How do I make a transition from pre-law into pre-nursing?

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · Oct 24, 2008

Can I be the first to welcome you to our tribe? You're making a great choice - there are waaaaay too many lawyers anyway

I would advise you to first concentrate on getting that BSN before deciding on your path in grad school. You may very well find that there is another clinical area or type of job that really grabs your heart. Hey, I even have a few friends who are MSN/JDs - they have very meaningful and well paid jobs.

The type of Bachelor's degree you have doesn't make any difference - it depends on the courses you have completed and your GPA. Nursing pre-reqs are heavily focused on science & math. Many a hopeful BA grad has to practically start over with the switch to nursing. Of course, any previous educational successes will probably be taken into account when you apply to nursing school because one of the most important crieria for success is the "ability to learn".

Rather than jump off the deep end, you may want to enroll in your basic science courses at a community college - much cheaper, open admissions. However -- with some schools - their current students get preferential treatment with applications to their nursing school. Check with your targeted nursing schools for specifics, but I predict you'll need at least -- algebra, statistics (math, not social science), chemistry (basic & organic with lab), microbiology (with lab), Anatomy & physiology (with lab), nutrition, developmental psychology, sociology. Whew!! Yes, it's hard. But it should be - think of what's at stake.

Getting that BSN will be hard - it should be if you think of what's at stake. You'll find grad school much easier. Hang in there. You're in for a very interesting ride!!

MB37 · Oct 24, 2008

Does Berkeley not have a nursing program? The best option, if you want to be a nurse, is to ditch the poli sci and start working on nursing prerequisites. A nursing major at the BS level typically requires two full years of prereqs - but some of those are Eng 101-102, foreign language, basic college algebra, etc. that you would need for any major. If Berkeley doesn't have a program, your next best option would be to transfer to a university that does ASAP.

You can go to a CC instead and earn an ADN, but if you're already planning on grad school AND you're only 19, it makes more sense to go for the BSN from the get go if possible. Also, if you're dead set on finishing the poli sci degree for some reason, keep in mind that many schools now offer accelerated second bachelor's degrees in nursing. I'm an ex-pre-law student myself, and that's the route I took. It was actually quicker and less expensive for me to get my BSN than if would have been to earn an associates. If you wind up at a CC for whatever reason, you can look into RN-MSN programs for later on. They include coursework required for a bachelor's degree but admit you directly with your associates. Don't know if every state has them though.

Poli sci and art history will provide you with education, but certainly won't specifically help you in nursing. More education isn't ever a bad thing in my book, it's just possibly not the best way to spend your money if you already know you don't plan to use the degree. At the very least, look up entrance requirements for nursing schools you could consider. Many require sociology, psychology, general chemistry (or organic/biochem), biology, microbiology, anatomy, and physiology. Other courses vary by school. You could sign up for a few of these next semester if you stay at Berkeley and see how you do - you need at least a 3.5 GPA to get into most nursing schools.

Volunteering (or actually working) at a local hospital will definitely help give you an idea of what it's like, and is a great idea before you change your major in writing or consider transferring schools. You can also call a local hospital and ask if it would be possible to shadow a nurse for a shift. Remember that undergrad nursing programs are extremely competitive. It will look good on that application and won't make as much of a difference for grad school. When you go back for your master's they'll look more at what you've done as a nurse than volunteer activities at 19.

Good luck with everything!

Babs0512 · Oct 25, 2008

Sorry to be the whistle blower, but why are you leaving law for nursing?

If I knew then what I know now, I would have chosen any number of other professions except nursing.

The work is back breaking, sometimes heart breaking. Management would just as soon hang you out to dry, and the thanks are few.

God bless you if you make this transition, but I gotta be honest, I'd stick with law if I were you.

Best wishes and blessings

Limbic System · Oct 26, 2008

Sorry to be the whistle blower, but why are you leaving law for nursing?
If I knew then what I know now, I would have chosen any number of other professions except nursing.
The work is back breaking, sometimes heart breaking. Management would just as soon hang you out to dry, and the thanks are few.
God bless you if you make this transition, but I gotta be honest, I'd stick with law if I were you.
Best wishes and blessings

Law just isn't for me. The idea of sitting at a desk all day and doing paperwork for a case drives me crazy. I'm really active and if I sit down for too long, I'd get bored.

And like rbezemek said, there are too many lawyers in this world anyways. Actually, my professor told me the same thing when I told him that I was interested in either law or nursing. He told me to choose nursing. He himself was orginally pre-law (went to Yale for his undergrad and took the LSAT and everything) before he switched to teaching. And just like me, he realized that the only reason he was going into law was b/c his parents pressured him to. Similarly, I was only pre-law because my family wanted me to go into law. I think I'd be happier as a nurse.