If I hear "C Nurses make the best nurses" one more time I will scream!

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I'm in my first quarter of nursing school and I keep hearing "C Nurses make the best nurses". It makes me absolutely crazy. I'm the first to admit that being book smart does not mean that you have a lot of common sense, but I don't think that A nurses are destined to be bad nurses.

Our school has a tough grading scale, anything below 80 is failing, and I understand that makes it tougher to get really good grades. However, every time I hear that little manta, it feels like a put down, even though I don't discuss my grades.

I work extremely hard to get good grades-- I think it is important for obvious reasons and because I'd eventually like to attend CRNA school. I made the decision to be poor for two years and live on student loans so I could spend a lot of time studying. It is only the first quarter and I'm already tired of being made to feel like I won't be a great nurse because I dared to overachieve!

Does anyone else feel this way too? Thanks for letting me vent.

I'm in my first quarter of nursing school and I keep hearing "C Nurses make the best nurses". It makes me absolutely crazy.

Must be an Ohio thing because I heard that all through nursing school too. It was usually said by the marginal students. I never talked about my grade either but it seemed like the ones barely making it always wanted to know what everone else got. Then they would start that "hospitals don't want A nurses" crap. It felt like a slam to me too only I knew they were just trying to make themselves feel better.

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I hear that a lot. Or, you hear C = RN, so C's are ok. I think it comes from people who feel bad about getting C's and want to make themselves feel better.

There are C students who make great nurses. But CRNA's are at the top of the heap, and those schools don't accept C students. So grades have to matter somewhat.

"A" students pay a lot of attention to detail, and they often work harder than those who are just getting by. I don't see how that makes you a bad nurse. If anything, it may make you a better nurse.

Just ignore them. Chances are it's jealousy. ;)

I agree with this. I went to school w/ some C nurses who just had no understanding of many concepts in nursing. One had a guest speaker from Mexico. She spoke about a "special medicine" that makes you "pee out cancer cells". This nurse also believed that using deodorant can cause breast cancer, because she got an email forward that told her so. At my school, most of the C students failed boards. Some failed them more than once.

The only people who don't think high grades matter are those who don't get them.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by meownsmile

"The NCLEX is what makes or breaks a nurse."

I disagree. It's nursing itself that makes or breaks a nurse.

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The only people who don't think high grades matter are those who don't get them.

Yep, I think so, too. It goes back to my theory of it being "sour grapes." I plan to be a NP someday and I intend to get good grades, period. I am an "A" student, and while I don't discuss my grades with anyone someone always figures it out anyhow. "Oh, that was you that ruined the curve?! I knew it." I DON'T think that getting C's makes anyone a better anything. It's fine, it's passing in most cases, but for me, I will make sure that I am doing the best I can and right now the best I can is an "A". At this point in my schooling, if I were to get a "C" on a test I would figure I didn't know the material very well. JMO.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by meownsmile

"The NCLEX is what makes or breaks a nurse."

I disagree. It's nursing itself that makes or breaks a nurse.

I disagree as well. I'm not trying to bring up a sore subject, but this is one of the reasons California no longer allows certain distance learning programs.

People were passing the NCLEX, but they didn't have enough clinical training. The NCLEX is not always the ultimate indicator of nursing ability.

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I disagree as well. I'm not trying to bring up a sore subject, but this is one of the reasons California no longer allows certain distance learning programs.

People were passing the NCLEX, but they didn't have enough clinical training. The NCLEX is not always the ultimate indicator of nursing ability.

I personally thought the NCLEX-RN was easy when compared to the exams we has in school. Nursing itself, however, is very difficult.

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I am an "A" student, and while I don't discuss my grades with anyone someone always figures it out anyhow. "Oh, that was you that ruined the curve?! I knew it."

Boy can I relate to this. I NEVER discuss my grades, but people are always asking. Especially if you blow the curve. One girl kept insisting I tell her and when I refused, she really got on my case about it. It was ridiculous.

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To me the "C nurses make the best nurses" line is no better than someone saying "A students pay a lot of attention to detail". Plenty of C students pay attention to detail, and plenty of A students are good nurses, DESPITE what what people think about either GPA. There is no legitimate research that proves that the best nurses on the planet made Cs or As in school. How come? It's a stereotype, that's why, because:

THE BEST NURSES MADE A VARIETY OF GRADES. GRADES DO NOT DETERMINE WHO THE BEST NURSE IS.

People need to spend less time trying to glorify grade point averages and work on, and instead working on maintaining the one THEY want!!!

Ditto. I agree. I've made As, I've made Bs, and I've made Cs. I've been proud of every single passing grade. I myself live by the C=RN motto. Why? Because I like reminding myself that it's not about the letter grade. It's about being a good nurse once I've graduated and am practicing.

Lizz, I've always enjoyed your posts up until this one. Did you really mean it to sound so la-de-da? I've never seen it before in any of your other posts....(?)

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lol, never heard that one before. That's crap. All the nursing teachers know you have to pull A's to get into CRNA school! And a lot of other grad programs. Who cares what a dumb professor said. I mean, hello?, common sense here.

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The only people who don't think high grades matter are those who don't get them.

And I think that's an incorrect and unfair assumption on your part.

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Yep, I think so, too. It goes back to my theory of it being "sour grapes." I plan to be a NP someday and I intend to get good grades, period. I am an "A" student, and while I don't discuss my grades with anyone someone always figures it out anyhow. "Oh, that was you that ruined the curve?! I knew it." I DON'T think that getting C's makes anyone a better anything. It's fine, it's passing in most cases, but for me, I will make sure that I am doing the best I can and right now the best I can is an "A". At this point in my schooling, if I were to get a "C" on a test I would figure I didn't know the material very well. JMO.

I agree about trying as hard asyou can in school. and if you only get C's but you know your stuff then great. I think grades can be a great indication of knowledge and motivation and i want my best to translate to an A that doesn't make me a bad person for blowing the curve and in fact my "curve blowing" caused many people to pass interpersonal comm. last semester. I always had the highest test grade and the test would start from my score so many people got free points ( i did too but it wouldn't have bumped me down to a b) that enabled them to get to a 'C'. The lesson is do the best that you can. That's all you can do anyway, but always try your best and give your best! others will respect you for it ad more importantly you will respect and feel good about your honest effort..

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I agree about trying as hard asyou can in school. and if you only get C's but you know your stuff then great. I think grades can be a great indication of knowledge and motivation and i want my best to translate to an A that doesn't make me a bad person for blowing the curve and in fact my "curve blowing" caused many people to pass interpersonal comm. last semester. I always had the highest test grade and the test would start from my score so many people got free points ( i did too but it wouldn't have bumped me down to a b) that enabled them to get to a 'C'. The lesson is do the best that you can. That's all you can do anyway, but always try your best and give your best! others will respect you for it ad more importantly you will respect and feel good about your honest effort..

Very well said!

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