Dadblamed Pre-Requisites!

Nursing Students General Students

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I'll give you the abbreviated version of my story. At almost 44 I've decided I want out of my social services career. My sister has been a nurse for twenty years and really likes it. I think I would enjoy the flexibility and having the same opportunity to help people as I do as a social worker, only with better pay and fewer lay-offs.

Here's my problem: I already have a Master's in criminal justice. I thought I would just get an ADN and get on with it. But because of prerequisites it would still take me three years to get an Associate's degree. I need to take A&P before I can be accepted into my community college's program. But it has a Chemistry prerequisite. So, if I take Chemistry this fall, I can take A&P in the spring, but then I'll still have four semesters of nursing school. So a two year program will, in fact, take me three years.

Two years was really a stretch from a financial standpoint and three is out of the question.

The community college I'm thinking about attending will have a meeting on July 14 for those interested in the nursing program. What is the likelihood of them waiving the Biology requirement and allowing me to enroll directly in the nursing program? Or at least waiving the chemistry pre-requisite. (I know I'd still have to take chemistry at some point.) I had Biology in undergrad, but that was more than twenty years ago.

I've looked at the accelerated BSN programs in my area (Atlanta) and they all seem to require six science course prior to admission. (Five for me since I had statistics in grad school).

It seems like I can't get through any of these programs in less than three years. Am I missing something? Thanks a lot for your help.

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I'm not sure your missing anything. I'm doing a "2 yr" RN program and it will take 3 years of fulltime enrollement. We were required to do a&P 1 and 2, sociology, Comp1, growth and development, Chemistry, and a whole buch of other "crap" :0) before we could be accepted to the actual program as well. We also gained entry based on a points system that weighs our GPA's etc. . . Good luck and don't get discouraged.

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Hi, Rozlips.

I don't know if it will apply to you, but both myself and a friend of mine had our chemistry requirement waived so that we could take A&P. Basically, if you've had it in highschool, that should count as the requirement to get into A&P although if it's required for your program you will still have to take it later. I would talk to your advisor, tell them you've had chemistry in high school, and ask if you can get a chemistry override!

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My Chemistry in HS also counted when I applied to the local CC. It didn't matter that I attended HS 28 years ago. ;) I am a LPN that works full time and it will take me 4 years to get my RN. Can you work and take your prereqs at night if they don't take let you waive your chemistry?

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Specializes in LTC.

You can try getting around it, but A&P and Chem are fairly core nursing classes that go hand in hand. Nursing school is also very competetive, so a lot of times having the pre-reqs give you an advantage for acceptance.

I'm curious why three years is too much? A lot of nursing students work through school.

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Did you not have too take ANY science when you were in school the first time?

I have just never seen a college program, since you already have a degree, that didn't require at minimum, a choice between Biology and Chemistry...but you always had to take 2 semesters of some type of science.

Are you sure you didn't take it and just forget about it?

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Thanks for the quick responses.

@Hopeful, yes, I took two semesters of Biology in undergrad, but that was 25 years ago! According to their website any science class had to have been taken within the past 6 years.

@Casi, three years is too much because of finances. We just moved to the Atlanta area last month. I've been a SAHM for the past couple of years and my husband lost his job in December. He started working again in March, but money is insanely tight.

I would like to start contributing to the family finances, especially as we have a four year old who would have to go to daycare while I was in school. I suppose I could work during the day and then take my pre-reqs at night. But that would mean my son would have to be in daycare even more and that would cost even more money, so it might not be worth it for me to work.

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Rozlips,

Don't get discouraged! When I decided to go back to school to become a nurse I wanted to have my scrubs and stethoscope immediately. Alas, there is quite a rush on the nursing schools presently. Where I live, the CC is AT LEAST a three year wait and that includes the time it takes to re-do classes they consider "expired" (Like science classes taken over five years agao.) I actually ended up deciding to go ahead and do the BSN program at a private school because none of my undergrad classes are considered expired and the pre-req list was actually shorter at the private school. Also, I was guaranteed a spot at a date I could count on, rather than waiting around only to find out that once again the CC class was full and I would have to wait another year to see if I got in like so many of my friends. While I have to pay more now at the private college, I am accomplishing the BSN with less pre-req effort and at the fastest rate possible. I am in my 30's, so time is always ticking as far as getting out there and providing for my family. These were some of the considerations I had when I decided to take on the private school loan.

And, yes, I also know many people who complete the nursing classes while working at the same time.

Keep your chin up! Once you start classes the time actually flies!

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Specializes in ER/Ortho.

Biology was a pre req for A&P1/A&P2 and microbiology all of which I had to have. The sciences had a 5 year limit so it didn't matter if you took them before if it was longer than 5 years ago then you would have to retake them. In addition, we needed patho, pharm, end of life issues, dosage calculations, chemistry, speech, english, intro to psych, developmental psych, spanish, and a few more.

I started out thinking it was a two year degree, but its more like a 5 year degree. I have asked tons of people and it seems it takes everyone about 5 -7 years for the whole process including the actual program. I have talked to a lot of people who have had to wait a couple of years once completing their pre reqs to get accepted into a program. I was lucky because I got in after my second application (about 6 months of wait time).

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Specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner.

Hi,

Yeah, the pre-reqs are a pain but there are a couple of things you can do to make it quicker. Ask your school about CLEP exams, they are like $65 and you get full credit if the school takes it. I would also push to get credit for any of your old classes that you might need although I don't see any school waiving A&P but you might be able to get into A&P without retaking basic biology.

I would consider working whille taking your pre-reqs and during the nursing program also. Imo as an adult it didn't make sense to me to stop bringing in money when I knew I could suck it up and do both, especially if your family is struggling right now. The majority of my class worked and were very successful. Good luck and just remember the 3 years will pass quickly whether or not you decide to work toward being a nurse so I'd say go for it. :)

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

Nope, you're not missing anything at all. The chemistry is necessary to understanding the fluid and electrolyte fundamentals in nursing as well as some of the physiology concepts. I was someone who went back for a BSN after getting my ADN. I had to retake anatomy and physiology because the university had a 10 year limit on the time span since it had been last taken. That's life. The Social Security Administration doesn't force anybody to retire. My mother was a nurse and worked until she was 68. 44 is still a spring chicken. 50 is still young. I was a manager; I'd hire a new grad who demonstrates maturity and life experience over immaturity in an job interview any day. Get working on the pre-reqs and get on the waiting list.

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Specializes in ED.

Yeah, it does take a while to get all the pre-reqs done. I also had a previous Bachelors degree but had to do almost 2 years of pre-reqs. Also, if you are trying to get into a community college, if they are like the ones here, you will need all your pre-reqs done to even be considered. They are very competitive and almost everyone had everything done (except RN classes). I had to take biology, A&P I and II, microbiology, psychology, sociology, communications before every applying. It was almost 4 years start to finish for me. I am in my mid 30's and went to school with 2 young kids. I went into it thinking I could do it in 2 yr also but soon found out otherwise. If you want it bad enough, 3 yr won't be a problem. We did not have to take college chem but did need a college level biology. you can petition to try to get them to accept your previous bio class. good luck! I just graduated and passed NCLEX so it can be done!!!! I thought it would never happen at times but i did it and so can you.

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