Are we really preparing ourselves?

[amber74]

My couselers at my cc encourage all the pre nursing students to take one science course at a time and to slowly do the pre reqs. Now, do you really think this is good advice? I hear all the time students going into the nursing program and dropping out because it was completly overwhelming. Ive seen the question come up about taking micro and physio together. I would be interested in seeing how the adjustment is for a nursing student who had taken one or two classes at a time.

I talked to my teacher who graduated from Stanford.She said that most the students at our cc are being hand held.

My question is,what is the best way to prepare for nursing school?

The argument has been brought up that you should get your foundation slowly.Well,what Ive heard nursing school trucks along pretty quick.

I would like to hear from nursing students too.If nursing school is so much more intense than prereqs,shouldnt we gear up before?

Just wondering

[luv2yoga]

Based on what I've seen, watching the nursing students, you are NOT helping yourself by taking only 1 science course a semester. It will be too big a step up when you start the program. I took 3 science courses this last semester and aced them, so I think I am getting in the proper groove to do well in nursing. I hung out a lot in the nursing student lounge (studying for those A's!) and listened to them, and it is pretty intensive and it's really majority science. Personally, I would rather feel well prepared by being sure I'm up to this that having things spoon-fed.

Interesting to read the post about A&P being dumbed down. Definitely the opposite here. That's the weed-out class at my school, and I ended up with the prof with the hardest reputation by accident for A&P I, but I loved how much she challenged me. I REALLY learned that material and I found that she was tough but fair. So I took her again and I'm so glad I did. I literally studied every day for that class but I got a solid A. The endocrine system test has to be the hardest test I've ever taken, well maybe the heart and blood vessels. Anyway, I saw people with D's and F's too, but they're not going to get in the program. I think since nursing is paying good salaries right now, people who aren't qualified are drawn to it. But at least around here, they won't get in. 400 people applied for 90 spots last semester so anything other than A's and B's goes automatically to the reject pile. I definitely am not worried that sub-standard students are going to be nurses, quite the opposite.

[SarasotaRN2b]

I guess it depends on your circumstances. I did take the 3 science prereqs (A&P 1, 2 and microbiology during separate semesters) and I was able to ace them all. The biggest thing that I noticed about people that didn't do well is that many didn't put in the necessary hours of study. A&P 1 was especially time-consuming. I had a real tough teacher, but he was good and I learned from him. Many complained but they were usually the ones that weren't doing what they could have.

I just know that know when I get in the program, I'll only have the nursing classes to deal with. It used to be that students would take both nursing and the sciences simultaneously...that would be tough. Now, you have to have all of your prereqs finished before you can even apply. Then it is a waiting game...

Kris

[magz80]

Taking one or 2 classes at a time was not an option at my school. The director of our nursing program told us that in order to be considered for the nursing program, we had to be full time students while taking prereqs and maintain at least a 3.5 or better gpa to be a competative candidate for admissions. She said that people who take a class or 2 at a time before entering the nursing program would not be prepared enough to handle the full time nursing course load.

I took A&P 1 last semester and I definitely feel prepared! My A&P teacher was a doctor so all of our tests were very difficult. We started out with 30 students and there were 8 of us left to take the final. We had 4 lecture tests and 4 lab tests and that was it...no extra credit of any kind. Each one of our tests was like a midterm..tons of questions, graphs, and the majority of our tests consisted of essays. A&P 1 in our school is known as the "weed out" class. I studied more for that class than all my other classes, including organic chem. I learned a lot and managed to walk out with an A, but it was definitely not an easy A!!

[einsteinsboi]

As an international student i am required to always be fulltime and that means carrying a load of at least 12 credits every semester. So i don't have the option to take the courses one at a time. However, i am not sure i would do that even if i had the option to. This is for the same reason that mereditht stated above. I think by challenging myself at the prered level i'll be better prepared to handle the rigors of the nursing curriculum.

The worst thing for me is that even when i do start the Nursing courses I'll still have to pick up extra classes to fill up the 12 credits when necessary.

anyway, that's my 2c.

[amber74]

I would be interested in seeing the corralation between the students who took one class at a time and how they adjusted to nursing school vs someone who always had a full load.

I know that a lot of the science courses are sequential. For example, chem lets you do Micro and Anatomy lets you do physiology(in some colleges)

I am a mom of three and work darn hard during the day at school so I can be there from 3-9pm for them.

Nursing School will be one of my biggest challenges I have ever faced.Im not doing myself any favors by doing one class at a time.Not only should I get an A in the sciences,I should be able to multitask..IMO.

I was talking to a prenursing mom about this .I told her what I was taking this spring.She said,"I love my family too much to do that"(she was taking 1 course per semester)

OHH I was mad!I dont love mine?

What will this woman do when she is in nursing school? Are these the people who are dropping out?

Everyone has to do what they feel fits their needs. Im seeing a lot of people going into nursing for the money.When I was in high school I was a nursing assistant at a nursing home and loved it.I was a volunteer in my community.

One morning when I was 17 I visited a friend at a teen home for moms.She had a newborn son. That morning I heard a scream I will never forget.Her little baby was dead.I had rushed to the babys side and started CPR.Three adults stood there just frozen not knowing what to do.At 17,I reacted without a thought.I didnt save that little boy.But,later Maria told me the only way she was able to go on, was because I tried to help her little baby. When Im a nurse I hope I can save lives, but I also want to save the human spirit.

So when someone tells me Im crazy to attempt nursing school with three kids, I tell them Im crazy not to.

[Thunderwolf, MSN, RN]

Your grad point should be the deciding factor for you. Could you keep it up?

[S.N. Visit, BSN, RN]

What will this woman do when she is in nursing school? Are these the people who are dropping out?

Every school is different, but if it's like my program, No. The people that get their co-reqs done are not the people who drop out or fail . It is a lot easier to keep your GPA if you have only 2-3 nursing classes per term in the nursing program.

(I won't have to take anything my 1st term of the nursing program, since I've already taken all the required classes for that particular term.)

BTW the woman was rude to impy you didn't love your family as much as she did , and thanks for sharing your story about being there in your friends time of need. Those instincts make a great nurse :)