Do honors help gain a job

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As a transfer I can't get phi eta sigma honors without taking at least 3 honors classes including English honors (I took English I and II already). Even though I already took history, I'd repeat it in honors also. I think the 3rd is an honors lit. My grades are A's and one B+ so I just wanted more to show for the hard work but I guess not if it hardly matters to help get a job, I just don't want to feel like I wasted time taking English and history plus I have nursing classes to focus on. If it helps though I'll do it. Thanks!

P.S. we don't yet have a nursing honors but I'm going to do my darn darndest to get a chapter started at my school.

Specializes in ORTHO, PCU, ED.

If I'm understanding your question...

You can put your honors on your resume, definitely, but otherwise your grades and such are never shown to prosective employees in my experience.

GuEsT78

111 Posts

When I worked nights in pediatric oncology as a nurse tech, I remained in the position long enough to see two sets of new nurse hires made by the hospital to fill those critical positions. Filling nights meant hiring new graduates. The first set was a disaster, making numerous mistakes that I describe in both My Nights with Leukemia and Senior Nurse Mentor. Two of the three nurses had to repeat their orientation. It was terrible.

With the next set of new hires, the hospital was more careful. Two of the three assigned to Hem-Onc nights were honors graduates and the third was quite capable. (In the books, I call her a "nurse's nurse.") I'm certain that being an honors grads got them those positions. The hospital did not want to take chances this time around.

So, I'd say that, yes, having that having nursing honors will help you, particularly your first few years out of school. It may get you a job you otherwise wouldn't get. It will almost certainly mean you can get a more challenging position.

Nursing honors doesn't necessarily mean you're a better nurse. But it does mean you're a good learner of the technical stuff and for more demanding nursing that's an important requirement. If you can manage the time and cost, I wouldn't see those added courses as wasted time, even if they aren't in nursing. That "honors" label that could make your nursing career far richer. This is your only shot at that. It's worth a bit of added trouble.

Also, keep in mind that, since you'll be repeating these courses, they should be far easier.

llg, PhD, RN

13,469 Posts

Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

They can help get your application noticed in the initial round of screening ... but after that, they would not be a big factor.

My advice is: If you would have to take extra classes, then it would not be worth it to do so. It's not worth taking 3 extra courses. There are better ways to invest your time and money. However, if it just means choosing the honors class over a regular one that you have to take anyway, I would choose the honors class.

Jules A, MSN

8,864 Posts

Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
If I'm understanding your question...

You can put your honors on your resume, definitely, but otherwise your grades and such are never shown to prosective employees in my experience.

I would tread very lightly in this arena. There is quite a divided camp with regards to the book smarts vs clinical acumen. We all know 4.0 students who are incompetent and those with Bs and Cs who are excellent at the bedside so sometimes it isn't as impressive as the A student would like to think.

My personal opinion is I could care less if someone was an A student or not and would prefer they bring to the table an excellent skill set of tasks they performed while in nursing school. Just keep in mind the person making the decision might have a strong feeling one way or the other and I'm not sure I'd take the chance of turning someone off by bragging about gpa in a competitive market place. Good luck.

direw0lf, BSN

1,069 Posts

I would tread very lightly in this arena. There is quite a divided camp with regards to the book smarts vs clinical acumen. We all know 4.0 students who are incompetent and those with Bs and Cs who are excellent at the bedside so sometimes it isn't as impressive as the A student would like to think.

My personal opinion is I could care less if someone was an A student or not and would prefer they bring to the table an excellent skill set of tasks they performed while in nursing school. Just keep in mind the person making the decision might have a strong feeling one way or the other and I'm not sure I'd take the chance of turning someone off by bragging about gpa in a competitive market place. Good luck.

I know some people view it as bragging whereas I view it as trying very very very hard. If I compare myself to someone who didn't get as high grade as me, it's because of things like they spent time with their boyfriend or had to work more or have children, not because I'm superior. I sacrificed for my grades and really like learning. I missed the boat in high school to do a good job and be interested in anything. This is my chance now.

