I have heard many people say this, particularly instructors. It all has to do with the balancing act... Studying enough to do well, but not destroying ourselves in the process to get A's. I understand that Nursing students with C's are still nurses, and that the student who recieved the A wont necessarily be a "better nurse"... But doesnt it seem like they would be?
I am mainly asking this because at clinical, I sometimes feel stupid! And I know its mostly nerves... and inexperience, of course. I know I can (and will.... !) be a good nurse, but I am thinking of one girl inparticular who just seems to have it all together at clinical all the time.. Who gets the best grades in our class... Always knows the answers. Does this mean she will be a better nurse than I will? Sometimes, I feel inadequate. Not all the time. I know I am capable of being a nurse, but.... :imbar
So, I know that "nursing students with C's are still nurses"---But does that mean they will be mediocre compared to the A students?
Up to this point, although the arguments have gone on and on, many of which have been repetitive have at least remained mostly civil and on point.
Unfortunately the statement above makes no contribution to the argument, except to make the contributor feel superior, others feel inferior, and cut off a good flow of conversation. Perhaps the contributor has been so long out of nursing school that he/she has forgotten the rules of therapeutic communication? Oh, wait...maybe they didn't teach it wayyyyy back then. On the other hand a nurse is supposed to be always learning.
Up to this point, although the arguments have gone on and on, many of which have been repetitive have at least remained mostly civil and on point. The one thing I like about this discussion board is that we can argue without it degenerating into the spelling, and grammar wars.
Unfortunately the statement above makes no contribution to the argument, except to make the contributor feel superior, others feel inferior, and cut off a good flow of conversation. Perhaps the contributor has been so long out of nursing school that he/she has forgotten the rules of therapeutic communication? Oh, wait...maybe they didn't teach it wayyyyy back then. On the other hand a nurse is supposed to be always learning.
I would like to point out that you are doing the exact same thing that you are lecturing PP about. Unfortunately, you have now made nurses (other than your intended subject) feel as though YOU think you are superior to them and are being argumentative.
We encourage and enjoy discussion and debates on the site but could I please request that all members remain respectful and refrain from personal attacks. Please discuss the subject and not individual members
Oakbourne, actually I think the craziest post I've ever read was 'do I really have to wear a bra to work???' (just to lighten things up a bit)...:w00t:
I know plenty of people I work with (RNs and CNAs) myself included, that forget to not throw dirty linen on the floor when we're in a hurry! That's definitely something I'm going to have to stop doing ASAP to get out of the habit before I even START nursing school. :imbar[/quote']
Dont do it during clinicals, but the reality is you know its dirty if its on the floor. I try not to throw dirty linen on the floor not for some outdated nursing philosophy, that linen pretty much gets sterilized, but because it hurts my back too much to pick it up from the floor.
O yea i misquoted my graduate level GPA for my MSN/ FNP its not 3.75 it is 3.79, so wish me luck as i study for my ancc board certification for my FNP
I like this discussion about a nurse is still a nurse even with C's.
People are different, and we learn differently. But I think the idea is that as with any work or profession, anybody will get better with time and practice.
I remember my nursing school as a storm of papers, books, magazines, internet and unless you have an extraordinary IQ, I dont think you really can retain it all. You can pass tests but after passing you are bombarded with info again to pass the next test, and so on.
So, I would not get hung up on grades so much, sure A's are nice, but C's are not the end either. Personality and ability to connect is a plus as you can get more info from a patient that can be useful in helping them to a better life.
Student have to find what works for them. If single, you may have to cope with being lonely at times, and that can be distracting.
If raising a family, well, then you have 3 jobs just about: school, after school studies, and family.
We dont know everybody's circumstances and how they are coping with them. Some have good support: from family, fellow students. Some dont, and have to sludge it out on their own.
Studying is a skill, some had parents that modelled this, some did not. If you have a scholastic tradition in the family, usually studying is approached with a positive feeling, not a force feeling.
