Need advice on prerequisites class

WOLFE, BSN, RN · Jul 18, 2007

Personally I think you would be alright. There was a ten year gap between leaving college the first time around and then deciding to go into nursing for me and I did alright with taking the A&p I and II and micro. Don't recall any "chemistry" on the Nclex. You may want to touch base with the periodical table for abbreviations.

..........Hope this helps.................

Annebug · Jul 18, 2007

I would buy "chemistry for dummies" if such a thing exists, or borrow a basic textbook and just familiarize yourself with the basics. It will probably help you in A&P, definitely in micro--I didn't have any straight-up chemistry questions on the NCLEX, but of course you have to understand so much, like big picture stuff. They will not ask anything as straight-forward as a basic chemistry question : )

Good luck!

Jedi of Zen · Jul 18, 2007

I wouldn't worry about it. Unless you're taking A&P and Micro at a very advanced, ivy-league school, I don't think the chemistry involved is anything that can't be tackled without having had any chemistry background. I myself have never had a single chemistry class and I passed both A&P's and Micro all with A's. I did have a little advantage taking those classes only because I'd already had A&P a couple of years prior to that at a non-accredited massage therapy school. But aside from that I myself was many years out of college. (And in fact my first college years were terrible academically.)

Also I took each class one at a time, while I was working, over the course of about a year and a half. I think taking the long, slow route also made it easier overall for me personally.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Jul 18, 2007

I would buy "chemistry for dummies" if such a thing exists, or borrow a basic textbook and just familiarize yourself with the basics. It will probably help you in A&P, definitely in micro--I didn't have any straight-up chemistry questions on the NCLEX, but of course you have to understand so much, like big picture stuff. They will not ask anything as straight-forward as a basic chemistry question : )
Good luck!

I had the book...Chemistry for Dummies and the Complete Idiot's Guide to Chemistry. I didn't need it as an LPN student, but was going to take the class for the heck of it.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Jul 18, 2007

I don't think that Chemistry is needed for NCLEX RN, but could be wrong (I am an LPN). I had friends from RN programs tell me that they never applied learning from chemistry into their nursing courses; but had to face that class as a pre-requisite. There are some schools in my area (NY) that do not require that class; which makes sense to me. I never saw the use of that class. I tried to take it for the heck of it, but dropped it in two weeks because it was too much for my head. I am not a chemistry person, so, it was difficult for me even with a tutor.

If you do need the class, and feel challenged by it, please arrange for tutoring early in the game. Most nursing schools are very competitive and require an exceptionally high GPA.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Jul 18, 2007

Oh, and from what I remember, the chemistry in Anatomy and Micro was not intense...they usually discuss that early in the game and was light in comparison to the actual chemistry classes. Good luck!

caliotter3 · Jul 18, 2007

There is nothing in the classes you still have to take that you can't master without repeating chemistry. You will find a little of it in physiology and micro, but you can grasp the concepts by putting forth some effort and asking questions at the time they come up. Also, the idea to get a basic chem review book is a good one. Don't even worry about any of this for the NCLEX. The NCLEX is about nursing, not the prerequisite courses for nursing.

If you think it might be helpful, ask if you can sit in on the basic chem (nursing) course as an auditor. You can listen to the lectures and get as involved as you care to without the hassle of worrying about a grade. A teacher might let you do this while not being registered as an auditor. If you are an auditor, it counts toward your tuition costs.

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Jul 18, 2007

i doubt very much that you are going to feel lost regarding any chemistry knowledge when you take anatomy and physiology or microbiology. any chemistry related information you will need to know in these classes is going to be presented to you as part of the curriculum. anyway, chemistry isn't a pre-requisite for anatomy and physiology or microbiology, is it? biology is, if at all. in anatomy you're going to be memorizing the names of the parts of cells, bones and muscles. the only time chemistry really became important was understanding diffusion, osmosis and ions because the electrolytes of the body are ions. in physiology you get a little bit about the buffering systems of the body. if you've had college chemistry this is cake walk stuff.

here is a website that you can access for free that is an excellent review of all the basic principles of chemistry. bookmark it, but i doubt you'll need it to refer to that much.

http://regentsprep.org/regents/chem/onlineresources/index.cfm

i would also recommend that you check out the nursing student forums (click the tab at the top that says "students"). on the general nursing student discussion forum, nursing student assistance forum and the pre-nursing student forum are sticky threads that are dedicated to anatomy and physiology as well as microbiology. there are website links in these threads to online help for students taking these pre-requisite classes. if you check out some of the links you will find they take you to college websites for these classes. it will give you an idea of what is taught in these classes. may i be struck by a bolt of lightening if you are ever told to solve a redox equation in anatomy and physiology or microbiology.