That irks me to no end! I've read so many posts on here where people state that "your grades don't matter!" Are you kidding me?
I bust my butt to get A's. I think my grades reflect my work ethic and my willingness to learn. I am not content etching by as average. I do not want an average nurse caring for me. I do not want to be an average nurse caring for others. I want to be the best nurse that I can be, and I hope that others that currently don't think likewise drop the mantra that a C is good enough. Even if an employer may not look at your transcript, those grades should still "matter."
I had to submit official transcripts for my job, and I was the ONLY new grad hired.
So, I'd like to think my A's mattered.
So to all of us that got A's in nursing school----they matter. To us.
Rock on. I often get frustrated with these discussions. They always end with the C students 'swinging' at the A students. I did very well in school. That is something that I did FOR ME. I didn't do it to make other students feel bad, and I didn't think I was any better than the other students. I figured, I am here, I might as well do the best I can. I didn't get good grades to be the 'best nurse'. I really have no desire to be the best nurse - in fact, I have no desire to be the best anything. I got good grades because I know that bedside nursing isn't a career that I will be able to sustain for my working lifetime, and I want to be able to further my education. Grades are what get you into the competitive programs.
FTR, I work for a big urban hospital and they ask for grades. So don't delude yourselves, folks. Some of your future employers DO believe that grades matter. From my graduating class, all of the students that got into the competitive critical care and OR fellowships after graduation also just happened to be the top 10% of the class.
Because medical school is post BSN... They already went to college (not to exclude the 2nd degree nurses.)
They kinda already finished school.
Lastly if you think that 3.5 student can get into the good medical schools then someone lied to you...
My point was if doctors are considered good enough to practice without grades as a final proof of their abilities, why is it so important for nurses? I graduated with high honors myself, and I have a lot of respect for all my educated and hard working colleagues out there.
But why grades are so important as to generate pages of discussion?
That probably won't be an 'average' nurse either. I wonder how well 'average' nurses do in Critical Care areas... Sure life happens and maybe someone tries hard but gets a C, do you really want someone caring for you in say a Trauma ICU were the learning is constant and intense and they try hard but just get by???
Honestly would you? I wouldn't. The quip about coding is irrelevant. If I was coding, I'd be happy for a grandma that knows CPR.
For the record, I was an "average" student. I am now working in Critical Care, TRAVELING Critical Care at that. I also have worked in a Trauma ICU as well. All NS does is teach us the basics, the REAL learning happens when you get out and join the real world!! Oh, and by the way, very rarely will you see a patient that comes in with "textbook" symptoms. I had a lady in the ER one night that came in C/O wrist pain, she was in the middle of a MI!!! So, yes grades do matter while you are in school, but it's when you get out of school that really counts.
For the record, I was an "average" student. I am now working in Critical Care, TRAVELING Critical Care at that. I also have worked in a Trauma ICU as well. All NS does is teach us the basics, the REAL learning happens when you get out and join the real world!! Oh, and by the way, very rarely will you see a patient that comes in with "textbook" symptoms. I had a lady in the ER one night that came in C/O wrist pain, she was in the middle of a MI!!! So, yes grades do matter while you are in school, but it's when you get out of school that really counts.
The real learning is always learned after school ends in every job...
I will work in Trauma as well. I also will have a Doctorate someday and therefore the grades are of utmost importance.
Even if you don't want further schooling now, later those average grades will come back to haunt you.
Very rarely do you see an 'average' CRNA or Doctor of Nursing...
As to the real world. Not all of us are 17 year old college students. We've all been in the real world. You aren't alone out there. ROFL
Well, I was doing some thinking and wanted to share some of my thoughts:
If you get irked because of fellow nurisng students doing the bare minimum to pass, just wait until you work on the floor as a nurse. You will really know what it means to get irked when you see the parade of butt kissers and incompetents getting favorite treatment from managers because they know how to appear busy at the right time & complain about every one else who just doesn't work as hard as they do. BTW, what will most irk you is that you will be doing a lot of their work , while they will be paid much more than you. Oh, and don't think about complaining-you will be canned or eaten alive. This is the political reality of most hospital based nursing, you are just getting a small taste of it while in school.
Best get in the habit of not looking at others and making judgements while IN school. You will not last long in nursing if you don't.
Enjoy your As now because if you make your grades known to your coworkers once you get your first job as a nurse, you will become the food for a hungry pack of wolves.
And, no, I do not say this because I got C's, I got 1 B+ and the rest A's for my BSN and a 4.0 for my biology degree-graduated honors in both. Didn't go to either graduation, pinning or tell anyone because I compete only against myself. I think I am smart enough to realize how much I don't know rather than get false reassurance from a subjective assessment of my ability. IMO, the grading system in school is a forifice and one should not even attempt to judge ability based upon it.
The real learning is always learned after school ends in every job...
I will work in Trauma as well. I also will have a Doctorate someday and therefore the grades are of utmost importance.
Even if you don't want further schooling now, later those average grades will come back to haunt you.
Very rarely do you see an 'average' CRNA or Doctor of Nursing...
As to the real world. Not all of us are 17 year old college students. We've all been in the real world. You aren't alone out there. ROFL
I have no desire to go back to school. I am about 6 years from both of my kids being out of the house and my wife and I are going to travel!! The only evaluations that matter to me at this point are the ones I get when I finish an assignment and the facility is BEGGING me to stay. I don't know it you meant it this way, but I was 32 when I went to RN school, not 17.
I didn't read the whole thread, just wanted to comment.. in my school below an 80 was failing. So those supposed *C* students would be B students in any other class other than nursing.
I made good grades in nursing school. I never did care about what others were making. The arrogance of some students always chapped my rear though. I really had a couple I wanted to tell to get over themselves already.
I don't think grades matter that much, when it comes to whether or not one will be a good nurse, especially considering to even pass we all essentially could never get less than a B. And there were plenty of A students that I would never, ever want taking care of me.
i actually only got an a or two. not because i didn't try, i was having to work full time and go to school as well, plus i was 32 years old and my study habits were kinda rusty to say the least!
The only evaluations that matter to me at this point are the ones I get when I finish an assignment and the facility is BEGGING me to stay. I don't know it you meant it this way, but I was 32 when I went to RN school, not 17.
ZootRN
388 Posts
Umm, hope I don't insult anyone, but medical school does not have grades at all, as far as I know. They operate on pass/fail basis.
Why nurses have to compete with each other? Grades do matter in school. Once you passed NCLEX, they don't.
Just my 2c.