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."
To anyone who is offended by C=RN, I can understand where you are coming from but I just can't agree with you.
To say that students who just do not get it are coasting by low C's does not make sense to me. I have seen straight A students getting by with A's and still do not get it. to "get it" can not be tested with grades.
I have been out of school for just over a year and feel like I got it. I made mostly B/C's. Even as I started working I got it.
When I was in school my hubby worked 7 days a week, we had no $ and I had two kids in diapers. I have to say I did not study to a point of frustration and nor did I become disappointed in not getting an A. I was still good enough to become a nurse. I do not consider myself mediocre by any means. Life is hard and I realized the necessity to prioritize when I was in school. Passing was necessary but getting an A was not. Sometimes the details of the questions are not completely necessary to memorize to become a nurse. The nurses I work with sure as heck do not know every drug off the top of their head nor every side effect.
I love my patients and the work I do. (Med-Surg) This is what I was meant to do and my heart is completely into it. Even if my grades were not .
I have been a nurse for almost 10 years. No employer has ever asked about grades, never asked to see a transcript, and at this point I can't remember very much about my grades, lol. I was a good, hard-working student, and made decent grades, but it just doesn't "apply" after school, in my experience. All most care about are the license.
In nursing school we aren't only tested on what we read in books. We have lab evaluations and clinical performance scored as well. I think these latter 2 would hold the most weight as far as scoring a student would go.
I don't think misskitty was being condescending. It seems like she is tired of hearing people chant "C gets a degree". If we get all C's when the content is fresh in our head, how well are we going to apply it 5 years later when it's a faint memory?
Nursing does entail more than a vast knowledge base, but that knowledge really is the foundation of practice!
Congrats to all who have made it through with A B or C's. I will continue to work hard and become the best nurse that I can be as well!
I am one of those C students. I currently have a GPA of 2.93 and I am very proud of my GPA. I have worked hard to obtain it. It get mainly Bs but those few Cs really pull that GPA down. I am a good student that studies as much as I can and retain as much info as possible. I only get to study in the morning before work (30 mins - 1hr), during my lunch hour and at night after I get out of school at 11:00 pm. I am sleep deprived and cranky most days. I hardly get to see my family. But I am still passing and very proud of that. I will be a great nurse and I will be one of those C nurses.
I could care less about people stating C=RN. But what I can't stand is any person looking down on another for something so petty. As a nurse you need compassion. You may not know each of those C students situations or even your fellow A students situations. If you don't like the saying then tell the person who is saying it to you that you do not like. Have a frank conversation with them. You both may learn something about each other.
Some of those C students may be parents that also have to work full time to support their family or have other things in their life that they need to devote that extra study time to instead. I have classmates that can memorize everything and get straight A's but have no clue about the real world and really flopped in clinicals. Grades do not show you what that person will be like as a nurse.
I think grades indirectly matter only for your first nursing job. I do remember this being a question my application for my current job. But not all jobs I applied to wanted to know. However think about it this way. GENERALLY, a grade is a way of telling others how well you performed in that class. In theory, the better you perform, the better your grade AND the better your recommendation from that professor would be. I think recommendations are what sets you apart from others and that is why I believe it's best to do the best you can. Good grades + good recommendations from your clinical professors will go far and give you some cushion if you blow the interview like I did...still got an offer 2 days later.
It seems like the ones who are offended are the C students.
Not true, I am offended and have all A's and one B+ after 4 years of school. But I have classmates who have B's and C's who are excellent in clinical especially compared to some of the A+ students!
I did an internship with "the best student in her class", her preceptor now refuses to take any students because it was such a bad experience, she thought she knew everything and had confidence she had not earned. She was close to being considered unsafe, kept her preceptor on her toes.
Not all students are good 'test takers,' but some of these same students will be fabulous clinicians. Good grades are not the only measure of how one will perform as a professional nurse in the future.
It seems like the ones who are offended are the C students.
Nope. I have a 3.77 GPA and I respect each and every one of my fellow students who makes it through school and passes their state boards, regardless of their GPA and how hard they work. Truthfully, it's really none of anyone's business, is it???
Like other posters have repeatedly stated, not every student is a good test taker.
That does not mean every student who gets straight 'A's' will be a good nurse, either.
And please don't generalize by calling certain students "C students". You have no idea what they have gone through to get there. They deserve much more than the label of "C Student."
Specializes in Pediatric Psychiatry, Home Health VNA.
I strongly disagree with this. I don't think grades are always a true reflection of a nurse's capability. Some people just struggle with school. It does not come easy, and they may study as hard as you do to get that C while you maintain an A. I have a colleague who had to take her HESI three times, and her boards twice to finally obtain an RN license. She is one of the most competent, wonderful, compassionate nurses I've ever met and I would gladly put myself under her care. Some people struggle with test anxiety, others are just better with their hands. I understand that it may be frustrating to be a new graduate with 3.8 and get passed over for someone who maintained a 2.7, but good grades are not equivalent to a good nurse. I know some students who maintained As and Bs throughout nursing school and I wouldn't let them touch me with a ten foot pole. For the record, I maintained a 3.6 in school so I'm speaking objectively. I think you need to be a bit more tactful because I'm sure there are some oustanding nurses on here who struggled with those paper grades and I think your post was a bit condescending.
Specializes in Pediatric Psychiatry, Home Health VNA.
I have been a nurse for almost 10 years. No employer has ever asked about grades, never asked to see a transcript, and at this point I can't remember very much about my grades, lol. I was a good, hard-working student, and made decent grades, but it just doesn't "apply" after school, in my experience. All most care about are the license.
Where I live (MA) it is mandatory to hand in a transcript before you can begin your first RN position now.
StrwbryblndRN
658 Posts
To anyone who is offended by C=RN, I can understand where you are coming from but I just can't agree with you.
To say that students who just do not get it are coasting by low C's does not make sense to me. I have seen straight A students getting by with A's and still do not get it. to "get it" can not be tested with grades.
I have been out of school for just over a year and feel like I got it. I made mostly B/C's. Even as I started working I got it.
When I was in school my hubby worked 7 days a week, we had no $ and I had two kids in diapers. I have to say I did not study to a point of frustration and nor did I become disappointed in not getting an A. I was still good enough to become a nurse. I do not consider myself mediocre by any means. Life is hard and I realized the necessity to prioritize when I was in school. Passing was necessary but getting an A was not. Sometimes the details of the questions are not completely necessary to memorize to become a nurse. The nurses I work with sure as heck do not know every drug off the top of their head nor every side effect.
I love my patients and the work I do. (Med-Surg) This is what I was meant to do and my heart is completely into it. Even if my grades were not .