Most useful nursing pre-req course?

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Hi- I was wondering if anyone could tell me (from experience) what pre-requisite courses were the most useful to them in actual nursing practice. Thanks!! :wink2:

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Specializes in SICU.

A & P, understand the pathology of the body is soooooo important. Nursing diagnosis, care planning all comes from understand the normal and abnormal pathology and how the thing we do as nurses changes it.

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Specializes in Neonatal ICU (Cardiothoracic).

A/P, Pathophysiology and Microbiology were very useful to me.

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Specializes in Trauma, Neuro, M&S ICU.

I agree with the above!!! A&P, and even more so the P. I am in the ED and this has helped even as a tech. Comprehension of this will last forever. So much changes in healthcare. Physiology doesn't. We only understand it more!

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Specializes in Cardiac Care.
I agree with the above!!! A&P, and even more so the P. I am in the ED and this has helped even as a tech. Comprehension of this will last forever. So much changes in healthcare. Physiology doesn't. We only understand it more!

Ditto this!

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Specializes in Telemetry & PCU.

It really depends on the school your going to. I am in a private school taking an accelerated 18 month course that spells it all out; these are the prereqs and this is what you will take. If your asking what is the most helpful before you get there, than all of the previous suggestions are good ones.

The thing I struggle with the most now that I am in NS is medical terminology. In my reading I am always stopping to look up a term. In my case, I had a little previous medical experience 100 years ago and successfully tested out of medical terminology prereq; now I wished I had taken it anyway. If you get the terms down it makes everything so much easier, especially testing. Good luck!

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The reason I'm asking about this, is that I will be taking A&PII (all other pre-reqs are done) this fall and I'm thinking of taking one or two more classes- possibly to "freshen up." I am getting credit for a few classes I took eons ago (statistics, chem, algebra, etc)...but I thought I might repeat any of these or others that are most useful for nurses. I'm waiting (on the wait list) to get into a nursing program.

Thanks for all your responses! :wink2:

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A year of freshman chemistry is good; I think usually just one semester of chem for nurses is required. I've got all the prereqs out of the way, so I have time to take organic chem my first year as a NS. I'd rather take pathology, but it's not offered at my CC. Biochem is, so well see about next year.... A biostatistics class would be good if you can get it, have had a couple of stat courses already, and plan on a Masters someday. Some masters programs require medical ethics as a prereq.... You could also get Saunders prep guide for the NCLEX-RN and just start reading.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

I would say either Anatomy or Physiology. Anatomy provides you with the structure of the human body but Physiology provides you with the functions. You can't really have one without the other so I would say that both Anatomy and Physiology are the most important/useful pre-req courses.

!Chris :specs:

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Specializes in Vascular Surgery.

Humanities: The Psychology of Women

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Humanities: The Psychology of Women

Ha! That's too funny. Thanks- :wink2:

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