Possible to get straight A's in nursing school?

elkpark · Apr 21, 2011

It is certainly possible.

ashleyisawesome, BSN, RN · Apr 21, 2011

it is definately possible. it is not as hard as everyone makes it sound. as long as you have solid critical thinking skills you will be okay. just dont loose your concentration. i could have had an A last semester but kind of slacked near the end on the last two tests and ended up with an 86%. still not mad about that, i think Bs are pretty respectable in nursing school.

jjjoy, LPN · Apr 21, 2011

It is possible - but whether or not it's possible for you in your particular program with the specific instructors (and their testing and grading styles) that you encounter to get straight A is a whole 'nother ball of wax.

Nursing school tests and care plans can be less than straight forward in what exactly one is expected to know and how to earn top marks. Yes, even multiple choice questions can at times be less than black and white in regards to which is the "best" answer (on nursing tests, sometimes none of the answers is ideal and you still have to choose the "best" of the less-than-perfect options, which can be problematic if the instructor's wording on test questions leaves you feeling uncertain of how to prioritize). Some instructors refused to give samples of what they expected in care plans, and when you'd turn in what another instructor would consider a great care plan, the new instructor rips it apart and gives you a low grade because it's not what they were looking for. Add into that the margin of error in nursing school is usually very slim (eg 82% just for a C).

In other words, getting A's in nursing school isn't always just a matter of working harder and studying harder.

If you're seriously more interested in practicing medicine as opposed to nursing, I'd suggest considering getting some other kind of hands on clinical experience while earning a bachelors in a premed area. For example, become an EMT or patient care tech (usually trained to do more than CNAs). Nursing school by itself will do little to prepare you for medical school as it's focus is very different. Nor will nursing school necessarily provide you with strong clinical competencies and the kind of experience nurses are often valued for. A lot is covered and crammed into nursing school, and you often end up with just a quick introduction to a lot and mastery of none. Liability concerns can also limit what a nursing student is allowed to practice. So its really the first few years working as a full-fledged RN that develop clinical competenencies and build experience.

cmw6v8 · Apr 21, 2011

It is possible, but I'm willing to bet that it is possible for few. If you are not at all interested in working as a nurse after your degree, get your bachelors in something else. If you are interested but are also still considering med school as another possibility, then go for it! Also, in order to apply to med school, at least in the US you would have to take additional courses that aren't generally required in nursing school (physics, more chemistry, etc.).

sommeil, ASN, RN · Apr 21, 2011

At my school there hasn't been an A in two years!!

shortnorthstudent · Apr 21, 2011

It is certainly possible. There is a lot of information and it really takes focus to not only learn the material (which I don't think is all that difficult in itself) and learn to think like a nursing test question. That can take time.

Several friend and I were studying before midterms earlier this week. We are 3rd quarter and getting better and picking out the important pieces of information and crafting our own pretend test questions to go with it. It was amazing how so many things we said would be questions were - and were often worded in ways similar to what we did. So, it's totally possible to learn to pick out the pearls of wisdom and learn how to answer the test questions to do very well.

classicdame, MSN, EdD · Apr 21, 2011

the objective is to pass and qualify to take NCLEX-RN for licensure.

I made high B's in ADN and BSN programs, but in MSN program a "C" would fail you. I was able to graduate with "A" and work full time but MAN! lots of stress. I walked down the aisle with people making lower grades than I did so why did I push myself? The purple and gold cord around my neck was not worth the stress.

cgravier · Apr 22, 2011

Its probably easier to pull your bottom lip over your head than to get 'straight As' in NS

People make way too much out of the whole C=RN, the idea is to try and get As but a B or C on a test here and there aint gonna kill you.

Getting all As in pre-reqs is a piece of cake for a lot of people but its not so easy in NS, which can shock some I guess.

kgh31386, BSN, MSN, RN · Apr 22, 2011

I always hear the nursing school "motto" that some people adhere to- C equals degree, and I always hear how difficult it is throughout the program,

That's the motto of slackers, whiners, and people who make excuses because they didn't get an A or B. A's are definitely possible, it all depends on you. We had some folks who made mostly A's, we had those who made C's, we had those who failed.

dudette10, MSN, RN · Apr 22, 2011

In my class of about 50 students, we have one person who got straight A's all the way through. In one class, she got an A by a margin of one test question. At my school, it's very, very difficult to get straight A's, but a good student can easily get mostly A's.

A 3.8, though, isn't just mostly A's; it's nearly all A's--a couple of B's at most. Be ready to work really hard.

kaiasunshine · Apr 22, 2011

If you're seriously more interested in practicing medicine as opposed to nursing, I'd suggest considering getting some other kind of hands on clinical experience while earning a bachelors in a premed area.

Thank you for your input! I'm definitely not putting med school above NS...I've wanted to be a nurse for several years now and have been working as a resident care aid in a nursing home for a couple of years. Becoming an RN is my top priority and what I truly want to do. Med school is something I'm seriously considering, but it takes the back seat to nursing. I would be perfectly happy to spend my life nursing, but I would like to keep my options for med school open, in case in a couple of years I'm still seriously considering it.

Thank you everybody for your responses, it does absolutely depend on your teachers, I suppose. Some tend to mark a looot harder than others. My university uses the BC post-secondary grading system where an 84% is still an A (crazy compared to some of you!!! :eek: ) but of course a 3.8 GPA is still an 86% or higher. I'll just go in, study my ass off and do my very best and hope that leaves my options open for whatever I may end up wanting to pursue later! :nurse: