Grades don't matter!

Nurses General Nursing

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C=RN

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."

All sarcasm aside.

Bill Gates dropped out of college.

George W. Bush = C student. (I should have included most powerful too)

Albert Einstein = Horrible student.

I could continue...

These are the EXCEPTION- not the norm! (Plus, isn't W's intelligence debatable!):p

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For the people who say grades don't matter, they do matter if one plans on applying to graduate school.

True. ITA.

I went to school with plenty of students that got C's that I knew would be excellent clinicians - people that I would WANT taking care of me and my family. I agree that A students do not necessarily make the best nurses. I will say, however, that I find the term "C=RN" to be very rude. In my class it was something that was said by the lower scoring students to try to downplay the accomplishments of the A students. I just find that to be rude.

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Specializes in Psych..

Changed my mind, no post here.

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In regard to "poor test takers":

If the stress of taking a test is so bad that a person performs poorly, how are they going to perform when facing a patient coding!?!

I don't know how to respond....ummm I guess you have a valid point, but I agree...not comparable!! Like I mentioned earlier though, not everyone is cut out for critical care!!! Hopefully those people know their limitations....they could go into management maybe... LOL.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Transplant, Education.
Where I live (MA) it is mandatory to hand in a transcript before you can begin your first RN position now.

Really? I haven't heard that from any of the hospitals I've applied to.

Not that I wouldn't be happy to hand in my transcript, because I'm a Commonwealth Honors Scholar & darn proud of it!! :yeah:

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Specializes in acute care.

At my school, C= Congrats! You failed.

One hospital in my area requires its New Grad applicants to have "a cumulative average of 3.5 or higher, with no "C" grades in Nursing and Science Courses." Even though this particular hospital isn't my top choice, I'm going to try my darnest to live up to the standard. Why? Because I don't know what hospital requirements I will face by the time I graduate two years from now.

However, it doesn't mean that I think all "C students" were not trying. Some people can put in all they've got and still only manage a C. I think what's important is that they did try and put in ALL they had. I think if you tried the best you could and "only" got a C (or whatever the minimum passing grade is), then be proud.

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Specializes in Operating Room.

I was one of those students that had straight A's in pre-reqs and pulled solid B's in my nursing classes. Yes, I could have gotten A's in those too, but I worked almost full-time(32 hours a week) and took call on weekends. What mattered to me was maintaining my grade point average over a certain amount, because I knew some BSN/MSN programs required GPA's of a certain caliber. I was proud enough that I graduated with honors and passed NCLEX on the first try

I'm torn with this issue. On one hand, I don't think good grades alone mean you will be a great nurse but the attitude that good students get sometimes from their peers bothers me. There is nothing wrong with being a good student, and I think more focus on the intellectual, scientific aspects of nursing would be good for our profession. But, I have known some friends that just were poor test takers due to nerves and they went on to also pass NCLEX on the first try, and to be fantastic nurses.

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I love how we get that attitude. The whole 'you think you are better than us attitude.' Umm... This isn't highschool. I pay cash for my classes and working full time isn't 'easy' so anything less than an A is quite unacceptable.

Sometimes I don't understand some people at all...

To reiterate, A's don't symbolize intelligence... Usually A's are obtained solely by extreme hard work. That's why some of the A students aren't the brightest cookies in the bunch. It by no means classifies you into any group. It's just another orificenal for that resume when you pass the NCLEX.

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Ummm I graduated with many straight A students who aren't quite the brightest. Actually one straight A student I know within first 6 months of having her license is facing a major lawsuit, killed her pt and had her license revoked.

To me grades don't matter I didn't get straight A's. I could have quite easily... big deal I can take a test. What matters is I can apply my knowledge and I retained it. I DIDN"T memorize it to pass a test like some of the other straight A students. (ROFL the reason I got B's is because I didn't do some of the homework that wasn't required because it was stuff like do a computer quiz and get 5 pts despite score you get on quiz). I lost points because I didn't do the silly homework but got mid to high 90's on all my tests. I feel now as a new nurse I have a good grasp on a lot of things... unless my mommy brain has turned my brain off for the day :p

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Specializes in Operating Room.
Ummm I graduated with many straight A students who aren't quite the brightest. Actually one straight A student I know within first 6 months of having her license is facing a major lawsuit, killed her pt and had her license revoked.

