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?
Really? Then why are you not an "A" student, if anyone can do it?
As for the story of the knowledgeable doctor with bad social skills, it seems like thats the argument I hear over and over again from B and C students. Its almost as if this is the one thing that nursing students can tell themselves to excuse the fact that others are earning higher grades [other than saying A students have no other responsibilities]. What we're usually looking at is academic knowledge versus a compassionate nature/good people skills. When it comes down to it, you can have poor bedside manner and still be a very good, if unpopular doctor. However, you can be the most caring and compassionate person on earth, but if you don't have the knowledge to back it up, you're not going to be a very good [or safe] nurse. Clearly one of these things is more important than the other.
I've come to the conclusion that it is mere hatred and pettiness. It begins young with 'Nerd' and 'Geek.' Apparently it continues into adulthood. People always try to bring down those that are or those that they perceive to be better than them for some reason. Not better humans, no but better at something.
When one can't do something they trivialize it and those that can to make themselves feel better.
Envy. The green monster. It's alive and rampaging all over the place.
Really? Then why are you not an "A" student, if anyone can do it?
As for the story of the knowledgeable doctor with bad social skills, it seems like thats the argument I hear over and over again from B and C students. Its almost as if this is the one thing that nursing students can tell themselves to excuse the fact that others are earning higher grades [other than saying A students have no other responsibilities]. What we're usually looking at is academic knowledge versus a compassionate nature/good people skills. When it comes down to it, you can have poor bedside manner and still be a very good, if unpopular doctor. However, you can be the most caring and compassionate person on earth, but if you don't have the knowledge to back it up, you're not going to be a very good [or safe] nurse. Clearly one of these things is more important than the other.
I dont think she meant this LITERALLY,she was just refering to the ones that are book smart but not clinical wise...and believe me I saw a lot of those...more than less,however I knew at least one person who got straight A's and was awsome in clinicals...so both can happen...
You just said she was a great doctor and then that she wasn't that good of a doctor.
I think what you are getting at is that she was a great doctor with bad social skills.
But that takes us right back to the beginning.
Do we all want a nice bedside nurse or doctor? Sure...
Do we care if our nurse is nice when we are in the ER dying? Do you just want a competent nurse or do you want an excellent nurse???
Stanley, this doesn't really have anything to do with grades, but there is a doc at our Level I who has a bit of a 'Napoleon' syndrome...gruff, not very 'nice', demands perfection from everyone from residents to nurses, etc. But as a medic who has brought him more than one pt hanging by a thread, he is by far one of the most aggressive and outstanding trauma surgeons at my facility. Have no idea what his grades were though But, you ask any nurse on the floor, do you like him? H*** no! Would you pick him to save your life? Hands down, they would not pick anyone else.
On an interesting side note, there are nurses that he requests for his pts if they are working, and some who he refuses to allow. These nurses he chooses seem to balance him quite nicely. With his high standards, I'm thinking they must be great nurses, but very compassionate as well. Maybe deep down inside he knows that the pt needs some TLC
The thought of "on the average" that someone who does fair work in the academics will do excellent work in practice (, better than those who did Excellent in Academics, ) does not seem reasonable. You get A's by planning and executing, not by magically being enhanced by Grace.
And those who fret because they have a family and want straight A's too. Well you have something more valuable, so don't worry. When you bounce off the bottom, you will start doing better. Its all in planning and concentrating, unless you have already had the material or are brilliant or it may be a very easy taught class.
A's are good, but one should worry more about learning the material as being taught by the professional Instructor, and the A's will follow. It doesn't matter how well you retain the material afterwards, its how you preform every test, lab, and quiz: no second chances on something you can never prove later how much you know. 'A' students guess about the same amount as C students sometimes except they at least went over ALL the material once, and not just what was supposed to be on the test. It helps them guess better, evidently. Everyone is usually all scrambled up after a test and do not know how they did. But the first thing the A student will do is find out what they missed, get the correct answer, and understand what's going on if not an easy mistake. The C student will just blow it off often until later, do whatever was on their minds during the test (why they leave first and the A students stay the longest possible), and relearn what they missed as new material to learn.
Now just replace "Patient" with the word "test" above. When your patient is dead, and the A student's similar patient is recovering, are you going to say, "but I knew as much as they did, except I was too busy in my life at the time"
Stanley, this doesn't really have anything to do with grades, but there is a doc at our Level I who has a bit of a 'Napoleon' syndrome...gruff, not very 'nice', demands perfection from everyone from residents to nurses, etc. But as a medic who has brought him more than one pt hanging by a thread, he is by far one of the most aggressive and outstanding trauma surgeons at my facility. Have no idea what his grades were though But, you ask any nurse on the floor, do you like him? H*** no! Would you pick him to save your life? Hands down, they would not pick anyone else.
On an interesting side note, there are nurses that he requests for his pts if they are working, and some who he refuses to allow. These nurses he chooses seem to balance him quite nicely. With his high standards, I'm thinking they must be great nurses, but very compassionate as well. Maybe deep down inside he knows that the pt needs some TLC
I would have to say that the true measure of intelligence is NOT the grades.
