would rather have just exams only since they feel that the other stuff takes up too much time, the other half like the projects since they may not be the best test takers and the projects help pull the grade up, not down.

NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN · Nov 10, 2008

We must pass drug calc. exam to pass the course... however it does not affect our grade whether we pass or fail.

Clinicals is pass or fail. If we get 6 critical U's( for bad behavior, or being late,etc.) we fail clinicals so we fail the course. We are allowed 6 a semester.

For theory we must get an average of 75 or above on each exam to pass. Exam 1- is 40 % of our grade

Exam 2- is 40% of our grade

and Final exam is -20% of our grade.

MB37 · Nov 10, 2008

I graduated already, and my school used only test grades for our main didactic courses (Fundamentals, Pharm, Patho, M/S, OB, Peds, Psych, Assessment). Our clinicals were pass/fail, and they included all of our care plans, presentations, general conduct, lab skills testing, attendance, med calc tests, etc. I have a BSN, so we also took additional courses, usually online. These included Ethical/Legal, Management, Community Health, and Research. They all required a paper (usu. 30-40%), discussion board postings (10-20%), and tests/quizzes which were also usually online.

IMO, you can't become a nurse unless you can pass tests - there's no other way to get your license. That's what they mean when they tell you they're doing it to prepare you for NCLEX. We didn't get a letter grade for clinical, instead we ALSO had to be able to pass our care plans, give coherent well-researched presentations, and have adequate lab and clinical skills in order to receive a satisfactory grade. For clinical, we needed >75% (or higher, i.e. for med calc tests) in each area to pass - you couldn't bring up your care plan grades with a good presentation.

Cree8ive1 · Nov 10, 2008

Great topic! I've often wondered about what other programs out there do.

I think there's a huge difference in the way two-year programs are structured vs. BSN programs. I chose a ADN program (even though I already have another bachelor's) because it was close to home and affordable. I wish I'd known this before I'd started, because if I had, I'd definitely have chosen a more expensive, further away accellerated BSN program.

Ours is a four-semester program, and I'm in my third semester. Our semester consists of one 7- or 8-credit hour nursing class (Nursing I, II, III, IV). There's a 1-credit lab during semesters I and II. That's about it. (Pre- and co-reqs are not part of the nursing curriculum -- they're just offered through the college.)

Like everyone else, our clinical is pass/fail. We get no points or grade for it.

So when the faculty wants to assign a paper or research project, which they seem to like to do, they assign it under our clinical component. If we don't do something, they can flunk us for clinical, so basically, everyone does it.

Our "lecture" component is based on 1000 points. This semester, we can earn 50 points on quizzes (10 @ 5 points each :lol2: ) , 50 points on this MedsPub website where we take NCLEX-like tests, 400 points for a midterm and 500 points for our final. That's it. Nice, huh? I don't think this system is fair at all, but what're you gonna do? We need a 76% to pass. Our school pretty much says the same thing -- that nursing school is all about gearing you up to pass the NCLEX, but the issues I have are that no one takes any time to talk to us about HOW to take the NCLEX, and that our instructors are writing these questions based on their interpretations of how NCLEX questions are structured, if that makes sense. I'm not convinced they're qualified to do that. It makes things really tough.

Our class started with 120 students last year. We're now down to about 80. The school usually graduates about 60 students a year. It just seems to me that, overall, there should be a better way to evaluate someone's potential to be a good, competent nurse, but what do I know? LOL! Seems to me there's gotta be a better way to educate future nurses. Sigh.

RNDreamer · Nov 10, 2008

Clinicals/check offs are pass/fail...Some classes are graded strictly by exams and quizzes. Other classes include papers, assignments, and presentaions/group projects in the grading system.

Mommy_of_3_in_AL..RN · Nov 11, 2008

In each class, clinical is either pass or fail. We are allowed 2 critical failures in clinical before we fail, although if it is something serious, we can fail on the spot..an example would be giving an incorrect medication that was deemed harmful, or doing something else harmful to or involving a patient. We have drug cards, case studies, written patient assesments, and other small assignments that are included in the clinical score, although they are not graded numerically..we are only assigned a pass or fail on those as well. Our numerical grade is based solely on exams. The number of exams differs in each class, but the final grade is always worth 30%. The other exams are split evenly. We have to have a 75 to pass..everything over a 74.5 rounds up. I cant tell you how many times i have depended on the final to pass!!