How Long are Prereqs for RN?

roser13, ASN, RN · Mar 7, 2017

Every school will have its own list of pre-requisites; some have more than others. The amount of pre-reqs required for you also depends on your educational status: do you need a basic English class before you take Composition 101? Do you need a basic mathematics class before Algebra or Chemistry?

And of course, "how long" depends on how many classes you take per semester.

cleback · Mar 7, 2017

I'm guessing you are in high school?

Yes, the prerequisites vary based on a number of things. First, different nursing schools require different classes. For example, some require statistics, others do not. Generally speaking, though, your prerequisites refer to a group of common science and social science courses, such as microbiology, chemistry, anatomy and physiology, psychology, etc.

How long it takes you to get through these depends on how the college has set up the progression and how many classes you can manage.

Your first step is to look at requirements for nursing schools in your area. Look for common courses between the different schools.Then talk to your guidance counselor if you want to try to take a few of these while in highschool.

Be aware, though, that different colleges have different policies regarding course transferin if you end up at a different college than where you took your prereqs at. Basically, nothing is guaranteed but it's possible to get some classes out of the way. Good luck.

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · Mar 7, 2017

Some nursing programs require about two years (a.k.a. 60 semester hours) worth of prerequisite coursework and others require far less. Meanwhile, other programs do not require any prerequisites.

The programs that do not require prerequisites usually incorporate corequisite coursework in which the classes that would have been taken as prerequisites are taken alongside the nursing courses during the program.

FutureNurseInfo · Mar 7, 2017

Like others said, it depends on the school, and number of pre-reqs you have to take. Also, it depends on how fast you wish to complete them. For example, in all you have to take 10 pre-reqs. If you take 2 course per semester (fall and spring considered) it will take you 5 semesters, or 2.5 hears. If you take 4 courses per semester it will take you 1.5 years. However, you should think about if you want to do them quickly and most likely to get the grade you would not want, or take it slowly but making sure each and every course you take you end up with an A.

cocoa_puff · Mar 9, 2017

Prerequisites are the classes you have to take prior to starting nursing school, and they can vary depending on the school, but usually include: English, Art, Psychology, Human Development, History, Algebra, Statistics, Chemistry and Biology (usually lower level, for allied health/nursing majors rather than the one for STEM majors), Anatomy and Physiology 1 & 2, Microbiology, Nutrition, Sociology, and Electives if needed. Most people seem to be able to finish prereqs in 1-2 years, depending on what they have already taken. Some of my classmates had nursing as a second degree, so they already had taken some of the courses.

Prereqs are different from the classes you will take in nursing school. They are not specific to nursing, although the material you learn will be applicable to nursing in different ways. In nursing school, you will probably take a Fundamentals/Intro to Nursing Course (learning the basics of nursing, critical thinking, answering NCLEX type questions, learning some basic nursing skills - bed baths, foleys, trach care, sterile technique, administering medications), then you will maybe take Pharmacology (learning about medications), Pathophysiology (learning about diseases from a functional perspective), Medical-Surgical nursing (which focuses greatly on the nursing interventions for those diseases), Mental Health nursing (learning about mental illness and nursing interventions), OB (Mother-Baby and labor & delivery), Pediatrics, Community Health Nursing, and for each of these classes you will probably have clinical where you go to a hospital, nursing home, or other facility and actually take care of patients and make care plans for ~16 hours/week depending on the course.

If you can get most of your prereqs done in high school, you can absolutely become a nurse at a younger age. I graduated from an associates program and some of my classmates were in their early 20s. One guy became an RN at 20! I think you would have to be 18 at the youngest to start nursing school due to regulations involving clinical, but you could definitely get your associates at 20 and your BSN at 22 :) Hope this helps!

cocoa_puff · Mar 9, 2017

Drizzle203, I didn't realize you had posted before about becoming an RN at 19. From my own perspective, being a nurse is a huge responsibility and takes a lot of maturity (specifically emotional maturity). Also, personalities/interests can change drastically in the late teens - early 20s years. It's not something I would recommend rushing into without shadowing nurses in various specialties, learning about the pros/cons, and making sure it is absolutely what you want to do.