Is this doable or am I setting myself up for failure?

work&play · Oct 25, 2009

I would like to read what other people think about your question. I'm thinking of doing the same thing next semester.

ussmcfaul · Oct 25, 2009

Hi, I myself was a slacker in high school. But once I began college I became completely dedicated. I myself took A&P 1, A&P 2, and microbiology in 1 semester and got A's in all of them. I also studied my butt off in chemistry on my own to clep gen chem 1 so I could take gen chem 11. (I'm also a bio major) So in my opinion, yes it can be done if you do the work it takes. Good luck : ) I'm new to this forum and am trying to find how to post a question so if anyone reads this any help would be appreciated. I'm currently working at Macneal Hospital as a PCT in Berwyn, IL (a few miles from Chicago) and my question is what is the starting salary for new grads in the chicago area. Everywhere I look online, I'm getting ranges from 40,000 a year to 60,000 a year. That's a huge difference and I'd like to know what I'm getting myself into, ya know? Any help would be appreciated! And again, good luck, I'm sure if you are dedicated you can do it. I will say one more thing though. A piece of advice. Don't try to look at taking these classes as getting them out of the way bc when you get into especially med surg, A & P is what its all about. You need a very good foundation in A & P. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I'm continually surprised by the lack of A & P knowledge my fellow nursing students have. Knowing A & P so well has helped me TREMENDOUSLY in nursing. I cannot emphasize that enough. I will give you one example. One of the drugs that I recently had to look up for my patient was a calcium channel blocker (for heart problems) Yes, we have a nursing drug book, and yes it tells you the action of the drug, but all it says is that it blocks calcium channels. Now, if you don't know the A & P of muscle contraction "calcium channel blocker" would mean nothing to you. But I knew at first glance what exactly that drug did because I studied muscle contractions so thoroughly in A & P. Anyway just wanted to give 1 of a million examples of how A & P is so important to remember long after you take the class. My fellow classmates don't really "get it" and it really makes nursing school much tougher on them. Sorry this was so long. Hope it helped.

One1, BSN, RN · Oct 25, 2009

That is definitely a personal decision. See if your school allows you to take 2 science prerequisites at once, some do not (although I think that should be the student's call). Why don't you try taking those 2 classes simultaneously and then see how you feel? I took AP II over a summer semester, plus other classes, and at a school that required a lot of busy work. Our semester was 10 weeks and I thought that was about as intense as I could handle while still grasping the concepts. I found AP II more challenging than AP I. Even at a 10 week semester, our exams covered multiple systems per exam (respiratory, endocrine, etc) and it was a lot of information to take in in a short time. PERSONALLY, I don't think I would have been able to take it in a 6-week session and still get the grade I wanted.

work&play · Oct 25, 2009

wow! a med with Ca+ channel blocker? Thank god I enjoyed physiology and paid attention. This are the details you don't want to miss just to get the pre-reqs out of the way.

I think I'm going to retake (mine are too old) my pre-reqs one at a time. If I were a patient, I would sure appreciate if the nurse would catch the little details in the meds she is about to administer to me.

ussmcfaul · Oct 26, 2009

a little more about calcium channel blockers. here is a quote "ccbs (calcium channel blockers) also slow the rate at which the heart beats and are therefore used for treating certain types of abnormally rapid heart rhythms."

ok, i'm writing this to show how serious understanding physiology is. the heart contains muscle (the myocardium) which pumps blood to the rest of the body. just like any other muscle, the heart has to contract. every muscle in the human body needs calcium in order for it to contract. calcium enters the muscle cells and binds to certain proteins that allow for contraction to occur. if this does not occur, muscle contraction does not occur. so, what the calcium channel blocker does is it blocks some of the calcium getting in, which in turn causes heart rate to go down. (because the heart can't contract as hard and fast without that calcium) the harder the heart muscle works (without being conditioned to do so) the more damage the heart sustains. therefore calcium channel blockers protect the heart from overworking itself. another action ccb's do is..... same concept here..... our arteries and veins have smooth muscle in them. if they are restricted (contracted) your blood pressure goes up (bc the blood is pushing against them exerting pressure) calcium channel blockers will keep the smooth muscles in the vessels from contracting, therefore causing the vessels to be dilated, allowing blood to flow freely, thus reducing blood pressure.

for someone who hasnt taken a & p yet this can sound confusing, but i'm writing it again to emphasize the importance of anatomy and physiology knowledge.

work&play · Oct 26, 2009

I'm retaking physiology like I metioned before, the first time I took A & P was 18 years ago. The above is the reason why I don't mind retaking the preqs.

Even if a patients is dignosed with tachycardia, you gotta be careful administering this med.

sacstate2010 · Oct 27, 2009

ussmcfaul! what do you think about Microbiology. I took 18 years ago and remember NOTHING. Do you think I would struggle or I don't need to know that much of Micro?

Thank you

lara81 · Oct 28, 2009

i think it is do-able, but you may want to double check your school's application process. at my school we apply by feb 2010 for the fall 2010 program. that being said, they want all pre-reqs completed by the time you APPLY, not the start of clinicals. applicants with more than one class outstanding at the time of application won't generally be accepted. just check with the nursing program director for your school. that way you'll know for sure. there is no reason to cram all your classes if you don't have to. they are tough classes, but definitely do-able with the right focus.

ajnole25 · May 12, 2011

I took Bio, A&P I, and statistics while working forty hours a week with two young children. Made A's in all three but had to find ways to study and no sleep. I think the instructors can make or break you if they do not present the content in an understandable language. I would definately suggest finding other information sources to help with understanding the basic content and inquire into the instructors from previous students if that is possible. Just remember that the better foundation you build now, the easier it is to build upon those concepts later.