A&P I & II as Pre-Requisites - Question

emily_mom · Feb 7, 2003

I think A & P is essential to understanding anything you're going to see in clinical. For your 1st semester though, what kind of clinical will you be doing?

As far as the school letting you take it that way...you have to ask. We can't answer that for you.

Good luck

Kristy

essarge · Feb 7, 2003

You didn't mention what type of program this is or if you have a former degree. That makes a lot of difference in pre-reqs. Yes, I would suggest that you get A&P I & II out of the way. Can you take it at a college nearby and transfer the credits to the program? It seems kind of strange to me that the school will not tell you what the program entails as far as required courses. I've never heard of that before.

SirJohnny · Feb 7, 2003

I have BS-Applied Math, BS-Comp Sci, MS-Comp Sci and 1 yr of Pre-Vet Medicine.

School sent me a list of pre-requisites, I "think" I have everything out of the way but A&P I & II. School can't give me a definite answer on what I have to take until they get application and review previous transcripts.

I say "think" I have all the pre-requisutes but A&P, but won't know until I actually hear back from the college.

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What I am trying to get a feel for - is how important A&P I&II are towards getting through 1st year clinicals.

Program that I am considering is 2 yr Associates in Nursing Program.

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Again, any help you guys can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

John Coxey

([email protected])

colleen10 · Feb 7, 2003

Hi John,

I am currently finishing up Pre and Co-req's at my local CC. At my school there are 4 different main campuses spread throughout the county. As for A&P it really depends on which campus here you attend. One campus requires that A&P be completed before clinicals and another allows you to start clinicals and take A&P I and II concurrently with clinicals as long as A&P II is completed before you start your second year.

I haven't started clinicals yet, so I can't say if it is detrimental to your grades to not take A&P before clinicals but a number of nursing students in my A&P II class this semester don't appear to be having any major problems. For myself though, I don't think I would do well in clinicals without having the knowledge base of A&P.

My school is like yours in that I do not know what my actual class requirements are until I submitted my formal application and transfer of credits / transcripts, etc. which I just did in December.

The school advisors were able to advise me on the obvious stuff that I didn't have like A&P, Micro but only the Dean of the Nursing Department can waive classes that I took at PSU, like Basic Chem and Algebra. And, I guess she will only look at your records if you are officially applying.

I work full time too so I understand your desire to minimalize your stress while taking clinicals.

I would suggest, that if you want to or absolutely need to get A&P out of the way before clinicals (depending on which school you choose) see if you can take A&P I and II now at a Community College or something. At least where I live lots of students from other colleges and university's take their pre-req's at my CC because, 1 they have a lot of night classes, 2 they transfer pretty easily since they are pre-req's, and 3 they are a ton cheaper than credits at Pitt, CMU, Duquesne, Chatham, etc.

Good Luck!

Col

Angella Walker · Feb 7, 2003

I am confused....what is vacation!!!!! :confused: :eek:

2banurse · Feb 7, 2003

For my CC-ADN program, A&P 1 and college algebra are the two "must haves" before starting the nursing program. However, because of the limited # of openings, it is strongly recommended that you take all the prereqs before starting the RN program and students that have the most classes taken towards their ADN will be accepted first.

Good luck!

Kris

SirJohnny · Feb 7, 2003

Angella:

- Regarding vacations, my employer is letting me use vacation days to travel back & forth to New York.

- I plan on leaving on Thur nights (after work) and coming back on Mon (get here at 8:30AM) and got to work. The computer company I work for will let me take every other Friday off. Since I get 4 weeks vacation per year - I can cover a semester's worth of classes. (The classes are every other weekend).

John Coxey

([email protected])

louloubell1 · Feb 7, 2003

Ok, maybe I don't understand, but I don't see how in the world you could get anything out of your clinical experience, other than learning some basic patient care tasks, without a knowledge of A&P. It seems to me that A&P is fundamental to appropriate and safe care for patients. How can you understand a patient's diagnosis, treatment plan, medications, rationale for nursing interventions, etc. and how can you perform an assessment if you don't understand the normal physiological processes of the body which are taught in A&P?

Lou

Convicted of placenta previa & serving time on couch arrest ~ Day 26

SirJohnny · Feb 7, 2003

RNLou:

This is what I am trying to find out.

Is A&P that critical to a successfuly clinical experience.? Apparently it is, according to your post.

Again, the reason I am asking is that they let you take A&P at the same time as you take the clinicals.

I was hoping to ask if I could take it after 1st year of clinicals. But if it's a bad idea then I won't. That's why I am asking this question on the boards.

Any other opinions out there?

John Coxey

([email protected])

christinemj · Feb 8, 2003

You'll obviously have to get the "absolute" answer from your school...but...

My school (2 yr ADN program) "allows" a person to take A&P I and II while in the nursing course. BUT...A&P II MUST be completed (and PASSED) by the end of the 1st semester. We have a few sections of "fast-track" courses for A&P, which is basically the 18 week course shrunk down to 9 weeks...so a very MOTIVATED students can bite the bullet and take the 9 credit nursing course and the 2 4 credit A&P's in the 1st semester of their program. It's NOT recommended because it's really way too much at once. (Many people fail in the fast-track A&P's). Another option is to just finish up the A&P II in a regular paced course while in the Nursing 1 course. Obviously, the last - and wisest choice, IMHO - is to take the A&P's before starting the clinical courses.

The nursing lectures are based on the assumption that the students have completed at LEAST A&P 1. Anyone that hasn't already done so is at a definite disadvantage in the nursing lectures. (I wouldn't have had a clue WHAT "GFR" was prior to taking A&P. At least I "had a clue" when it was mentioned in nursing lecture today. It certainly wsn't "reviewed"..it was assumed we all knew. :)

Good Luck!!!