I have seen it in a lot of posts so I just had to vent a little. Please stop making earning a C for your nursing class the end of world! It's not! Nursing classes are hard and while some may simply excel through them with As (by either brains or hard work...either way, awesome job! ) but there is no shame in simply passing. That will not make you less of a person or less of a nurse. Just realize what you did wrong and move on.
Always remember, there's always that person who failed who would love to be in your shoes. Just press on! We're all in this together!
For three years, I sat on an interview committee of a child-focused federal program. Because I was a parent that utilized the program, and I was active in the P&P development, they considered my input valuable. I learned something very important those three years, that I have applied to every class I take now in NS:
Employers will most certainly look at your GPA, transcripts, and your application/resume/CV. They will even look at your volunteerism.
When there were two or more candidates that were similar elsewhere, we looked at GPAs and transcripts. You bet your sweet bippy that unless there was profound improvement or a good explanation for the reason, the applicant that pulled steady Cs did not get picked over the applicant that pulled As and Bs. One semester? We might ask you why, but hey, everyone has a rough patch, you get the benefit of the doubt. A full year's worth of 'em? You better have a great reason! Yes, the committee felt that grinding out Cs was suggestive of being less capable, less enthusiastic, and less driven. There were a few people who were C avg applicants who made it into the final round, but it was because they were full well ready to admit they could have done better, and then showed us what they had done in the mean time to better enhance their learning.
Do I think one should panic on their first C? Yes, to a point. A little fire under the bupkus can't hurt. Quitting NS? Well, if they tend to be a nervous nelly anyhow, maybe they need some time off for perspective. Blithely accepting Cs as perfectly cool can't do anything but enshrine the "try just hard enough to get through" attitude that so pervades American society currently. Where's the drive and commitment? Be all you can be, not just be all you have to be?
But that's just me. I'm looking forward, and for the local grad programs here, I need that steady 3.5 with excellent core nursing grades. And, well, I'm a bit of a perfectionist and I want my passion, dedication, and love of the craft to shine through in my grades as well.
And for those who like to assert that awesome grades don't mean awesome skills (or as one PP put, "uh, let me look it up in my book..."), my 98% in hands-on Clinical Applications says otherwise. I won't pick on you for your Cs (I might not understand it, but I won't mock you) and how about you leave my As alone as well?
I think the problem here is that the A people are judging the C people for not being as smart or trying as hard, almost as if you A people don't think the C people deserve to move on because they're not as good as you. Where is the compassion of you A nurses?!? The snide comments about "the C people should work as hard as I did for my A" people should really stop. Just because you got an A and I got a C doesn't mean I studied any less than you did or that I care less about my grades. But I may get a C because my kid was up all night puking and you got to go to bed at 10 and slept like a baby and were well rested for that test. Did you ever consider that maybe someone had a personal issue before their test? (I haven't made a C yet *knock on wood* but I'm just saying.)
Seems like everyone here can acknowledge that NS is a totally different ball game and that the tests are totally different, but can't acknowledge that people are going to adjust differently to this major change. Just because one person gets a C doesn't make them any less "smart" or "hard working" or "dedicated". This is the biggest problem I find with the American school system. A letter grade does **NOT** always reflect the knowledge you possess. And the fact that there is so much emphasis placed on the letter grade skews the system! You can make A's on every test and every assignment and be the worst bedside nurse ever with no ability to think on your feet or know what to do when faced with a real life human being in a major medical crisis. You can also be a "C nurse" and be the best bedside nurse with the ability to recognize what something looks like when presented with it in reality but maybe not so much on paper. So what?! Would you rather have a nurse that can fix you on paper but not in person? I wouldn't! And I'd rather have a kind hearted nurse that's going to try hard to figure out what's going on with me and work better with the rest of the health care team to fix me than a *****y nurse that is going to be cocky and try to tackle my issue on their own and possibly kill me because they think they know everything because Uh Oh, they got an A! and let their arrogance get the best of them.
