Became pregnant before starting nursing program

[jp48205]

i found out that i was 6 weeks pregnant before applying to the spring 2012 san jacinto nursing program in houston, texas. my due date is in january so i am waiting to apply for the fall 2012 program so i can spend 6 months with the baby. i wanted to see if anyone else took off a year before starting the nursing program after they completed their pre-requisites. i will be getting my cna this month so i can start working and getting some experience but i am worried about forgetting everything i learned. please let me know if anyone took off a year and if they did alright when they started back into the nursing program. thanks!

[AJPV]

You'll be shocked how much of your prereq material is irrelevant to your nursing courses. The small amount that is relevant will probably be repeated in your nursing courses anyway. And the relevant material is the main, plain, basic stuff from your prereqs that you are unlikely to forget (eg, how blood flows through the heart). You're not going to need to balance chemistry equations or know cell membrane electrical potentials in nursing courses. And your microbiology class? It will help you with recognizing the names of a few pathogens (Staph, Strep) - that's about all. You won't need to describe genetic shift versus genetic drift, what makes a hapten different from a normal antigen, or the function of dornase.

[Tait, MSN, RN]

I think you will be fine. If you have the time to take, I say do so. I am two weeks post partum with my little Emma and I know they can be a heck of a lot of work!

I didn't take a year off, but I was on a wait list for over a year and didn't have any issues starting up my program. I think it will be easier to come in fresh, then to have to take time off down the road mid program.

Best of luck and congratulations!!!

[OB-nurse2013, BSN, RN]

Not sure if I am who you'ld be wanting a response from since I am a student myself but I was in a similar event but actually took a few years off to be with boys who are very close in age. I was in my last semester of pre-req's when I found out I was pregnant with my first. I started my nursing program last winter semester and have had no problems and I didn't review anything before starting. One of my first semester classes was assessment and for each section they have an a & p review in the book. My professor didn't go over it much except cardiac but really it was nice to know it was there in the book for review but I didn't really even need to use it and you probably won't either. The big concepts that you use in nursing classes you will probably remember and if you are unsure it will probably be in your books and you can review on your own. Good Luck!!!! and enjoy that new baby!:redbeathe

[nurseadc]

Take time to enjoy your new baby. The pre-req courses aren't really that beneficial, except maybe anatomy, which the nursing program will build on. Do what is best for you and the rest will fall into place.