List of pre-reqs listed somewhere?

BouBou · Apr 29, 2007

The first step to finishing pre-reqs is to pick the Nursing school or schools that you want to attend. Then, the pre-reqs andadmission requirements are most likely listed on the schools website. I would aslo suggest posting in the NY thread, some pre-nursing and nursing students in your area could be helpful.

justme1972 · Apr 29, 2007

I am looking into starting to take the pre-reqs (probably 2008 since I think I missed the boat for 2007). Are the pre-reqs the same for most nursing programs? I am probably going to go the BSN route eventually and will be looking into just about every program I can.
My school history is bleak. I attended college 1999-2001 but it was an arts college and I did not get a degree.
I know it doesn't matter where I take my pre-reqs, that much I have gathered. But I would love to know a solid list of courses I should be aiming for. Anyone able to help with this?

Actually, it may matter where you take your pre-reqs. My school will not accept any Anatomy and Physiology or Chemistry courses that are taught online...it has to have a live lab. Some schools take them, I have found several that wil not.

What you need to do, is figure out where you want to get your pre-licensure, and you BSN, if it's something you want to do. That way, you can take only the courses that are relevant. Advisors are more than willing to "pre-advise" to tell you that if you take something at "East Coast University" that it will transfer to "West Coast University".

Some schools have certain courses that they are extremely picky about, and it's better to find them out sooner, than figure out, after you have taken and paid for a class, that it doesn't transfer.

Also, some 4-year colleges will limit the amount of transfer hours that they will accept from a community college.

You also haven't "missed the boat" for 2007. I have applied to a college as little as a week before classes start, and was able to start the first day of school.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Apr 29, 2007

each nursing school has its own specific science pre-requisites. however, what you could be doing now is getting yourself buffed up to do the human anatomy and physiology, algebra and chemistry at whatever level that is going to be required. if you don't have a good background in any of these subjects start taking lower division classes in them now. i'm specifically thinking about the math and chemistry--two that usually scare most people. begin with the easier classes and start working your way up. a good foundation in them now while you are motivated and working toward a goal is going to make the experience a whole lot different for you than it was back in 1999. once you know what bsn school you are aiming to get admitted into, then you'll know exactly what the pre-requisites will be.

many nursing schools also require psychology and a human growth and development class (which is also a psychology course). for a bachelor's program a class in statistics is usually required as well. if your aim is a bachelor's degree, you will also have a lot of other college required subjects that you will need to take in addition to the nursing classes. for my bsn we were required to have a bunch of fine arts classes and a foreign language requirement as well. this is all information that will be in the specific university catalog. you want to have all those requirements fulfilled before you take your nursing classes. the nursing classes are very intense and will require more study than other subjects, so you'll want to do them last.

the only "generic" nursing school requirements that anyone can tell you are:

human anatomy and physiology
organic chemistry
algebra
microbiology
introduction to psychology

how each school handles this differs widely.

http://www.discovernursing.com/

Asherah, BSN, RN · Apr 30, 2007

Again, I would suggest a plan of action that includes trying to get a general determination of the list of schools you plan on applying to, and gather all pre-reqs required for these programs. Some schools may require one or two specific pre-reqs that the others don't. In my case, I need to take one general religious studies course and an Ethics course to cover pre-reqs for an Accelerated BSN at a Catholic school here in Southern California, and I've also completed an Epidemiology course to apply for a direct-entry MSN program at UCLA.

Yes, its frustrating to complete specific courses only needed for one or two schools, but if you applying to multiple programs it will surely give you more options, as well as more general knowledge if they are health related topics.

Good luck!