I know you are tired. I know you are both physically and mentally exhausted. I know you are anxious about all that this week entails. But do you know what else I know? I know that while studying and doing well in your classes is important, those grades alone are not what will make you a remarkable nurse. You are much, much more than that, so stop being so hard on yourself.

Whether you finish this semester with straight A’s or scrape by with exactly a 3.0, that 4.0 scale is incapable of measuring some of your most valuable assets. You see, those grades don’t reflect your compassion or the lengths you are willing to go when a complete stranger needs you. Those grades don’t reflect the heart that you have that strives to serve others. Those grades don’t reflect that sweet spirit you embody or the laughter that you bring to someone else’s less than stellar day. Those grades don’t reflect your gentle nature or how you treat a patient with the utmost delicacy and care. Those grades will reflect what you know about caring for the human body, not what you know about caring for the soul.

I once had a CNA instructor who worked as a Registered Nurse for over 40 years and she told our class that some of the best nurses she had ever seen were the ones that barely slid by in nursing school and some of the worst nurses she had ever seen were the ones who breezed through it in a seemingly perfect manner, and I believe it. Because there are some aspects of being a nurse that are completely irrelevant to your academic successes. There isn’t a letter grade that can be assigned when you are holding a patient’s grieving loved one and saying exactly what they need to hear in that moment. There isn’t a numerical score that can capture the impact of your essence or one that accurately represents the joy you bring to someone who needs it. There isn’t a pass/fail criteria that can properly assess you when you are caring for someone in the most vulnerable state a person can be in. Your value is immeasurable.

I want you to try hard this week and give it your best, but please do not be discouraged or think that one test grade is going to determine your future as a nurse. You weren’t called into this field solely because of your intelligence. You were called to be a nurse because even though it is important to know how to care for someone physically, you have a special gift for caring for them emotionally as well. You know that sick people need antibiotics and IVs, but you also know that they need support, encouragement, and tender care. So as you wrap up this semester, cut yourself some slack and remember that you don’t have to be perfect. People will need you to be competent, yes, but they will also need you to be caring. Never lose that compassion in the pursuit for grades.