4.0 Students...do people ever say...

Nursing Students General Students

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"Just because you are book smart doesn't mean you'll be a good nurse."

I HATE it when people say this to me!!!!! I am well aware that there is more to being a nurse than being "book smart." Having worked as a CNA and Home Care Aide for 12 years, I DO have more to offer than just "book smarts." However, the book smarts are what will get me into nursing school. Also, if one isn't able to pass the classes, one will never get the chance to take and pass the NCLEX and actually BE a good nurse!

The attitude I have gotten from nurses I know as well as other students seems to imply that because I AM book smart, I will NOT be a good nurse. I resent this.

BTW, I do not brag about my grades. The reason so many in my community know I have a 4.0 is because the President's and Dean's Lists are read on the radio and printed in every little newspaper here.

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

That's just it. Thept. comes first. It's not my grade, i want to LEARN the material and not be blasted for being proud of what i'm learning, doing, and getting.

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I think there's a good chance employers look at grades. A good friend of mine is becoming a PA, and the hospital is paying for all of it. They wouldn't have done it if he didn't have good grades.

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I had a veteran nurse, an RN-BSN, who is also one of the instructors at our hospital (the one who supervised me doing my first injection, in fact!:D ) who told me to make sure and just learn what I have to learn and don't dwell on grades or GPAs. She said she too was a big believer in C=RN, not that she was implying that those with higher grades made worse nurses but that it wasn't so necessary to be so hard on oneself. A good nurse is a good nurse, no matter how high or low her scores in school. Some apply what they learn; some don't. Period.

A=RN, B=RN, C=RN, D=Try Again

:)

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Specializes in Telemetry & Obs.

there was a girl in my clinicals that had a 4.0, but was petrified around actual patients...she finally dropped out because she just couldn't handle bedside care :o

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
Originally posted by Catma63

A good nurse is a good nurse, no matter how high or low her scores in school. Some apply what they learn; some don't. Period.

A=RN, B=RN, C=RN, D=Try Again

:)

Exactly.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
Originally posted by truesn

there was a girl in my clinicals that had a 4.0, but was petrified around actual patients...she finally dropped out because she just couldn't handle bedside care :o

We had a woman do that the first clinical day, after giving someone an IM injection. The pt.'s door opened, and she walked out, said "I cannot DO this" and went straight over the phone to call the school.

She took a leave, which means she can come back. Someone in class talked to her over Christmas break, and she decided to try and get a medical secretary job. She liked the books, but the actual pt. care, she said she immediately knew it wasn't for her.

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Originally posted by Catma63

A good nurse is a good nurse, no matter how high or low her scores in school. Some apply what they learn; some don't. Period.

A=RN, B=RN, C=RN, D=Try Again

:)

Not necessarily. Many Southern California schools have switched to GPA preference, meaning those with the highest pre-req scores are accepted into nursing school.

In order for each school to do this, they each had to individually PROVE to the state that students who had better grades performed better in nursing school (including clinicals). Each school had to compile a statistically valid study for this and prove their case before they switched to GPA criteria.

Since at least a dozen schools did these studies, and each of them proved higher scores = better performance, there's got to be something to this grade thing.

Of course, there are always exceptions. But the statistics do demonstrate higher GPAs = more successful nursing grads.

And once again, if you want to become a CRNA, one of the highest levels, if not the highest level of nursing ... C=RN will NOT get you there.

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I hear a lot of people at my school say "C's get degrees" but do they get you into grad school?

That is an honest question. I was wondering what kind of competition there is out there for grad school. my husband is military and we move a lot so who knows where we will be when I get to that point...

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Originally posted by caligirl

I hear a lot of people at my school say "C's get degrees" but do they get you into grad school?

That is an honest question. I was wondering what kind of competition there is out there for grad school. my husband is military and we move a lot so who knows where we will be when I get to that point...

For CRNA grad school they don't. I don't know about other grad programs.

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What I don't understand is why anyone cares about another person's grades. Everyone has different priorities. It shouldn't matter to any of us whether the person sitting next to us in class wants a 4.0 or believes C=RN.

One person may want to go to CRNA school, while another may want to be a great bedside nurse and still have time to focus on her family. It is a personal decision.

We are all working so hard to get through nursing school. We should support each other whatever our goals or priorities may be.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
Originally posted by LauraLou

What I don't understand is why anyone cares about another person's grades. Everyone has different priorities. It shouldn't matter to any of us whether the person sitting next to us in class wants a 4.0 or believes C=RN.

One person may want to go to CRNA school, while another may want to be a great bedside nurse and still have time to focus on her family. It is a personal decision.

We are all working so hard to get through nursing school. We should support each other whatever our goals or priorities may be.

What i think about with someone else's grades, is over hearing them say that just passing is all that matters. To some grad programs, the grades that you get matter. I just hate that if they think that way, apply for a grad school, and find out the hard way that the school wants a certain grade or GPA.

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My feeling is what difference does it make if you graduate with a 4.0, or a 2.7 GPA? Grades show an aptitude for learning in a controlled environment. I am sure that many 2.7 GPA RN's have outperformed the 4.0 RN's. And some people are better hands on nurses than book smart nurses, and from my highly unqualified (since I have not started school yet) perch where I sit , I would be more comfortable with the proficient hands on nurse treating me than the book smart nurse. But we do live in a GPA driven society when it comes to obtaining higher levels of education. Just my opinion.

Gerard

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