How much biology do nurses use?

[sami_nillson]

Hi, I'm in my first year of college and I absolutely love my biology course. I planned on starting my bachelors of science in nursing next year but I'm worried that it won't be right for me. I'm wondering if I should still start the program if I'm thinking about turning to something more lab related maybe? if anyone has an opinion I'd love the advice.

[TopazLover, BSN, RN]

I am glad you love your class. A positive experience in school helps so much. If this is one of your first classes:

Decide not to decide now. Enjoy the class and take a nursing class before you even begin to think about specialties in nursing. Of course there are research jobs. Pharmaceuticals always are looking for nurses and others with strong bio.

Nursing is filled with understand of biology. Anatomy and Physiology require that you have basic understanding. Micro is impossible to understand without understanding a great deal about cells. Once you are out of school and working as a nurse you will find all of your science flows into your critical thinking to make good decisions based on your basic knowledge. you will use all your basic science everyday.

If you will would rather be in a lab situation you will need more specialized work. You need to look closely at why you chose nursing. Is it worth the many thousands of dollars it will cost to get a BSN? Talk with as many people as possible. Ask to shadow a nurse and see if they use what they learned in school. Nursing is a great career for many. Choose to be happy with your choices.

Best wishes.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

Agree with PP.

Perhaps you should investigate Medical Laboratory Technology as an option since it focuses on "applied" biology. There are different areas of specialization and options for 'advanced' practice as well.

Professional nursing practice is based upon a thorough understanding of human physiology. But nursing is (IMO) the 'liberal arts' of health care professions, since we also incorporate theory and interventions from sociology, psychology, nutrition, etc. If this is not the direction in which you want to go, it won't be very satisfying for you.