I think once you are out there working, there are certain skills you will use everyday, then there are some that may come up once in a blue moon and you may have to look that up in books or manuals. Most people cannot remember everything at all times.
And there is always going to be somebody who is "better". Why not just have a standard that you feel comfortable with and enjoy your work. B/c if you are going into a competition with everybody else, rather than team, then I think most will burn out in time.
This is the craziest post I have ever read. It seems that all I get out of it is "'Oh I am an "A" student, blah, blah, blah." Alright already. After you learn all that theory in school which is a multitude of stuff, you will forget it once you're on the floor, unless you have a photographic memory or Asperheimers disease.
Don't you mean Asperger's disease???
If you learn something you DON'T forget it. If you forgot it you never learned it. You only committed it to your short term memory long enough to pass the test.
If you learn something you DON'T forget it. If you forgot it you never learned it. You only committed it to your short term memory long enough to pass the test.
This is very true and, I think, leads to an important distinction that I'm not sure has been made.....
I don't think very many people would honestly argue that a "C" nursing student cant be a good nurse, so lets just accept that as settled and move on. The only thing that bothers me is a lot of people's assessment of "A" students. Yes, its true that simply retaining the information long enough to pass a test and earn an A won't make you a better nurse. And, yes, there are some A students that simply spend more time studying due to a lack of competing obligations. However, I think people need to recognize that there are certain students who are able to truly learn and retain things with what appears to the average person to be minimal effort. I think it really reflects poorly on a nurse when s/he tries to marginalize the accomplishments of these students. Some people really do have gifted minds, and while the general student population should not be held to the standard of these few, I think its important to recognize that students like this truly do operate at a higher level of understanding than their peers. They should be commended for this, rather than people inventing reasons why they are able to accomplish so much where others struggle.
I think C=nurses as long as they dont loose their head in the clinicals!!!I'v known students who failed cause they didnt know how to take an exam or had worked too many hours/had family but rocked at clinicals,and I mean really rocked;they used to tutor us the hard headed ones!
Interesting input. And I agree that one should not invent reasons as to some students are more gifted academically. Being gifted can be a pain in the butt too at times, sometimes jealousy, sometimes boredom, sometimes feeling alienated.
I know, like many others that socio economic factors play a huge role in how well a person will do in life (incl. school). And there is a greater chance that a "gifted" person comes from a well off back ground, that is why IMHO it is so important a country has fair income distribution so a country dont end up with very poor and extremely rich that will not in even 10 life times be able to spend all that money.
If you learn something you DON'T forget it. If you forgot it you never learned it. You only committed it to your short term memory long enough to pass the test.
Thank you for stating this before I could get to it.
I know, like many others that socio economic factors play a huge role in how well a person will do in life (incl. school). And there is a greater chance that a "gifted" person comes from a well off back ground, that is why IMHO it is so important a country has fair income distribution so a country dont end up with very poor and extremely rich that will not in even 10 life times be able to spend all that money.
Thats a good point, as well, though it could spawn another thread entirely. I do think, however, that family income is hugely overstated as an indicator of academic excellence. Children from well off families do not, in my opinion, do better in school because they have more money. Instead, look at why the parents of these children have more money than others. If one or both parents have college degrees [as is more often the case in higher income families], then how do you think this will affect their views on the relative importance of education? That is, are more educated parents more likely to stress the importance of academic excellence to their children? I believe they are. I'm not saying this is the only reason for this effect, I'm simply stating that money, in and of itself, plays little role in how well a person does in school.
On a side note:
As sad as it is to say, much of our current economic system depends on a certain proportion of the working population to serve as cheap, unskilled labor. While it is an appealing dream to see everyone have an equal opportunity and for everyone to be successful in life, this is simply not the way the world works. We can't all have high paying jobs, so there will always be competition for those jobs. Some will get them, some won't. Sad but true.
ghillbert, MSN, NP
3,796 Posts
Definition of irony?