anyone actually get good grades in nursing school?

ParkerBC,MSN,RN, PhD, RN · Nov 22, 2008

So far I have a 93% average in all of my classes which is an A-. When I started nursing school, I told myself that I would not get caught up in the whole, "I need to make straight A's". This is not to say that I don't study because I do. But, I don't spend every waking hour doing so. I have a life outside of nursing school. My philosophy is this: If I don't get an A on an exam, I am okay with it. The most important thing for me is to understand the material I got wrong so that I can learn from my mistakes. There are some straight A nursing student who clearly study to do well on the exams, but don't tend to study to commit the material to memory. There have been a few instances when one of our instructors asked a question and I answered. A couple of students snickered and asked if I read ahead to which I responded no, we learned that in Med/Surg I.

Not to say I don't think people should do their best, but wouldn't you agree that we already have an enormous amount of stress in our lives already. Do we really need to add additional stress by setting the standard of making straight A's?

RhodyGirl, RN · Nov 23, 2008

look at me, look at me. I got As!
this thread does not serve any point other than to brag

I think that the purpose of this thread was to prove to the OP that an "A" average in nursing school is difficult, but definitely possible. I don't get the bragging vibe at all. :twocents:

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Nov 23, 2008

look at me, look at me. I got As!
this thread does not serve any point other than to brag

Geesh! Give us a break.

Not bragging at all, just answering a question. As did all the others who posted. The question read.."anyone actually get good grades in nursing school?" And we all anwered, giving examples of how different "barriers" (kids, sick family members, full time jobs, etc) didn't stop us from getting good grades. So we answered..yes, its possible and yes we did it.

Junebugfairy · Nov 23, 2008

i think it is highly encouraging to see that people with real lives can make 'good' grades in ns.

at my school you have to make 80% to pass, which does seem to be the norm.

i do get a's, but i also admit that i have it very very very easy.

O24U · Nov 23, 2008

I am still in school (grad in May 09) and I have struggled to accept the B's I have started getting. Technically C=RN but I am used to getting A's. C's are common, B's are better and A's are awesome but really, grades do not directly reflect patient care. So yeah, you can get A's but clinical practice is not a multiple choice test. Once school is over I hope to have learned what to do more than how to test.

GooeyRN, ADN, BSN, CNA, LPN, RN · Nov 23, 2008

I wanted to add... Yes, I got all A's in nursing school, but I did not have a husband, kids, house, full time job or any of that going on when I went to be an RN. I worked part-time as an LPN and did not have any real obligations. Nursing school was my life pretty much. I don't think I would have gotten all A's if I had other obligations like kids or a full time job. I think I would have been a B student.

Does it really matter in the end? Grades meant everything to me at that time. Now, I have no idea who as an ADN, BSN, MSN, etc as we all do the same job where I was working. I have no idea what anyone's grades were. No one ever asked me my grades or even to see my degree. All they wanted was a copy of my nursing license. I hope that helps.

iluvivt, BSN, RN · Nov 24, 2008

Top of my class out of 80 students. I worked hard b/c I knew what I was learning I would really need some day. Yes it can be done and I took my boards (we did call it the NCLEX then) it was 2 whole days of testing (16 hours) I think I answered some 600 questions or so.....I passed with flying colors the first time... in great part b/c I knew my stuff.

barefoot_girl · Nov 24, 2008

to iluvivt:

You must have attended about the time I did. Took boards in 1981. We had to travel to the state capital, our boards were 2 1/2 days (if memory serves). Can't remember just how many exams there were, but do remember that they were divided up - adult, peds, psych, critical care, med/surg, etc.

It's sort of funny that the OP asked about the ability to make good grades. In school it was more about personal fulfillment (oh, and there was that incentive of academic scholarship). Now, many moons later, I am so grateful that I worked so hard to keep my grades up. I never dreamed that I'd be applying to grad school - ever. But here I am and having a rock solid GPA has proven far more important for admission into school than I ever imagined.

So to the OP: yes, good grades are possible but require lots of energy and effort. Even though doing your best and getting an A may not seem all that important today; take the word of an old nurse that it may be really important to you years down the road.

:twocents:

Junebugfairy · Nov 24, 2008

i also plan on attending grad school. i would like to become a whnp, woman's health np. i do know that straight a's are going to make me more marketable should i choose that path.

i am torn because i really enjoy bedside nursing too.. i could do both..

missjennmb · Nov 25, 2008

I see those who say "C=Failing" and "I have an A-/93 avg".

In my school, its 80+ to pass, but an 80 is a C and a 93 is a very solid B So what would be a B in a traditional school grading system (when I went to community college and private college in Fla they were both 91-100 A 81-90 B 71-80 C scale) is a barely scraping by C here, for nursing classes. In my AP class its a completely different scale all together, and not like EITHER of those.

It kills me that I got a 93 last class and it was a B, even though I worked my tail off and thought I had done very very well. but oh well... it is what it is

jpeters84 · Nov 25, 2008

I'm curious for those getting A's in their nursing classes. Were you able to get all or mostly A's from the very beginning or did it take you a semester or two to get use to and master the NCLEX type testing and the very different method of learning/concepts that is found in nursing school? I'm asking because I got straight A's in my pre-reqs and I'm about to finish my first semester of a BSN program and I think I'll get a 3.4 which is a bit lower than I was hoping for since I so desperately want to go to grad school. I think I now know what I need to do to get those A's and I've got to imagine that your comfort level with the testing get's better as you go along in your program...

RNDreamer · Nov 25, 2008

I was practicing NCLEX questions before I started nursing school

I'm curious for those getting A's in their nursing classes. Were you able to get all or mostly A's from the very beginning or did it take you a semester or two to get use to and master the NCLEX type testing and the very different method of learning/concepts that is found in nursing school? ..