Community College nursing classes

So,

For most associate degrees you normally take years in total to get your associate degree. Because you have General Ed classes along with the pre requisites to apply into the program. Everyone thinks that they are 2 year degrees but that is just not the case. I think those general ed classes along with pre reqs will take you about a year and then you apply into the actual nursing program itself and then nursing school is usually 4 semester long or so. I am not sure how it works at your school. I would recommend speaking with an advisor at your school or contact the school of nursing department.

Just to clarify for you, ADN prepares you to take NCLEX-RN. You don't have to wait until you have the BSN to be an RN.

Hi! Im a high school senior and have decided to go with the nursing route! Im thinking of attending a community college to get my ADN and then go for my BSN to be an RN. On the list of courses for the ADN program at the community college near me, it says general ed classes (chem, microbio, anatomy, physiology, English, math, etc) a total of about 30 units and then below it theres a list of actual nursing classes totaling up to about 41 units. I was wondering if my first year of college would be dedicated to taking the general ed courses and the 2nd year would be to the actual nursing classes. So basically it would just be one year of real nursing studies??? I asked the admin lady and she had no idea.. So i just wanna know if in a community college the first year is for general ed amd the second is for murse classes and then i take my nclex and im an rn if i pass. Thanks!

The classes are mixed together for the two years...but most schools require you to have the general eds esp the sciences before they will accept you into the program so it can take four years to get the two year degree.

you have General Ed classes along with the pre requisites to apply into the program. Everyone thinks that they are 2 year degrees but that is just not the case. I think those general ed classes along with pre reqs will take you about a year and then you apply into the actual nursing program itself and then nursing school is usually 4 semester long or so.

I've found that this is true for most (if not all) CC RN programs. I took all of my pre-reqs over the course of a couple semesters (this could take a while if your school requires BIO before A&P, then PhysII & Chemistry, and finally Micro, potentially followed by PathoPhys), before I was eligible to apply for the RN program. You can also get your CNA early and begin working in your field throughout the process. Upon completion of the RN program, you are eligible to take the NCLEX and, upon passing, you can begin working as an RN. You may then want to find a bridge program for your BSN, which your CC should have plenty of information on.

If the person you spoke with before didn't have a clue about the nursing program schedule, you may need to contact some one within the nursing department. I had to do that at my CC as well.

Best of luck to you!

Ok, I understand your confusion. But here's how it goes. Don't get too wrapped up in the credit total. Generally, it's about 60-70 credits for an ADN. But, as you've noticed, not all those credits come from the nursing program proper.

The first thing is that you will have to get into the nursing program. It was probably simple to get into your CC. But the nursing program has to be entered separately. You will spend at least one year doing "prerequisites" for the program. These are classes that will be used to judge & measure your ability to even enter the nursing program. (You'll also take a standardized exam. The HESI or the TEAS V most likely. Do. Your. Best. On this exam.)

CC nursing programs are brutally difficult to get into. They're cheap & you're just as much an RN as someone who went to John Hopkins. (That's a better school, don't get me wrong. JH graduates are top-notch. But everyone has to take the same NCLEX.) You are far from guaranteed entry: you'll have to do well in your programs & excel at your standardized exam.

Then it's usually about 4 semesters of nursing classes. But you have your classes then you have your labs then you have your clinicals. Classes in nursing are tough in and of themselves. Labs tend to be a little lighter and funner. But clinicals are effectively internships. You're being judged on who you are more than your competency. You will eat some poo, just being real here. Full-time RNs will make you their slave. And that's not even talking about the patients you'll encounter. Your preceptor will be giving you crap while you clean poop off a homeless man with stumps where his toes should be who smells like a foie gras smoothy.

It's totally awesome. 10/10 recommended.

You should be able to talk to a nursing advisor who can give you a general curriculum plan and time frame, they may also have information meetings. The timeframe also depends on how the CC is set up. Mine was a point system that started fresh every year, but I know others that had a wait list that was several years long. I don't know how yours is, but mine also gave points for having healthcare experience, such as CNA or phlebotomist. If possible in your area, this isn't a bad way to go, plus it helps get your foot in the door at your local hospitals and gives you a job if you don't get in your first try. My CC had a 1.5 semester phlebotomy course with an externship, I worked this job PRN all through school and now I'm also one of the best at IVs. Overall, most people I know look 3-4 years to complete their associates, but chose this route due to the cost. Once they started working they finished their BSN. I did an accelerated track since I already had a bachelors, but I know admission is similar in all tracks. My program was 1 year, my program also had the standard 2-year RN program and then an extended 3 year RN program; these only considered the RN courses, not any prerequisites.

It depends on the school. In mine, you could technically take all those general electives mixed in with nursing classes. I myself take 1 general ed course with my nursing classes.

However, it's usually

A) not recommended. Nursing alone is a LOT, having to add other classes to the mix is doable, but not recommended.

B) you usually have to apply with some of them completed. Most of my classmates have taken most if not all of the general ed courses already. First, it gives them an edge when applying (the more courses you complete the more points on your application). Secondly, they start taking the general ed courses they need for their bachelor's that the ADN doesn't meet (history, music, nutrition, statistics, college algebra, etc)