In Nursing School, how much science?

Skrawberri · Oct 31, 2007

I am a senior in a BSN program and I'm almost finished with my last semester of nursing classes before I do my preceptorship in the spring. You do run into a bit of science... Clinical Physiology (some schools call it Pathophysiology) was pretty hard. It was like one semester of A&P 1 and 2 combined. But then again I had a superhard teacher, I barely survived! Other than that, like the Med/Surg, Peds, and OB and Psych classes were all pretty to the point about assessment and a bit about disease processes, signs/symptoms, etc. I thought pre-nursing was definitely harder than nursing school! But it all depends on which college you go to. Goodluck with nursing!! It's great!!

donsterRN, ASN, BSN · Nov 1, 2007

So far, what I've run into in nursing school has been a review of A&P regarding the various body systems whenever appropriate. I'd imagine we'll have some other reviews, like microbiology, perhaps. And we've done a real broad review of Chemistry in Pharm.

WannaBCRNA · Nov 1, 2007

Glad to hear it's not too crazy! I really don't care for science, and not that it would deter me from the program anyway, but I dearly love the nursing field! I think our Pathophys class here is fairly "easy", physiology was hard, but I'm past that. I hate, hate, hate, microbiology (too much chem that I can't remember!) Thanks though.

al7139, ASN, RN · Nov 1, 2007

Hate to burst your bubble, but for me, I really needed that science background. You need it when you are a nurse to understand why a pt is sick, what happens to the body as a result of the illness, and why certain meds help that particular disease. If I had not had that background and just gone straight to nursing school, I would have failed out the first semester.

Now that I am a "real" nurse, I have found new appreciation for the endless hours I struggled through A&P, microbiology, and chemistry.

As a nurse it is your responsibility to know why. How does the pts diagnosis affect the way a healthy human body works? What changes should I be looking for? Why did the MD prescribe this med over that one? Why this IV fluid instead of that? Why is the pt on IV fluids? I could never answer these questions if I had not had that science background.

True, in nursing school they usually do not go into the A&P, micro, or chem. This is because it is assumed that you already have a strong foundation in the general sciences, and do not need a refresher to understand what happens at the cellular level in a normal human body. They will teach you what happens in the disease process, but to understand that you MUST know how a healthy human body works first.

Good luck!

Amy

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Nov 1, 2007

You are going to run into some basic science questions as part of understanding the underlying pathophysiology of some of the major diseases. Usually, just reviewing the material is all you'll need to do. Most of the science involved will be chemistry and involve fluid and electrolytes--at least that is how it worked out for me.

When I went back for my BSN I had to retake some of the sciences because they had been taken too long ago. Don't know if you'll have the same problem. I didn't check to see if you were an RN already. The kind of questions the nursing instructors like to ask on exams in nursing school are modeled after the same kinds of questions on the NCLEX licensing exam. These kinds of questions assume that you already know the basic science underlying the various concepts of nursing and medicine and you need to take that into account when answering these kinds of questions. It is assumed you know the science.

I think you need to change your thinking about science. As a CRNA you are going to get a lot of science about the physiology behind breathing and circulation of gasses in the body. A lot of this is chemistry and you will be presented with it in CRNA school until you are sick of it.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Nov 1, 2007

There's a lot of science. You learn pathophysiology with the like A&P, but what happens when disease sets in. Pharmacology is sure science knowing how drugs chemically influence body systems, etc.. Assessment is primarily a review of A&P, how the body looks and functions, but also knowing what abnormal looks, sounds and feels like.

Nursing is a science.

Good luck!

WannaBCRNA · Nov 1, 2007

Thanks for all the replies-

I start my RN program in Jan. And, I got A's in all my pre-req. science courses (well except physiology, and due to an unfair teacher I should have a B in microbio!) I was just wondering how much I'll run into (science) in the program, to determine if I need to do a big review of old material, it's been a few semesters since Chemistry and Anatomy.

Yes, I realize CRNA school will be TONS of science, and while it's not my first love, I can deal.

Would anyone be able to tell me what to review from my general chems? I think I know what to review in the A&P classes--was going to do some of this over Christmas break.

Thanks

Tweety, BSN, RN · Nov 1, 2007

I wouldn't necessary do any review, it will all come back to you. There will be a basic review prior to each system studied. For example when you study cardiology, you're going to review the A&P of the heart, and then go into things heart disease and treatments, etc. Don't worry too much about doing a big review, especially don't review chemistry as it's all basic stuff.

Enjoy what time you have between now and then.

WannaBCRNA · Nov 1, 2007

Great, thanks Tweety!

Tweety, BSN, RN · Nov 2, 2007

If anything, look at some journals like Nursing2007 or NursingMadeIncrediblyEasy magazine. Otherwise, as I said relax and enjoy the time until life ends as you know it. LOL

Good luck!

WannaBCRNA · Nov 2, 2007

Until "life ends as I know it", geez, what's nursing school going to be like? LOL.

Thanks for the tips.