The true measure is not knowing your capabilities but knowing your limitations.
How is this even possible. If you know the information you know it and do well.
In fact, the only way to legitimately get a C is doing poorly on tests and/or quizzes assuming that the student does everything else required for the class.
If you do poorly on a test then you didn't know the information. I know some people say they get test anxiety but I call bunk on that. If you get so anxious you can't perform on a test how can you expect to perform as a nurse?
Stanley-
You need some compassion and some life experience. You are apparently one of the lucky people, like myself, who does not get test anxiety. It is however a very real experience. There are many people who need specific training on test taking techniques, including ways to focus during the test and process the info they have in their brain. These same people can often function in an emergency situation better than some of the best test takers. Back off and stop being so judgemental.
In my program, there are some students who score C's on exams and run circles around everyone else in clinicals. There is also one student who gets straight A's and performs terribly in clinicals. During my first semester clinical rotation I felt that my brain stopped functioning! I did very well in my theory courses, always scoring A's or B's. However, these grades were no indication of how I performed in practicum. I felt clumsy, inept, and just plain scared of interacting with patients. I started working as a student nurse technician over the summer and it has helped me tremendously! I am very comfortable at the bedside now and performing clinical skills. I do believe that the added exposure to the hospital setting and nurses helps.
You need some compassion and some life experience.
Compassion? I'll give you that one. Compassion is one of the areas I need to work on. People that are vulnerable get my utmost levels of compassion. Normal people rarely get any.
Life Experience? Let's see... Military experience and combat. 9 years as a CNA. Having and losing a child. What 'Life Experience' do I need?
You are apparently one of the lucky people, like myself, who does not get test anxiety. It is however a very real experience.
I don't doubt that it is real. I understand VERY well the problems of trying to perform while dealing with an issue in your brain that tries to impede your every move. I am Bipolar after all.
There are many people who need specific training on test taking techniques, including ways to focus during the test and process the info they have in their brain.
This I understand as well. Many of us with mental disorders, including anxiety, ADHD, bipolar, schizophrenia, etc, need to learn coping skills and strategies to succeed. The responsibility of that falls on us though. If we do or do not develop these coping skills then it is on us.
These same people can often function in an emergency situation better than some of the best test takers. Back off and stop being so judgmental.
This is what I want to know. If someone has anxiety so bad that they can't take the pressure of a test then how can they take the pressure of an emergency situation. I'm not seeing it. However, as to emergency situations, you can't legitimately say WHO will perform well in such situations. You never know until it happens. That's why I am not saying they can't. I am saying I can't see how they can. Are you seeing the difference?
Who is being judgmental? If someone performs average, then they are average. What's judgmental about that? Me saying I don't want to be merely average is not judgmental either. I don't want to be average. I like to separate myself from and/or outshine the herd if you will. Is there something wrong with that?
My mother always said 'The worst thing one can do in life is be mediocre.' My mother was usually right. Shrug
I'm not trying to get into a pi**ing contest with you and I am certainly not going to go into all my own personal trials or those of my husband who is a 22 year military veteran. The point is that you, whatever your own experiences, apparently do not know how difficult test taking can be and TESTS in the traditional academic setting do not always successfully measure knowledge if one is anxious in the test-taking setting. As an RN of 32 years who is now a nursing educator, I feel I have some knowledge in this arena.
I'm highly offended at the comments about A students "neglecting" responsibilities, having no social life etc. Get over yourselves and stop making excuses.
I graduated with a 4.0. I still had a life, still had time to cook, clean & take care of my kids.....all seven of them. Hubby and I still had time to go to movies and out to eat.
Maybe all the A students actually DON'T spend all our time neglecting the people we care about. Most of us A'ers probably DON'T spend every waking moment studying. And here's a newsflash......most of us probably DO have jobs, families, houses, and a multitude of other responsibilities. That's the problem with modern day society....we look for ways to blame everyone else for our own problems/shortcomings/failures. We look at people who are excelling and, out of jealousy, spin their success to make it appear as a shortcoming in another area.
Not everyone can be an A student. In fact, 90% of the population is at the fat part of the big IQ bell curve. Probably won't matter how much you study if you're at the fat part. Most of us who get the A's are probably naturally smart, thus, less need to study. So.....don't hate the A'ers....less time being jealous....go hit the books.
Everyone on this post being so quick to be highly offended is a perfect example of what I was told when I started nursing school in 1973 and is still, unfortunately, true today: Nurses eat their young. We all need to quit being so offended about each other, accept that everyone does things differently but we are all trying to accomplish the goal and try to help each other for heaven's sake!
But, you ask any nurse on the floor, do you like him? H*** no! Would you pick him to save your life? Hands down, they would not pick anyone else. 
Atheos
2,098 Posts
I've come to the conclusion that it is mere hatred and pettiness. It begins young with 'Nerd' and 'Geek.' Apparently it continues into adulthood. People always try to bring down those that are or those that they perceive to be better than them for some reason. Not better humans, no but better at something.
When one can't do something they trivialize it and those that can to make themselves feel better.
Envy. The green monster.
It's alive and rampaging all over the place.