Classes like A and P along with the nursing courses?

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I'm wondering if its possible do well in all my nursing classes along with A and P I....i am a first year nursing student with the start of the first semester nursing classes.

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Specializes in NICU, RNC.

You were admitted to nursing school without any pre-reqs completed? Without the A&P foundation, I would have failed my nursing classes, which is why most programs require that you have completed all your science courses before being accepted into an RN program...

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The pre-reqs i completed are chemistry biology and precal along with medical terminology im just wondering if this is possible to do well in all my courses even though i have to take A and P i also managed a 4.0 in all of them.

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You might be able to do it but I could not imagine trying to learn A&P while being tested on patho and pharm in nursing. If you are trying to learn the beginnings of anatomy and physiology of the circulatory system but you also are being tested on the patho of say CHF, MI, cardiomyopathy, tamponade, cardiogenic shock and staph. endocarditis. And your being tested on Pharm! so say you are also being tested on + chronotropes, +ionotropes, AntiHTN, Diuretics and vasodiolators you do not stand a chance.

Furthermore you will be tested on critical thinking for patient care, so ADPIE, fundies and nursing skills will be added. I don't know your background but unless its very solid you will just get sucked into a vortex of knowledge you can not possibly absorb. Let me know what your thoughts are on what I have said.

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I'm taking A&P 2 with Fundamentals this semester, and it should be very doable. I can't imagine why your school would let you in a nursing program without having even the first A&P done.

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My school requires A&P II before Med-Surg and microbiology before pathophysiology. I'm not sure if A&P I has to be done before admittance or just before Med-Surg.

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Specializes in mental health / psychiatic nursing.

My program requires A&P before being admitted. I would think it would be a struggle to take A&P while in nursing school, and have no idea how I would survive pathophysiology and pharmacology (1st quarter courses) with out a strong A&P background as there was no review of basic A&P in those classes, and knowing the basics really provides the foundation to build on. Perhaps your program is set up differently. I would strongly suggest meeting with an adviser and mapping out when in the curriculum it makes sense to take these courses.

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Specializes in NICU, RNC.

If your program allows it to be done that way, then maybe it is set up in a way where you don't necessarily need a&p right off the bat? I know for my program, we had med-surg, fundamentals, and pharm all during 1st semester. There is no way I would have passed med-surg if I didn't have both a&p completed prior to it. The material you learn requires that you already know all the a&p and the instructors are not going to waste their time teaching you something you are supposed to already know.

However, I have heard of other programs that only have fundamentals and pharm first semester, so if that's the case, you might be okay.

I am an excellent student. I had a 4.0 in all my pre-reqs, I had a 4.0 first semester even with the insane case load, I got a 92% on my TEAS, and a level 3 in all of my ATI proctored exams. But with the way my particular program is set up, I would not have been able to pass my first med-surg class if I didn't already have all my A&P completed.

This is something you should probably talk to the current nursing instructors about, they will be familiar with the program and what knowledge you need to have coming in in order to be successful.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

PPs are all referring to the fact that nursing education is based upon a cumulative curriculum model, with each class building upon the knowledge from previous courses. I'm not saying it would be impossible - in fact, I'd love to see the curriculum model - but I don't see how you could possibly succeed in clinical classes without an understanding of A&P.

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My program is set up in a way that allows you to take all of the typical pre-reqs as co-reqs. The only pre-reqs were chemistry, biology, and algebra prior to the start. It was about half and half as far as how many needed to take any of the other classes.

First semster: A&P I with Fundamentals

Second semester: A&P II, med surg, English 2, and nutrition

Third semester (10 weeks): Med surg 2, mental health nursing, pathophysiology, and life span psychology.

This semester: Med surg 3, OB/Peds, microbiology, and art appreciation.

I will say, though, that I had A&P a year prior from another program that didn't transfer. It was still a lot more difficult, but I had seen a lot of it before. That's how it was for many classmates as well, but they all agreed that it was more difficult than the ones they had previously took. The majority passed A&P and Fundamentals and Med surg. Some didn't. Some that only had the nursing courses didn't, so it's hard to say how much of it had to do with A&P.

As far as I know, my program has been set up this way for awhile (or the whole time) and previous classes did well doing both. I have no idea how many of those previously had A&P that didn't transfer or how many were taking it for the first time, however. That could possibly be a big factor in that. I don't know.

It definitely doesn't seem to be the norm for programs to be structured like this though. As others have said, A&P is the foundation. Do you know if a lot of other classmates need to take it as well? I think, like a previous poster stated, talking to a current nursing instructor may be to provide you with a better idea about taking the two together.

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My program is set up in a way that allows you to take all of the typical pre-reqs as co-reqs. The only pre-reqs were chemistry, biology, and algebra prior to the start. It was about half and half as far as how many needed to take any of the other classes.

First semster: A&P I with Fundamentals

Second semester: A&P II, med surg, English 2, and nutrition

Third semester (10 weeks): Med surg 2, mental health nursing, pathophysiology, and life span psychology.

This semester: Med surg 3, OB/Peds, microbiology, and art appreciation.

I will say, though, that I had A&P a year prior from another program that didn't transfer. It was still a lot more difficult, but I had seen a lot of it before. That's how it was for many classmates as well, but they all agreed that it was more difficult than the ones they had previously took. The majority passed A&P and Fundamentals and Med surg. Some didn't. Some that only had the nursing courses didn't, so it's hard to say how much of it had to do with A&P.

As far as I know, my program has been set up this way for awhile (or the whole time) and previous classes did well doing both. I have no idea how many of those previously had A&P that didn't transfer or how many were taking it for the first time, however. That could possibly be a big factor in that. I don't know.

It definitely doesn't seem to be the norm for programs to be structured like this though. As others have said, A&P is the foundation. Do you know if a lot of other classmates need to take it as well? I think, like a previous poster stated, talking to a current nursing instructor may be to provide you with a better idea about taking the two together.

Do you mind me asking what your program nclex pass rates were?

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Do you mind me asking what your program nclex pass rates were?

At worst, at least as far back as I went, about 87% ranging up to 94%. To be honest, I'm not really sure what's considered a good pass rate.

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