And the fact that a student nurse is "happy" with a C doesn't mean that they aren't striving to do "better" to get that A. C = NURSE. B = Nurse and A = Nurse. Regardless of what the grading scale is, those 3 letters all equal Registered Nurse assuming you pass the NCLEX. Other than in this forum, I have never heard of any graduate nurse being asked what their GPA was. Doesn't mean it doesn't happen, but okay so what if that does happen? You can have a screwy resume, a 4.0 GPA, a terrible, cocky "I got all A's in nursing school so I know it all" attitude with RN behind your name dressed unprofessionally, chewing gum and still NEVER get a job because you don't have intrapersonal skills, interview skills, compassion and a humble heart. Go figure. There is no guarantee you will get a job regardless of your grades! Many other things play into you getting a job than just your GPA.
How about we act like real nurses and be compassionate and caring for each other and our different circumstances and strengths and weaknesses so we can be better nurses together when we step out onto the floor?! If we could quit being so judgmental and competitive, we could play off of each others strengths and really excel with patient care! Isn't that the core of why we're all here anyway? *End of rant* =)
And btw - if you can make all A's, take care of your family, exercise 5 times a week, spend time with your friends, keep your house spotless, be a perfect clinical nurse and still look beautiful at the end of the day - more power to ya! I'm jealous, really! It's not every day you can rub shoulders with perfect people!
Moral of the story: We all have faults. Embrace them, work to improve them and do not judge others for theirs.
I've noticed an odd trend in my class. The top students with As usually tend to do the worst in check-offs and in the clinical setting. For example, 3 individuals who all have over 90% have failed every check-off the first time through and barely pass on the retake, stating that "the instructors don't know what they're talking about". During clinical, they tend to need hand holding and freeze up when they need to actually interact with anyone or perform a procedure.
I myself studied my butt off, practiced check-offs regularly, and still completed the last semester with a C but still earned the top rank in both check-offs and in clinical. I was followed closely by two others, one with a C and the other with a very low B. What I find humorous though is that the A students tend to think they are better than anyone else, refuse to help fellow lower score classmates because "they wouldn't get it anyway", and continuously brag that "I'll have an easy time finding a job because I'm not one of the C students". Another thing I find strange is that while they know a correct answer, they can't explain an in depth rationale on why its the right answer.
Now, I'm NOT saying all A students are like this, Its just my personal experience and I'm sure everyone's experience will differ. So in short, I'm OK with being a C student. Just because you may not be the best test taker does not mean that you are dumb or can't grasp the material.
I'm seeing an odd trend where it appears to be perfectly fine to be snide and dismissive of the work and pride A students have for their grades, to demand they accept Cs as just as good, and then rip them on either their bedside manner and/or their clinical competence. Yeah, that's fair.
I didn't realize this was protected space for those with Cs to talk about how awesome they are, with no allowance for differing opinion.
My last post, I promise - I got my As with three children under the age of 9, while living on a farm, and dealing with sick grandparents. Why do people live to assume A students are pampered princesses with no demands of their time other than school?! No I'm not impeccably dressed nor do I work out 5 days a week, but I rock my grades and kick hiney on the floor and nobody will ever make me feel shame or embarrassment for that, or being proud. Treat others as you wish to be treated, yeah?
I know right!?! I promise you all not ONE person cares.[/quote']
THIS
The REAL thing that matters in nursing is COMPETENCE...there's no letter grade for that in the REAL world of nursing...and having the right attitude to work side by side with all types of nurses to get the job done.
THIS The REAL thing that matters in nursing is COMPETENCE...there's no letter grade for that in the REAL world of nursing...and having the right attitude to work side by side with all types of nurses to get the job done.
I don't believe anyone said that the A students shouldn't be darn proud of their accomplishments... Nor did any of the C students say that everyone should settle for a C and be fine with it...I'm sure most with C's wish they had better grades and aren't just sitting around saying, "oh it's cool, I'm barely passing but who cares?"
