"Nursing students with C's are still nurses".. ?

[whiteoleander5]

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?

[Princess_M83]

Honestly, who cares what grades you got in school. We all have to pass the SAME NCLEX in order to be granted a license to practice.

[Atheos]

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.

I thought everyone here was saying knowledge is not important but the application of that knowledge. If you can't apply the knowledge in a test then ... You know the rest.

[gusblom]

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.

We always look for the exceptions rather than the norm. A students like yourself normally strive for perfection and that is what you did thus making you able to perform better than the average joe or jane. We always make excuses for under performers at the expense of those who work at being the best they can be. We are always tolerant but our A type personalities tend to give in when we are under unfair attack. It is quite evident that we are outnumbered 90 to 10 and the best way to win or at least pacify the underachievers is for us smart weapons - ignore them. Too bad we do not let nature take its course - Darwin must be turning in his grave right now.

[OC85]

Honestly, who cares what grades you got in school. We all have to pass the SAME NCLEX in order to be granted a license to practice.

I think the issue here, particularly for people who are/were A students, is that statements like the one above seem to belittle the importance of academic excellence. The underlying implication here is that there is no reason to do well in school, and that the people who make an effort to do so are wasting their time. Personally, I am a little bit saddened by attitudes like this, as I believe they are a detriment to the nursing profession. Why can't people see the value of excelling in every aspect of one's nursing career, including one's time spent in school? This is the exact same kind of attitude ["I can still be **** with C grades."] that is slowly destroying our educational system [high school achievement is at a record low]. If everyone settled for C's, and too many people already do, then we, as a nation, will continue to sink lower and lower into mediocrity, or worse, incompetence compared to past generations.

[Princess_M83]

I was not belittleing the importance of academic excellence. I too, strive for excellence and achieve with just a little bit of effort. I am blessed. I was simply trying to point out that each and every nurse takes the same NCLEX and unless we disclose grades, no one will ever know how well or poorly you did in school or how well or poorly you did on the NCLEX. The point is you passed the NCLEX and had the knowledge and skills to do so as well as if you are out of orientation, obviously someone thought you had the skills to be able to take care of your patients otherwise you would not be allowed out of orientation. Just because someone got good grades does not mean that they can apply what they learned in the real world, but that by no means tells anyone not to strive for the best. If a person can not achieve an A and still works to their very best ability then that is good enough for me and should be good enough for anyone else.

[OC85]

If a person can not achieve an A and still works to their very best ability then that is good enough for me and should be good enough for anyone else.

I understand what you're saying about passing the NCLEX, and its a fair and valid point. I think the above statement is where we differ. While a C student who tries their very best may be good enough for you, I wouldn't be so quick to assert that everyone else should feel the same way. I myself have little interest in students who are capable of earning only C's. To me, this indicates that your best is merely satisfactory, which I don't find particularly acceptable. To be clear, I am referring only to nursing students and relatively recent graduates. Of course, I do recognize that a C student can gain valuable experience while actually working and can turn things around, so to speak. When it comes to students, or nurses without a reasonable amount of experience, I think less of people who earn C's because they have achieved less. I'm aware that many people will disagree with me on this, and a fair few will no doubt tell me how uncompassionate I am, but I'm not going to lie and say that I respect C's students as much as I do people who earn A's.

EDIT:

To be perfectly clear, when I say I think less of C students, I don't mean that I respect them less as people. My lowered opinion of a C student is strictly limited to their role as a student/new nurse. I would never imply that a C student is somehow less, as a person, than an A student. I'm merely stating that I think more highly of people, as students and professionals, who earn A's.

Also, when I refer to "grades" I'm talking about overall school performance, meaning theory AND clinicals, not just paper tests and classroom learning.

[lovehospital]

Also there is something called "class",you cant learn this is school,no matter if you have your master,doctorate or whatever...

[lovehospital]

Are you unable to read? I said quite clearly that my lowered opinion was purely limited to the role of student and nurse. I stated, as clearly as possible, that I would never say that someone is less, as a person, because of their grades. Also, I have no idea where you came up with money and AIDS patients. Let me say this once more and perhaps you will try to comprehend to words on the screen before you respond this time: If you try your best and earn only C's, I will think less of your abilities as a student or nurse, because you have not achieved as much as a student who earns straight A's.

I dont know why you keep repeating the same nonsense over and over again,actually a C nurse might be much better nurse in future than straight A geek!Are you a fortune teller to predict who will be a better nurse???

[OC85]

Also there is something called "class",you cant learn this is school,no matter if you have your master,doctorate or whatever...

Perhaps you are confused on the meaning of "class", as well. "Class", in this case, simply means an elegance in dress or behavior [interestingly, there is nothing "elegant" about your last two clumsy attacks]. It does not mean making excuses for C students, or lying to them and saying, "You're just as good at what you do as A students". If C students really had no shortcomings when compared to A students, they would earn the same grades.

[Atheos]

Also there is something called "class",you cant learn this is school,no matter if you have your master,doctorate or whatever...

Throwing insults is the first sign that one has lost the debate...

[XB9S, BSN, MSN, EdD, RN, APN]

Thread closed for 24 hour cooling off period