4-year BSN Curriculum or make it a 5-year coursE?

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Dec 4, 2006

Sorry, but do not agree with the above poster. Those same courses are required if you were to attend a US nursing school, you are required to have courses in history, as well as government, and the sciences. How do you figure out how the body is doing without having an understanding of chemistry? It is definitely required, probably even more than what you are even getting now.
Working in the US as an RN is very different from what you do as an RN in the Philippines. What if physicians did not take chemistry either? You are caring for the human body and making decisions on based on what you have learned, as well as experience.

I agree with Suzanne. Here's an example of 1st year courses for a BSN program here in the US:

First Semester (Fall)

BIO 1510 -- (LS) Basic Life Mechanisms (Laboratory): Cr. 4

CHM 1020 -- (PS) Survey of General Chemistry (Laboratory): Cr. 4

ENG 1020 -- (BC) Introductory College Writing: Cr. 4

PSY 1010 -- (LS) Introductory Psychology: Cr. 4

Total credits: 16

Second Semester (Winter)

BIO 2200 -- (LS) Introductory Microbiology (Laboratory): Cr. 4

BIO 2870 -- Anatomy and Physiology (Laboratory): Cr. 5

CHM 1030 -- Survey of Organic/Biochemistry: Cr. 4

PSY 2400 -- Developmental Psychology: Cr. 4

SOC 2000 or ANT 2100

-- (SS) Understanding Human Society: Cr. 3

-- (SS) Introduction to Anthropology: Cr. 3

Satisfaction of Mathematics Competency (MC) Requirement

Satisfaction of English Proficiency Examination Requirement

Total credits: 20

As you can see, it isn't much different from ours back in the Philippines. That's what makes it a university degree and not just a technical course. You get a diverse education in the basic arts and sciences before you take the major subjects.

Advanced Practice Columnist / Guide · Dec 5, 2006

And for those that will say that there is no history or political science subjects in their freshman courses, wait 'til you see what they have for their sophomore to senior years:

SOPHOMORE YEAR:

Second Semester (Winter)

Computer Literacy (CL) proficiency: Cr. 0-2

Oral Communication (OC): Cr. 0-2

Philosophy and Letters (PL): Cr. 3

JUNIOR YEAR:

First Semester (Fall)

ENG 3010 -- (IC) Intermediate Writing: Cr. 3

Second Semester (Winter)

Foreign Culture (FC) (NUR 4800 recommended): Cr. 3

American Society & Institutions (AI): Cr. 3

Visual and Performing Arts (VP): Cr. 3

SENIOR YEAR:

Second Semester (Winter)

Historical Studies (HS): Cr. 3

Note: I took out all the nursing subjects/courses from the above list.

RNHawaii34 · Dec 5, 2006

if you think we got hard classes in the philippines? in the u.s. is worse, because you need to maintain a good grade point average in order to get in the nursing program ( and maintain an "a" or "b" grade to be in the class). i also did took nursing prerequisite classes such as math ( algebra, which is harder than what we learned in high school back in the philippines), english ( expository writing), anatomy and physiology classes ( lecture and laboratory, for 2 semesters, is a very hard class i ever took....), general microbiology+ lab ( i had fun with that class, because i learn how to work with bacterial cultures, and the importance antibiotics, also, why it is important for us to wash our hands!!! ), the dreaded biochemistry ( i learn how to make soap...), anthropology, ( boring but interesting subjects, i learned a lot about other origin of human species...something like that), i like the history class, because we studied not only american history, which is very, very interesting, and also learn the important facts about the different societies in the world. although many of us will think some classes is unnecessary, it is important for us coming from the philippines to know the basic stuff about the history of our home country. students in the philippines is very lucky, because most of you didn't have to work while at school, but you have the time to focus on your studies. in the u.s., some college students has a part time job and goes to school at the same time.:chuckle

batasMTR_RN · Dec 7, 2006

chemistry, statistics and physics are the ones i hated when i studied nursing

emilia1962 · Mar 30, 2010

It depends what part of US you will be staying. If you will be in California where there are a lot of Mexican, I think it is best to have Spanish I - Spanish IV. It is so helpful if you can speak and understand English and Spanish. This is only my opinion. That is the reason I hope they will put the Spanish subjects back in the curriculum of Bachelor of Science in Nursing. To look at there is no relation of Spanish Language in the field of Nursing but it is necessary if you are done and working already with patients then Spanish is important.