I am SICK of this stereotype. Never in any of my college career, not even my previous degree program, have I ever felt so ostrasized and punished for having good grades. Where on earth did people get the notion that just because you are book smart, means you can't be good with people skills? I have a 4.0 and my clinical instructors describe me as energetic, motivated, empathetic, patient, caring, gentle, and a leader. Yet teachers treat students who do well in school like me are absolute monsters to patients.
And this is coming from a school with the lowest NCLEX pass rates in the state! You'd think they'd want to encourage good study habits!
It's like I have to not do well in order to be considered for anything I came from a family background of violence, emotional abuse, and substance abuse. I was told repeatedly as a child I would never amount to anything. I worked my butt off to get where I am and to do well. And this makes me a much better nurse for it as I have empathy for patients and am nonjudgemental and caring because I've been there. In addition, I also KNOW my stuff. What is wrong with understanding pathophysiology and the processes of the body?
And then there are people that get good grades and do very well in clinicals. Me I'm somewhere in the middle. My grades aren't always the best, but at the same time, I am not doing so terribly in clinicals.[/quote']
I agree. I get good grades and I do good in clinicals. Well that is if you consider a B good grades.
This stereotype is just hurting people more then anything. There is a very apparent bias in my program. The program does not want students who do well or get "all A's" on their tests as representatives for the class, as teaching assistants, etc. Instead they want "people who have struggled" with the program, single parents, etc -- not my words, their exact wording. "We don't want the people who always get A's." "The best nurses don't make top grades."
I just had a clinical instructor say this recently. I think she was trying to encourage those students whose nursing grades were not up to their expectations. But it certainly didn't sit well with me when she handed back the exam I got a 96 on!
I always interpreted it as encouragement for students that did not test well, that they could still have people skills and be effective as nurses someday. No one is expecting that the students with bad grades will go on to get the ICU job, but they could still be nurses somewhere. And it brings up how nursing is an art as well as a science.
In my class I hear a lot of people saying "B is for balanced"...most of my class had straight A's coming into the program, so for students to hear this is for them to hear "don't give up just because you didn't get an A, you can still be a good nurse".
If I were you I would be VERY proud of that GPA. Don't let anyone bring you down!:)
This stereotype is just hurting people more then anything. There is a very apparent bias in my program. The program does not want students who do well or get "all A's" on their tests as representatives for the class, as teaching assistants, etc. Instead they want "people who have struggled" with the program, single parents, etc -- not my words, their exact wording. "We don't want the people who always get A's."
That is so sad! "People who have struggled?" As if the A students haven't struggled to get A's? Should you have to apologize for not having a kid or working 2 jobs? Auuugh, that frustrates me when people think that A students have it easy and don't struggle or work just as hard or harder than everyone else.
Keep doing what you are doing. Don't let comments like this bring you down. All people say stupid things at one point or another. Remember, our nursing Prof./instucters are just there to guide us. They will not be holding our hand throughout school and you may never even see them again once you work as a nurse.
I had a situation happen a couple of times my first semester (final is Fri). I would here a fellow student talk about how our Prof. was building her up and not to worry about her F's(very nice girl btw and I really hope she passes the final). It kind of bothered me b/c I felt like where was my pat on the back for pulling A's??? I finally got recognized, eventually, which did feel really good . I think b/c nursing is pretty tough, and it should be, the encoragement is for those who struggle but have some hope, reallyneed that positive reinforcement so they don't drop out prematurely.
I feel the same way - I understand that it's meant to encourage students to do well in clinical even if their other grades aren't good, but now students use it as a way to put down those who do well. My class starts clinical in the fall and I've already been hearing it - that all of us "A students" are too competitive and our book smarts/good grades won't translate into clinical work. I'm offended because it has nothing to do with being competitive or being "book smart", we work hard because we want to be successful and we will work hard in clinical as well! I think clinical will be an adjustment for everyone, no matter what their GPA is.
I am SICK of this stereotype. Never in any of my college career, not even my previous degree program, have I ever felt so ostrasized and punished for having good grades. Where on earth did people get the notion that just because you are book smart, means you can't be good with people skills?]
It's not a notion. It's a defense that, always unsolicited and without failure, comes from those with less-than-stellar grades. They're the same ones who tell you that you'll never be as good an X as they are because they were Y first (as in, "You'll never be a good nurse because you weren't a CNA, like me") or who bash you for any extra effort you make that they themselves will not (as in, "Why are you bothering with graduate school? What's the point?").
The only response to these people is to laugh and hope they one day overcome their insecurities.
Specializes in New Critical care NP, Critical care, Med-surg, LTC.
People want to feel good about themselves. Sadly, in order to do that some people need to make others feel badly. Sometimes students that do especially well in classroom learning are not as adept at the clinical side. Does that mean all of them are awful? No, and not all students that get Cs are stupid. I've come to the conclusion that I don't really care what other people say. I'm doing my best for me, and in the case of everyone but the professors and my clinical instructors, they have no bearing on my success. And the instructors certainly can't change anyone's grades, so if they don't give you praise for doing well, who cares? I'm motivated to BE a good student nurse, not to have people SAY I'm a good student nurse. Sorry you've got it rough, I think you're clearly going to be successful, good luck.
I came from a family background of violence, emotional abuse, and substance abuse. I was told repeatedly as a child I would never amount to anything. I worked my butt off to get where I am and to do well. And this makes me a much better nurse for it as I have empathy for patients and am nonjudgemental and caring because I've been there. In addition, I also KNOW my stuff. What is wrong with understanding pathophysiology and the processes of the body? 
. I think b/c nursing is pretty tough, and it should be, the encoragement is for those who struggle but have some hope, reallyneed that positive reinforcement so they don't drop out prematurely.
NurseLoveJoy88, ASN, RN
3,959 Posts
So A nurses suck at clinicals and C nurses are idiots right ?