Are A's a thing of the past?

bekindtokittens · Dec 11, 2007

I just finished my first semester, Nursing Fundamentals and Pharmacology, and have managed to keep my 4.0. In my school, 93% and up is an A, and to pass you must have a 77%. However, I was lucky. I do not work, I have no children, and my husband was deployed. I made school my entire life for the past 4 months, and still only managed to get that A in Pharm by 2 points!

As for the C=RN thing...I believe in trying my best. If trying my best gets me a C, that is okay with me. But I have some fellow classmates who would say C=RN and then put forth the minimum amount of study time to get that 77% on the exam. But the problem with that attitude is the material got harder, they bombed later tests, and then had no buffer of A grades to get them a higher average. I heard one fretting about having to only miss 8 questions on our last exam in order to pass. It was very hard; I missed 12 out of 50. I'm not sure I'm going to see them around next semester.

manofcare · Dec 12, 2007

First, I don't think anyone that makes it past an entrance exam, prereqs, and a couple semesters of nursing school are slackers. I was married to a woman that did not make the grades in prereqs that I did, and now she's a doctor. I made an A in the first semester of nursing school, the only one in the previous three years, as well. So, this is my point. If I made better grades in prereqs than a person who has become a doctor, and I can't maintain A's in nursing school, then it must be a pretty tough curriculum. Maybe harder than it really needs to be. I know, here comes the, if you could have saved that one life by knowing some obscure piece of information speech, but really should it be as difficult as it is. And maybe, just maybe, instructors eat their own.

Mexarican · Dec 12, 2007

also still getting nothing but "A"s

Mex

smk1, LPN · Dec 12, 2007

As long as the person is competent and safe, other people's study habits and grades are really none of our concern. If I want to watch american idol instead of reviewing the differences between somatization and somatoform disorders then its my decision and I have to live with the consequences.

Jules A, MSN · Dec 12, 2007

also still getting nothing but "A"s
Mex

Very impressive. How far along are you? Are there many others in your class with all As also? Keep up the great work. Jules

RainDreamer, BSN, RN · Dec 12, 2007

Can't say I made straight A's during nursing school. I think I made more B's and C's than A's. I still graduated, passed the NCLEX, and am working as an RN. During my interview, my managers never asked how many A's I made :)

Hang in there, you're doing fine!

nurz2be · Dec 12, 2007

As long as the person is competent and safe, other people's study habits and grades are really none of our concern. If I want to watch american idol instead of reviewing the differences between somatization and somatoform disorders then its my decision and I have to live with the consequences.

The ONLY problem with this statement is that (the person who chooses to not study) is NOT the only one who has to live with those consequences. If in fact that non-studier some how passes and makes it to nursing, their patients are the ones who will ultimately have to "live or die" due to that persons actions or inability to act/react. I honestly want to believe that the people who choose to " just barely make it" through school like this really know the material but are not showing it. I don't want to believe that there are nurses out there who didn't "get it" in school and just barely passed, only to have people's lives/deaths in their hands. The role of the RN is very serious in nature, I am not a stiff collared type person by an stretch, and I hate to think about those patients who end up with those nurses. It is very frightening to me.

User123456 · Dec 12, 2007

i feel its like this. some c students are studing their butts off to get c's those are acceptable. the people who ar getting c's because they are slacking off wont make it in the long run. nursing school is differant than history or math. we have to learn a new way of thinking and for some people this is a hard task. not everyone can get a's and i think one persons c is anothers a. depends on the person and perspective. if both people worked as hard as they could and really applied them selves who can be faulted for that? people who slack off are the people i want to avoid when its time to get an iv. or check on my newborn. jmho.

queenjean · Dec 12, 2007

Just graduated, maintained straight As. And my program was very academically challenging.

I dont' like the C=RN statement, either. I know it was intended as support and encouragement--and that's a great thing. But really, c does not equal RN; it might not even equal passing in certain nursing programs. Passing the NCLEX after graduating from an accredited nursing program equals RN.

You don't have to accept or expect lower grades just because you are in nursing school. What you do have to accept and expect is a change in the entire scheme of school. You have to wrap your head around the fact that nursing school is different than traditional academic paths, with it's combination of clinical and theory, fast pace, and the ever present reality that this is real life, with real people who will be depending upon you to never ever make a mistake. Nursing tests are different than traditional tests, grades translate differently in nursing school. And behind all that, the little thought in the back of your head that you can do all this exactly right and STILL not pass the NCLEX. It's a lot of intensity and pressure that one does not traditionally experience in most other academic programs.

Making that transition can affect your grades. Or not. It depends upon the individual. A "c" does not necessarily mean that you will be a bad nurse; an "a" doesn't mean that you will be a good nurse. Grades can only reflect your ability to a certain extent. It's hard to look at the bigger picture, but that's what you must do. Are you working hard, learning from your mistakes and errors, studying and absorbing all information possible, rolling up your sleeves and diving in at clinicals? Are you getting by or are you pushing yourself as hard as possible? Those are better guages than your grades. Unfortunately grades do still matter, but they are really only one piece of the picture.

Good luck!!! Keep up the good work!

RainDreamer, BSN, RN · Dec 12, 2007

The previous poster is right ..... passing the NCLEX = RN.

You can make straight A's and go on to pass the NCLEX.

You can make straight C's and go on to pass the NCLEX.

In the end .... both people get the same RN license.

Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN · Dec 12, 2007

The previous poster is right ..... passing the NCLEX = RN.
You can make straight A's and go on to pass the NCLEX.
You can make straight C's and go on to pass the NCLEX.
In the end .... both people get the same RN license.

And I'm also willing to bet that at 95% of the job interviews you will go on, they're not going to ask you what your GPA was or even look at your transcript.

An A is not a thing of the past--it's just a lot harder to get, that's all. It's harder both because of the content you're learning, and harder because many nursing schools jack up the minimal grade required to get that A (in my school, A is 94 or better). If you really want the A, you can get it. If you don't get it...it's not the end of the world and doesn't mean that you will be a horrible nurse.

As for C=RN, considering that most NS set 80 as passing/C where in the rest of the world 80 would probably net you a B/B-...well, it's not a horrible sentiment. At any rate, it bothers me less than those people who go around saying that they'd rather have the C student for their nurse than the A student because C students are supposedly better at the actual skills...which I've seen to be not entirely true. I've seen some brillant C students in clinical, some brilliant A students in clinical, and some students of both GPAs that should not be allowed on a hospital floor.

Personally, I'd choose whichever nurse knows where to stick the needle

RainDreamer, BSN, RN · Dec 12, 2007

And I'm also willing to bet that at 95% of the job interviews you will go on, they're not going to ask you what your GPA was or even look at your transcript.

Exactly. I was never asked in any of my interviews.

I think people are forgetting that MOST of your learning, in becoming a good nurse, is done after you start your first nursing job. You graduate school, pass the NCLEX, and get the license .... and that gives you the license to learn how to be a nurse. Getting the straight As and passing the NCELX doesn't make a nurse.