So I have heard time and time again from nursing professors and clinical adjuncts that "4.0 students often have a hard time transitioning to the floor, B or C students make better nurses". While I totally get that there are some people out there that are so cerebral that they don't do well on the floor, I think this blanket statement is a bunch of bunk.
I bring this up because I am a 4.0 student. I am also involved in clubs and student groups, volunteer outside of school, and often get complimented in clinicals. However, even with that I still hear the comment over and over that A students don't make as good of nurses as B and C nurses.
What do you nurses who are actually out there on the floor think?
I think things like this is why there'll always be cattiness in nursing. Who cares what kind of grades people got in school? It doesn't matter once you're on the floor. What matters is did you learn?? I was an A student. I went into my pharmacology final with a 104 average. So what!?! We're not in high school. People need to stop being so competitive and just do their jobs!
I agree that it's a overbroad generalization. I would modify it to say that an A+ student doesn't necessarily translate into a great nurse, and a B/C student doesn't mean a nurse isn't going to be as good as the A student. There are so many factors besides grades.
So I have heard time and time again from nursing professors and clinical adjuncts that "4.0 students often have a hard time transitioning to the floor, B or C students make better nurses". While I totally get that there are some people out there that are so cerebral that they don't do well on the floor, I think this blanket statement is a bunch of bunk.
I bring this up because I am a 4.0 student. I am also involved in clubs and student groups, volunteer outside of school, and often get complimented in clinicals. However, even with that I still hear the comment over and over that A students don't make as good of nurses as B and C nurses.
What do you nurses who are actually out there on the floor think?
Most A students are some combination of smart and hard working. These attributes are not detrimental to good nursing.
If the only information I had on 2 nurses was grades, and I had to choose one, I would take the A student. Anyone out there gonna give preference to the one who barely got by?
In my class I was one of 5 who graduated with honors- all did well on the floor. I also have a former classmate who failed out by 1/2 a point and had to redo a semester- she is also a good nurse.
Keep studying and try to learn as much as possible so you can understand the concepts and rationales behind what you do as a nurse.
I am sure that the nonsense about A students provides comfort to to C students, but I wouldn't worry about it.
Specializes in Surgery Vascular/Endovascular/Trauma.
As a Nurse Preceptor of 20+ years experience I can say that, in my humble opinion, Grades do not matter, a Good Attitude and Willingness to Learn are what you need to have to be successful in any area of Nursing.
I'm sure I've had the upper Grade and the lowest Grade Orientees to train and I've never asked what GPA they had in school..it just didn't matter once you have your license you are a Nurse.. If you are good or bad is on you not your GPA.
I have yet to see any nurse fresh out of school be a 4.0 floor nurse. Being an excellent nurse is something that evolves once you gain experience on the floor. There are no super nurses despite what some people tell you. Working on the floor involves a team. You can strive for perfection, but we are all human, so that is impossible. Keep learning and improving.
My advice is go in with an open mind and closed mouth. I mean it's great to ask questions. I was always encouraged to ask anything and still do. However I work with one of those "A" students and she's dangerous. She's incredibly book smart but thinks she knows everything there is to know. She got let go from her first nursing job before orientation was even done. She even did her clinicals for nursing school at this hospital and graduated from their nursing program. The other nurses can't stand her because of her attitude and practices. She turns everyone in for the stupidest stuff yet makes tons of mistakes herself. Like I said I think she's incredibly book smart but she needs to learn how to hush up and listen when those with experience try to tell her stuff.
My nursing instructors told me that this old idea has never been true. It is almost as if the nurses who were not 4.0 feel that they have to justify it by saying that they are a better nurse. I would like to see the proof also.
Every RN needs to pass the NCLEX and RN school. I have a friend whom teaches at a 2 year technical college (Information Security). In there criteria is that C is average, B is above average, A is excellent. Most program I would generalize require you to make at minimum a 80% which is a B to pass their program. Still as a first year nurse, I learn things everyday, life is rough at times good day and bad days. I am challenge and take whatever comes my way. But I am doing the best I can with what I have. So I say you want a grade for floor nurses then how about this? Did my patients die on my shift? Its either pass or fail. There is no in between. Keep on nursing and stay positive.
i saw an interesting phenomenon take place during clinicals. Several of my classmates were assigned to the same floor at various times. In other words, the staff on that floor had an opportunity to work with just about all of us. One day at post-comference two of my male classmates gloated about how the staff told them that they would be guaranteed jobs after graduation. Me and my female classmates looked at each other with surprise. Nobody ever told us we were guaranteed jobs after graduation. I don't have empirical evidence but I have anecdotal evidence that there was some gender bias going on there. I made a mental note to be sure and bring my member with me to clinicals next time.
An interesting thread drift from whether A students make good nurses.
As far as the whole "well this one new nurse had a 4.0 and was such a know it all...":
I see an equal number of know it alls who are truly ignorant and were marginal students.
Being open minded and ready to learn is what is important for a new nurse. Knowing the material taught in nursing school as well as knowing your pre-req/co-req subjects is a huge help.
If you are really worried, you could always bomb a few tests to drop your GPA, but I really can't see that making you more competent on the floor.
My advice is go in with an open mind and closed mouth. I mean it's great to ask questions. I was always encouraged to ask anything and still do. However I work with one of those "A" students and she's dangerous. She's incredibly book smart but thinks she knows everything there is to know. She got let go from her first nursing job before orientation was even done. She even did her clinicals for nursing school at this hospital and graduated from their nursing program. The other nurses can't stand her because of her attitude and practices. She turns everyone in for the stupidest stuff yet makes tons of mistakes herself. Like I said I think she's incredibly book smart but she needs to learn how to hush up and listen when those with experience try to tell her stuff.
That probably has zero to do with the fact that she is made good grades; that's a personality problem. C students can be arrogant and pedantic as well-because it's not about knowledge or lack of it, it's about who the person is.
If you are really worried, you could always bomb a few tests to drop your GPA, but I really can't see that making you more competent on the floor.
OP: When I was in nursing school, I received the same sort of message from the instructors. I graduated in the top 5% of my nursing school. Here's what I had heard:
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"What we're asking is for you to dumb down the careplans a little bit."
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I'd like to say, "UNbelievable. Sadly, I believe it. What is WRONG with people? Were these instructors themselves B-C students who always felt intimidated by A students and gave them self esteem issues in their day? Do they look at this as an opportunity to finally displace their inferiority complex onto their students?
RNikkiF
145 Posts
I think things like this is why there'll always be cattiness in nursing. Who cares what kind of grades people got in school? It doesn't matter once you're on the floor. What matters is did you learn?? I was an A student. I went into my pharmacology final with a 104 average. So what!?! We're not in high school. People need to stop being so competitive and just do their jobs!