What Kind of Pre-Reqs Should I Take?

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi guys...here's my situation. I've recently taken the DCCC NET exam, and while I'm waiting for my results, I'm worried that I didn't do so hot on the Reading Comp, so I'm getting myself prepared for the possibility of having to look elsewhere.

Now with every other nursing school it seems that I need some form of Pre-reqs. I have a high school diploma, and have been out of school for 10 years now. If I don't get in DCCC 2008 I'll probably travel to europe for DH's work, spend a year there. While I'm there I want to start brushing up on some stuff so that when I come back, I won't be so lost in class. I want to find out about the subjects that I will definitely be taking now so I could bring some books with me and study on my own while in europe.

So I know I need to take intro to chemistry, intro to biology, do I need more? What level of maths do I need? I don't know which school I would be applying to for nursing, so I would just be taking courses at DCCC in the mean time. I am not good at maths and sciences, so I'm definitely a lil worried. :uhoh21:

Thank you for your help

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Is this DCCC a community college or a university? All schools tend to have different requirements, but there is a pretty big difference between those two degree paths. You should definitely contact the school, and get a list of the curriculum and pre-requisites. I would imagine that a list would be easy to obtain, since a lot of people need to know what to take, every school I am applying to has had the list on their website, and easy to find! Good luck to you!

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Specializes in Plastic Surgery, ER.

Contact the school or look at their website. Many sites list the admission requirements.

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I was hoping for some pre-reqs that all schools would have in common. I have no idea which schools I'll be applying to next year, it all depends on several factors that I really can't control at the moment.

Also...can someone give me a rough idea of the maths that nursing schools need? I don't remmeber much past the algebra. I will be contacting some schools this coming week and getting more detailed info, but just wondering if anyone could share their insight.

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Specializes in Plastic Surgery, ER.

I'll tell ya what I needed as I have unofficial transcripts right next to me (I'm about to mail my MSN application off!)...these classes are from a combo of my diploma and BSN progams

Re: algebra, when I did my diploma, I only needed Algebra I but they have since up'ed that to Algebra II or a college level math (at VA community colleges it is level 100 or higher)

College composition I & II

Microbiology

Biology

High school level chemistry (I think this may have changed to college level)

A & P

Psychology (intro and developmental/across the lifespan)

Sociology (intro)

medical/nursing ethics

Also had to take some "humanities" and and art class for the BSN--I did US History I & II and Art appreciation

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Specializes in Behavioral Medicine.

It's hard to tell you what to take. Not all schools have the same requirements and not everything you take at some schools will transfer to others. I still have the list of pre-req's for the nursing program at the university I attend. Here they are

English Composition 1 & 2

Fundamentals of Speech

College Algebra

General Biology

Chemistry w/ lab

Microbiology

Humanities

Intro. Philosophy

Government

History from or to 1877

4 credit hours of foreign language

General Psych

Health Life Skills

Intro to nutrition

But this list is useless really unless you are going to attend my school because like I said not everything transfers, some of that stuff you may not have to take if you took it in high school (i.e foreign language), and not every school has the same gen. ed requirements. But I suppose it will give you a basic idea.

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.

As others have said, there are NO universal prerequisites but the most common are:

  • Human Anatomy (not the comparative anatomy that the bio majors take)
  • Human Physiology (Again, not animal phys like the bio types take)
  • Microbiology (not medical micro nor the upper division course for the bio types -- just entry-level Intro to Micro)
  • Survey of Chemistry (Generally a 2-semester series for non-science majors...it covers elements of general chemistry, organic chemistry, and biochemistry -- for the science majors, each of those is a 2-semester sequence of its own)

Regarding math, it's generally just college algebra. You should be able to test out of it if you took (and passed) a full college-prep math series in high school.

The other math class that many programs require is an Intro to Statistics.

Other common prerequisites include Human Development (Lifespan), Nutrition, Speech or Communications, and English.

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