confused about pre-reqs! HELP!

CRNA, DNSc · Aug 26, 2009

You need these courses as a foundation for the variety and volume of new information you will be required to learn in anesthesia school. If you didn't have those courses in your BSN program you will need to go back to school and take them.:wink2:

loveanesthesia · Aug 26, 2009

So what do people do? Go back to school after you get your BSN to take these courses?!

Yes..

aCRNAhopeful · Aug 26, 2009

I think that is probably what most people do since few BSN programs require those courses

missnurse01, MSN, RN · Aug 27, 2009

exactly what i am doing, going back and taking classes while saving up money for school...

My_brain_hurts · Aug 29, 2009

Yes, you should go back and take the classes. Even if you get into a program that didn't require them it will look great and help you in the long run. I am in a program that didn't require organic. . . or was it biochem. . . or both. . .? I can't remember now without looking at the program homepage. Anyway, one or the other or both. The reasoning was that the program will provide all those things. Great, you don't need them to get in, HOWEVER, you may find yourself on the wrong end of the learning curve if you haven't had these classes before. I had O-chem and biochem (2 semesters each!) for my first degree, almost 10yrs ago. So it's been a while but I'm seeing this stuff again for the second time, and I can tell you I still feel pretty lost. I can only imagine the people who haven't ever been expose to such topics. . . Dang.

So, yeah, take the classes even if you don't need them. You will be doing yourself a favor in the end. Good luck!

bucknangler · Sep 1, 2009

I wouldn't take the courses unless it is a required pre-req OR if your GPA is the bare minimum. My thought is, just like a Medical School will accept an English major despite him lacking advanced biology/chemistry courses as long as he meets the requirements because in the program they teach you everything you will need to know. So take the courses only if you need too.

My_brain_hurts · Sep 2, 2009

My point was that taking them can give you an edge above another applicant in the admissions pool, whether or not it's required. If you do good, it will up your GPA. If a school is going to teach you chem, biochem, and physics, that's great. But I can tell you if you had those classes before you will do better when they are taught by the program.

Ansethesia is a complicated field and you have to understand how the body works, how medications work, and especially how those two things interact. Biochem, organic chem, and physics concepts are a HUGE part of that. We didn't need to know that much about it in nursing school to get BSN because we were not specializing in a field. As a CRNA, you will become a 'specialist' in what you do, and that rquires a deeper understanding of, well, just about everything. If I could do things over again, I probably would have taken another in-depth anatomy class and possibley a biochemistry class prior to my program. There is just so much information thrown at you that any advantage you can have (like having recently completed an undergrad biochem course) would be a smart thing to do.

missnurse01, MSN, RN · Sep 5, 2009

I totally agree with my brainhurts! altho i know that my program will shove the info i need down my throat, i would really prefer to have at least a good review before i start the program...i haven't had any chem in like 16 years, and never had bio/organic chem. I have the time since I have to save up money for living on anyway...