To me grades don't matter I didn't get straight A's. I could have quite easily... big deal I can take a test. What matters is I can apply my knowledge and I retained it. I DIDN"T memorize it to pass a test like some of the other straight A students. (ROFL the reason I got B's is because I didn't do some of the homework that wasn't required because it was stuff like do a computer quiz and get 5 pts despite score you get on quiz). I lost points because I didn't do the silly homework but got mid to high 90's on all my tests. I feel now as a new nurse I have a good grasp on a lot of things... unless my mommy brain has turned my brain off for the day :p

But this is the argument that gets me, you've mentioned one A student that isn't doing well. Grades do matter to an extent..in most cases,not all certainly, A's pretty much say that you understand the material. Most of the A students I knew kicked butt in class and in clinical.

And the above example about the homework sounds like some of the excuses that some of my classmates gave...I didn't do well on the test because I didn't do the reading, which isn't important anyway, I didn't get an A because I didn't look up the meds, those aren't THAT important...

My grades mattered to me because like Stanley, I was a working adult who paid for my education, not the state, not my parents etc. It was a matter of pride for me to not do NS halfheartedly, unlike some of my classmates.

In the real nursing world, do straight A's matter, probably not. But, if you want to continue on and make more of yourself, they are going to play a very important part. CRNA programs, for example, are very competitive.

My 2 cents...

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But this is the argument that gets me, you've mentioned one A student that isn't doing well. Grades do matter to an extent..in most cases,not all certainly, A's pretty much say that you understand the material. Most of the A students I knew kicked butt in class and in clinical.

And the above example about the homework sounds like some of the excuses that some of my classmates gave...I didn't do well on the test because I didn't do the reading, which isn't important anyway, I didn't get an A because I didn't look up the meds, those aren't THAT important...

My grades mattered to me because like Stanley, I was a working adult who paid for my education, not the state, not my parents etc. It was a matter of pride for me to not do NS halfheartedly, unlike some of my classmates.

In the real nursing world, do straight A's matter, probably not. But, if you want to continue on and make more of yourself, they are going to play a very important part. CRNA programs, for example, are very competitive.

My 2 cents...

Ooohhh the big stuff like looking up meds and reading yes.. that's a must.

ROFL the stuff I skipped that lowered my grades was "journals about what we learned this week" and we had one class that we had to take 10 quizzes that were worth 5 points and if we went in and selected any answer just to do the test we would still get 5 points. It had to be done on specific computers in the school so I didn't do them... I chose to spend that 2 hours at home with my daughter :D

Many of the straight A studends in my class did this furocious studying before a test and then after the test had no memory of what they learned because they were just memorizing and NOT learning.

I agree grades to some extent matter, but ONLY if learn the material not memorize it. Sadly many in my class just memorized.

My grades were mostly 4.0 and the few grades I got that were lower were because I chose not to write a paper over safety procols in place to help prevent sids (when my daughter was 6 months old lol I think I got a grasp on it). I chose to spend that time instead with my family and forgo the perfect gpa.

As far as looking up meds... still anal about it as a new nurse and I hope I always am. Reading the book it depended on the topics.. lol sometimes the books "_____ made easy" were far easier of a read and gave the same information.

I guess I didn't make myself clear the first time :p Oooh and the student that killed her patient.... she was straight A's, read the books was model student. She was great in her clinical skills.... she apparently missed the class on nurse logic... if you have to draw a med up out of like 20 vials then you probably have the incorrect dose.

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She probably wasn't that smart then. A's don't indicate intelligence. Shrug... Like I said, everyone has to repay their own loans/pay their tuition.

What you want to do with your money is on you. If we meet at the CRNA admissions office and are both competing for the one spot, don't be angry when I get it...

The only people that say 'people aren't perfect' are the ones making all the mistakes...

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