I'm aware students can get A's and fail clinical. I think, although I'll soon find out for sure, that it's about the time management and approach you take to succeed and not memorization and knowing facts.

Thanks! I am agreeing it might not be worth it to have to retake classes the extra scholarship money wouldn't cover the book costs either.

RainMom

1,114 Posts

Specializes in PACU, pre/postoperative, ortho.

I graduated top of my class, included the award I received in my resume, had several yrs of prior healthcare office experience, but could not get a call back from the hospital I had hoped to work at. Meanwhile, there were 2 others in my class who were hired at the same facility; both struggled through school & one had been a SAHM with no work history at all. Several floor positions were posted the whole time. Clearly something about my application either turned them off or didn't get their attention. It was very frustrating!

On the other hand, I had 4 other facilities I interviewed with in a short time frame not too long after. 3 offered a position & the 4th wanted a 2nd panel interview.

While top grades can give you a boost I suppose, don't count on it to get you the position you want. As a PP stated above, don't spend time & money on extra classes unrelated to nursing just to increase your GPA.

Jules A, MSN

8,864 Posts

Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.
I sacrificed for my grades and really like learning. I missed the boat in high school to do a good job and be interested in anything. This is my chance now.

I'm aware students can get A's and fail clinical. I think, although I'll soon find out for sure, that it's about the time management and approach you take to succeed and not memorization and knowing facts.

And with this attitude you will likely be the whole package; the book smart nurse who also excels at clinicals. Remember to view your clinical rotations as an extended job interview. If you find a unit you like and fit in with the staff do everything reasonable to let the nurse manager know your intentions and make professional contacts while you are there. Best wishes.

KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN

1 Article; 2,675 Posts

Specializes in ICU, LTACH, Internal Medicine.

In my experience, honors in either nursing classes or others do not help and can be harmful. They can be seen as a sign of bookish, know-it-all new grad nurse. Counting on how many people in nursing world still live within "C=degree" idea and with thinking that good students make bad bedside nurses, honors are better be kept off a new grad resume, especially non-nursing honors.

umbdude, MSN, APRN

1,228 Posts

Specializes in Psych/Mental Health.

I don't think it would help much and personally I wouldn't take 3 extra classes to get into an honor society. Having a good GPA already shows that you're competent academically. A high GPA and honors do help in applying to grad school and probably give you a slight edge if you're applying to one of those new grad residency programs. But when it comes to finding a job, having the whole package (decent grades, work experience, and connection) is probably much more helpful.

xxdiscoxxheaven

164 Posts

Disagree!! My honors and grades got me an externship with the top hospital in my city and two job offers after graduation. Every situation is different honestly and if it gets your resume a second look, why not?? It's possible to do well clinically and academically in school.

KatieMI, BSN, MSN, RN

1 Article; 2,675 Posts

Specializes in ICU, LTACH, Internal Medicine.
Disagree!! My honors and grades got me an externship with the top hospital in my city and two job offers after graduation. Every situation is different honestly and if it gets your resume a second look, why not?? It's possible to do well clinically and academically in school.

1). Honors and grades are useful for externships, but with first RN jobs situation becomes more variable.

2). Top level teaching institution and a hospital which cares 99.9% about HCAPS and revenue are two different animals. Unfortunately, the latter specie becomes more common by days.

The "top level" hospital in my area (not academically affiliated, minimal teaching) stopped caring for honors, grades and even IV skills long ago. Everything they want from new nurses is "customer service skills". They actually request college transcripts and refuse positions to academically high-standing grads, or make their first year as bad as possible so that they quit or terminated. Their administration says that an academically advanced new graduate nurse doesn't worth an investment of time and money because he/she will leave bedside within a year or so and go to advanced degree anyway. The show is going on for the last three years or so, and declining level of nursing knowledge and care in that place is perceptable.

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