The point I was trying to make was just because you make an A doesn't make you the cream of the crop and just because you make a C doesn't mean you suck. So EVERYONE needs to quit judging.
If you make an A, be proud but be humble. Be willing to share your tips with others who may not be doing as well. There's no need to flaunt your A for the sole purpose of making those around you feel like crap. I guarantee you that no matter how many A's you get in school, there will come a day that you make an epic mistake and fall flat on your rear end too! With docs and nurses and patients and family members there to witness it.And I'm sure you won't want someone in your face telling you that you didn't work hard enough and do your best. Crap happens...to everyone!
I always enjoy reading the generalizations here about grades and clinical ability and effort.
-not all students who get As are clinically weak. I can't stand how so many of the C students use this defense mechanism. Unless your clinical professor is sharing her students' evaluations with you, and you are privy to all of her feedback to the students, you are making an assumption. Yes, there are times where students cannot translate the theoretical knowledge into practice. IMO, it has to do with their communication and social/people skills, and their general comfort level in the hospital.
-not all students who get As bust their butt. Sometimes it actually comes easier to others.
- Not all students who get As have no other responsibilities. Actually, the students who I teach that have no other responsibilities (young, living with parents, don't have to work) are NOT the ones getting the As. I was that student way back when. Nowhere close to a 4.0. My general belief is, the more you have on your plate, the harder you have to work. As a student, if you have nothing else to do but concentrate on school, there is a propensity to procrastinate. "I have time, I can do it tomorrow, I have no where else to be." This was me as a young student.
-not all C students are weak clinically. Some of my best clinical students were my C students. They have common sense, excellent communication skills, finesse, and compassion.
-not all C students are slackers. Many of them work very hard, and just cannot grasp the material or the concepts. Some do not, and get the grade they deserve. Either way, it is an indicator that something needs to change. Each class is harder than the next, and unless something changes in the way a student studies and prepares (unless there are extenuating circumstances that semester), the Cs usually become more frequent.
) but there is no shame in simply passing. That will not make you less of a person or less of a nurse. Just realize what you did wrong and move on.
CountryMomma, ASN, RN
589 Posts
For three years, I sat on an interview committee of a child-focused federal program. Because I was a parent that utilized the program, and I was active in the P&P development, they considered my input valuable. I learned something very important those three years, that I have applied to every class I take now in NS:
Employers will most certainly look at your GPA, transcripts, and your application/resume/CV. They will even look at your volunteerism.
When there were two or more candidates that were similar elsewhere, we looked at GPAs and transcripts. You bet your sweet bippy that unless there was profound improvement or a good explanation for the reason, the applicant that pulled steady Cs did not get picked over the applicant that pulled As and Bs. One semester? We might ask you why, but hey, everyone has a rough patch, you get the benefit of the doubt. A full year's worth of 'em? You better have a great reason! Yes, the committee felt that grinding out Cs was suggestive of being less capable, less enthusiastic, and less driven. There were a few people who were C avg applicants who made it into the final round, but it was because they were full well ready to admit they could have done better, and then showed us what they had done in the mean time to better enhance their learning.
Do I think one should panic on their first C? Yes, to a point. A little fire under the bupkus can't hurt. Quitting NS? Well, if they tend to be a nervous nelly anyhow, maybe they need some time off for perspective. Blithely accepting Cs as perfectly cool can't do anything but enshrine the "try just hard enough to get through" attitude that so pervades American society currently. Where's the drive and commitment? Be all you can be, not just be all you have to be?
But that's just me. I'm looking forward, and for the local grad programs here, I need that steady 3.5 with excellent core nursing grades. And, well, I'm a bit of a perfectionist and I want my passion, dedication, and love of the craft to shine through in my grades as well.
And for those who like to assert that awesome grades don't mean awesome skills (or as one PP put, "uh, let me look it up in my book..."), my 98% in hands-on Clinical Applications says otherwise. I won't pick on you for your Cs (I might not understand it, but I won't mock you) and how about you leave my As alone as well?