Basic Health Profession Skills Prereq

[modelmama07]

Do any other students out there have a Basic Health Profession Skills class for a preq to get into their program?? It's a class were you learn basic nursing skills such as vital signs, simple wound dressings, catheterization, oxygen therapy, urine specimen collection, safety, sterile technique, and medical aspesis. You also have to pass a cometency check off by the instructor for vital signs, simple wound dressing, and catheterization. Of course, you don't practice on real people (except for vital signs) but they have "patient" dummies that you practice on. There is also a medical terminology portion that you complete online. Just wondering if any other students at other schools have a class like this that is required before you get into the program, its a very informative course and it is one of the motivations that makes me determined to get into nursing school. I attend El Centro College, and I'm hoping to get in next fall. Sorry this was so long winded.... just curious...

[MotivatedOne]

Wow, the first to reply. It sounds to me like you're basically being trained to become a CNA because we had to got through some of the same things. We used dummies as well as real people and ourselves to test vital signs. At the community colleges here, being a CNA is now a requirement to get into the nursing school. I'm not sure whether or not it's nationwide but I do believe it's statewide (NC)

[fmrnicumom]

The school I am planning on attending has you take what they call "Intro to Nursing" which is basically a history of nursing and medical terminology. We are not required to learn patient care prior to starting the program. Personally, I wish we did have to take something similar as a prerequisite. I think it would help ease some nerves.

Good luck to you!

Tiffany

[CleverLibrarian]

I have to take that class as well, along with several other HPRS courses. I'm going to try to get into El Centro's program, too! I hope you got in! I'm glad to learn that you only practice on dummies. I'm just getting a degree in Diagnostic Medical Sonography, so I was rather nervous about practicing catheterization on real people when it's not something I would have to do in my profession. Quite a relief. I don't know if I will be so lucky when we do that sort of residency in the actual program though.