Best plan to tackle my nursing education

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Hi all! This is my first post so here goes. Currently I am a 3rd year business student looking to transition to nursing. I came to the realization some time ago that I have no passion for business and therefore will never achieve a rewarding career in business. I am a physical person with an aptitude better suited for jobs such as law enforcement, paramedic and nursing where I can use my knowledge and critical thinking skills in hands on applications.

I want to become a nurse however from researching I have become keenly aware that it will be no easy task. At the age of 22 I feel the pressure to get on with my career but I do not want to sabotage myself by rushing into things and failing. I posses a very average intelligence and because of this I would rather take the long road and be over prepared than rush and be overwhelmed or worse... fail and be back to square one. I do however have a decent work ethic that has gotten me by so far.

The positive is that in actuality I have all the time in the world to become whatever I want to be. I have no children, no financial obligations, a family that supports me 100% of the way and plenty of time to study.

So here is my real question.(I actually have a couple):

-What should I do to make sure I am 100% ready for the challenge? I do not have a strong background in science and mathematics other than a survey of A&P class I took. I will need to do very well in my pre-recs so what can I do to prepare for chem, A&P and micro? Are there courses I should take to prepare for them? I found some good links for A&P but not much for the other sciences.

- Would It be a good idea to go for an LPN and gain some experience before I go for an ADN?

- How often do people with average intelligence succeed in nursing school (ADN specifically)? I would like an honest oppinion, not the "if you apply yourself you can do anything" answer.

-Also what are the core nursing courses composed of? I was able to research most of the recs easily but not these ones.

-NUR107 Fundamentals of Nursing

-NUR108 Nursing Across the Life Span

-NUR201Physical and Mental Health I &II

-NUR203 Foundations of the Profession

-HEA200 Pharmacology

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To answer your first question, I would get a nurse assistant certificate and work as a CNA or work as a care giver at an LTC to see if Nursing is really for you. Many people are going into Nursing because they they think that they "will be set for life" and I notice in my Nursing classes that these are the people that complain and state that they hate what they are/will have to do.

Next, I would talk to the academic advisors at the schools you are interested in to see what you have to do to be eligible to apply for their program. You probably will have to take pre-reqs before applying such as your A&p, micro, chemistry and courses of that nature by this time Im sure you'll have a clear idea of what you want.

To answer your next question, Nursing schoo is TOUGH but seriously if you put the work in, you should be fine. My biggest problem though is finding the motivation to study the insane amount of material that we are given....Good luck :)

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To answer your first question, I would get a nurse assistant certificate and work as a CNA or work as a care giver at an LTC to see if Nursing is really for you. Many people are going into Nursing because they they think that they "will be set for life" and I notice in my Nursing classes that these are the people that complain and state that they hate what they are/will have to do.

Next, I would talk to the academic advisors at the schools you are interested in to see what you have to do to be eligible to apply for their program. You probably will have to take pre-reqs before applying such as your A&p, micro, chemistry and courses of that nature by this time Im sure you'll have a clear idea of what you want.

To answer your next question, Nursing schoo is TOUGH but seriously if you put the work in, you should be fine. My biggest problem though is finding the motivation to study the insane amount of material that we are given....Good luck :)

Good points. I am currently doing everything I can to make sure this is something I want to do. From the people I have talked to most seem to love what they do however those that were unhappy had some very unsettling comments. It seems difficult for me to really get a clear picture of what nursing will be like so like you said I will probably need to get some experience. I know a few nurses so I may be able to shadow them or volunteer in the hospital to see if I like it. Can you elaborate on what you said, "people that complain and state that they hate what they are/will have to do." I would like to know what aspects these people hate. Thanks for your reply!

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There are several nursing students who are NOT science buffs, myself included. Several of us were previously employed in jobs that are the opposite spectrum of nursing, but we all wanted to make a change. I've seen brilliant students and some who just seemed plain out dumb--but we all learned what we needed to know. Some excel on tests, others excel at the bedside, or in the lab.

The fact that you have full support financially and don't have kids can be a huge plus. Lots of students in my class juggle a family (including myself) and there are lots of days that I wish I didn't have to cook, clean and care for others, but I'm still pulling an A! To get you ready for your science classes, take Biology I first. Then take A&P 1, then A&P II. Some people take Chem with A&P II. Then take Microbiology. Look at the schools you want to apply to and get their pre-req list and go to all their orientations to get a feel for it. Nursing school is pretty hard, but it is also very applicable--you learn info and get to apply it right away so it is way more relevant than your typical college courses.

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I had to work very hard in my pre-reqs. It wasn't easy at all but like you, I had all the time in the world to study and was supported financially and every other way possible by my family. So I did get a 4.0 in my pre-reqs and got into a program.

I suggest you take General Biology and Chemistry (which ever you want, I took Intro) to get your feet wet in science. Plus those sciences are the backbone to every other science you'll ever take. Get tutors and make study groups if you need to. And like you said, take it slow and study and learn.

Good luck to you!

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Specializes in Urgent Care NP, Emergency Nursing, Camp Nursing.

My suggestion is to actually finish your business degree and then go for an Accelerated BSN or a Direct-Entry Masters program. You may hate business now, but health professionals with a business background are a rare breed, so having that will be a benefit to you a few years into your future nursing career (once you're no longer a new nurse).

In the meanwhile, work on your prereqs. Check the stated requirements of the programs you want to go to; then check the prereqs for those courses and work on those if you don't already have them. Gen Chem I and II, A&P I and II, and microbio seem to be universal, while some schools have wonky additional requirements like Nutrition, "Human development across the lifespan", and other oddly-title courses.

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