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?
I'm a B+/A- student and I think of it like this.....I strive to do well in the classroom because when I receive a good grade on an exam that tells me that I know the material enough to apply it to the clinical setting. I can't speak for anyone else but if I were to do poorly on exams I think that would shatter my confidence when it comes to clinical. It's all about taking the information from class and applying it to the clinical setting. But no I don't think if someone gets Cs then they would be a bad nurse nor do I think people who get all As would be great nurses...just depends on the person.
i completely agree with the posters who have felt ridiculed for earning a's. i am an a/a- student (so far anyway), and do not discuss my grades with anyone. one time a fellow classmate of mine got a very good score on an exam and someone found out about it. man, i felt sorry for her! people were treating her like a know-it-all show-off, and saying that she must have cheated or just doesn't have any other responsibilities. unbelievable!! us nursing students can be so catty sometimes.
i work very hard for my a's. i work, cook, clean, do laundry, and babysit a lot for my family, on top of going to school full time. i resent anyone that thinks just because i get a's means i have no other responsibilities beyond school. i realize that employers won't care about grades, but i plan on furthering my education and going on for my crna or possibly np, and those masters programs will want transcripts. i also plan on going into a critical care internship program after passing the nclex, and i'll need a competitive gpa for that.
i won't stress over b's, i'm sure i'll get them. i just feel like i have a more solid grasp on the content if i can acheive a better grade on the test. i also agree with the posters that said that compassion is what makes an excellent nurse. you can have all the smarts in the world and be a horrible nurse simply because your bedside manner and compassion are seriously lacking. of course i would also want a nurse who knows her stuff as well. i guess there's a fine line in there somewhere and grades don't make you a great nurse... you do!
I think it pretty much comes down to the fact that you can't compare yourself to any other student. I'm not a great all A student, but I wouldn't say that I'm at the bottom of my class either. Most of the all A students in my class are very detail oriented and do not stop until they think they are at the level they should be, which is great. However, some of them have a tendency to be so detail oriented that they lose focus of actually caring for the patient when they are there. They get lost in doing something exactly right, that they forget to improvise when necessary. Not all of them do this and it doesn't happen all the time, but it has happened.
Then there are the C students. Many of these students have a lot of things going on in their lives besides nursing school. I have yet to meet student who is getting C's that isn't trying. And I have seen MANY C students perform above and beyond in clinical. Sometimes these are the people who are less detail oriented and see the big picture.
I don't think that this makes either student better or worse than the other. And I do think that, in the end, we will all be nurses and very rarely will we be asked what grade we made in pharmacology. I think that we have to realize the value that everyone has, A student or C student, appreciate them for who they are and the work they do, and save ourselves the torture of constantly comparing ourselves with them. We have to realize the value that we have as well and just try to do our best the best we know how.
As soon as you graduate the playing field is leveled. Passing the NCLEX has nothing to do w/ the grades you made in school, hence the fact that one can pass w/ 75 questions or 200 something. I was a B student and passed the NCLEX-LPN w/ 76 ?'s and the NCLEX-RN w/ 75 ?'s. And the A students didn't always get 75 ?'s Once you apply for jobs then the playing field is leveled again. I was never asked in an interview what my grades were or my NCLEX score. Then there is the actual act of working as a nurse-not once during my shift do I think about grades or NCLEX scores. At that point I don't find that it matters. We are all nurses. I found in school that we were all preoccupied w/ these stats, but once you graduate it doesn't matter. So don't worry about it.
I am still getting As, but medical stuff comes easily to me. I have an associate degree in medical assisting so I have exposure to some of these things already.
This was something that not everyone's takes in mind - perhaps the person who seems to "skate" by or seem inordinately confortable in clinicals has plenty of hands-patient experience! I have yet to start mine, but a friend who recently completed an LPN program seemed so advanced compared to her classmates because she was very confortable with blood pressures, needles and such already!
I know nurses who I respect who told me they barely made it through nursing school. I try to remember that when I'm stressing out over a test or a grade.
the "A" students well, they are great test takers that do not have other obligations or spend all of their time studying; they tend to neglect their other responsibilities. Personally, I've quit worrying about other people's grades. I've got enough on my plate.
Please don't generalize like this!
I'm an "A" student. I work 30-40 hours a week, spend time with my family, work out 6 days a week, and drive an hour each way to work and school. I do not spend all of my time studying, or neglect other responsibilities. I do pay close attention in class, take advantage of the additional tools made available to me by my school and this website, and budget my time wisely.
I resent having other students say that I must have no life, or have some sort of advantage... fortunately most of my fellow students don't, and look to me for help and advice, which I am glad to give.
I'm an "A" student. I work 30-40 hours a week, spend time with my family, work out 6 days a week, and drive an hour each way to work and school. I do not spend all of my time studying, or neglect other responsibilities. I do pay close attention in class, take advantage of the additional tools made available to me by my school and this website, and budget my time wisely. >>>>
:yeahthat:
Thank you - I wasn't very happy with that earlier statement either. I just finished my third term in NS - all A's in classes and clinicals. I have four kids and a husband, and work in our local ER. I am a leader in our class and am usually singled out by clinical instructors for being an excellent student. Do I work hard? Yes. Did I have some experience first? Yes. Does some of this come naturally to me? I think so - but I think part of it is just that I love learning this, so I don't feel like I'm cramming for tests, but learning for a new career. I think the fact that I'm 37 and finally figured out what I want to do with my life helps me too. I have a lot of life experience (daughter with cancer, eight years of daycare, ER experience, etc.) that helps me out, but I also really enjoy reading about new things and seeing new things in clinicals. I think it shows that I'm interested, I ask lots of questions, volunteer for things, etc.
I guess just watch the assumptions - in my class, for the most part, the students that get B's are the ones that seem to have trouble 'getting it' or don't put the time in, but there is one (a good friend of mine) that is one of the smartest people I know, but she struggles with NCLEX-type questions on tests, and her grades show that. She will be one of those people that will be an excellent nurse, but her grades may not reflect who she really is.
I didn't read all the threads (I have to go to clinicals this morning...), but I wanted to say this:
If you are doing YOUR best; if you are performing the best YOU can, then don't worry about anyone else's performance. It doesn't matter to you and your life; they will be who they are, and you will be who YOU are, with both/all having weaknesses and strengths.
Three 'people' count in my opinion of myself:
~myself...
~my father...
~God.
If I am doing my best, not letting things slip or just getting by because I don't want to spend the time, or stuff like that...well, that will be good enough. My strengths are different than others, and so are my weaknesses. But in the end, what matters is that I can answer the question "Have you done your best?" with an honest YES!
Hang in there. You'll come through all right, I promise. And you'll bring something special to those you work with, just as they will bring something special to you.
There are some things in life that cannot be "graded."
Compassion, patience, kindness, stress-management and your ability to comfort and care for someone is not something that I think can be easily assigned a "passing score."
I know people who are so intelligent they'd put nuclear scientists to shame, but they are blunt to the point of rudeness. Then I know people who care so much that they're completely blinded by their emotional attachments that logic or reason means nothing.
Do the best you can, and you'll succeed. It's all about finding a balance.
Something else to point out... its really imossible to compare ourselves to others on this board because it seems there is a HUGE curve depending on what school you are in and what teachers you have. What is an A in one place is a B elsewhere. A class that is taught by a fantastic lecturer at one school is just a teacher reading the chapter outloud at another.
I don't begrudge anyone an A and I don't think anyone is 'bad' for getting a C. I do, however, think that it is good to analyze those people, and mimic the behaviors of those you wish to imitate. At the same time, I don't think that someone is smarter than me because they got an A, or dumber because they got a C. If it makes you feel better, as an A student, to feel thus, thats your perrogative of course. I just call it like I see it, and what I see is that its quite obvious more often than not who is going to do well and who isn't, just based on their study behaviors, how serious they are and how much time they devote to our class. But then, I guess we'll see if I'm right since I have made changes that according to this theory will give me a much better grade this semester.
ah well... I used to be a psych major, so I'm forever analyzing behaviors and outcomes.
Well, I just found out that I passed my med/surg class with a C+. I know I'm a good nurse, since I am a practicing LPN. Am I upset? No. Given I work full time, my dh has medical problems, I still have young kids at home and we are dealing with financial issues, I think I did fine.
Reminds me of that joke and I probably have it messed up a bit = but you'll get the drift. What do you call a medical student that graduated last in medical school.....Dr.
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Pmkn10RN
128 Posts
I'm a B+/A- student and I think of it like this.....I strive to do well in the classroom because when I receive a good grade on an exam that tells me that I know the material enough to apply it to the clinical setting. I can't speak for anyone else but if I were to do poorly on exams I think that would shatter my confidence when it comes to clinical. It's all about taking the information from class and applying it to the clinical setting. But no I don't think if someone gets Cs then they would be a bad nurse nor do I think people who get all As would be great nurses...just depends on the person.