Pathophys or not?

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Specializes in ER (PCT 2years).

The main ADN program I'm looking at has pathophysiology as an elective, and I've noticed that only BSN programs have pathophysiology. I'm going to take it anyway, as I think it's really interesting and important. Do you think pathophysiology is necessary for an RN? Why do ADN programs not require it, if it is? Do the various "care of [blank type of patient]" cover what you need to know? Especially since I'm really interested in ER and ICU, I think that pathophys would be even more important for such fields.

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.

Pathophysiology provides the basis necessary to understand the myriad ways that things go wrong with the human body. In other words, the process of disease.

I can't fathom a nursing education program that doesn't require it!

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I'm in a BSN program, but I can only guess that ADN's all teach pathophys...it's just a case of whether it's mixed in with other information and the course is called Pathophys. So, Med-surg would include the pathophys for all the conditions they cover, etc.

I agree though, if you get the oportunity to take it...take it :-)

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Specializes in Neuro.

I am in a BSN program where we have the option of leaving after our ADN. I cannot guess why they wouldn't require patho in an ADN program. I would take it. Usually ADN programs cover everything except for leadership courses. I believe that understanding patho is very necessary to caring for a patient. How can you understand the reasons for medication and treatment without understanding the disease process?

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Specializes in General adult inpatient psychiatry.

I think the knowledge of pathophysiology is crucial to being a nurse and helps put it all together when working with medication, doing critical thinking, and the like. I was in a BSN program that taught a pathophysiology class during first semester, with fundamentals of nursing. Because my program only taught med/surg in one class, I think that patho class helped me with getting the concepts when I took med/surg and made it easier to make the connections. I think programs that don't have a separate class for pathophysiology instead incorporate it into their program. I know of some programs that don't have a separate class for pharmacology but rather incorporate those concepts into their program's curriculum.

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Specializes in med/surg, telemetry, IV therapy, mgmt.

If a particular school doesn't have a course in pathophysiology then the pathophysiology is incorporated in its nursing classes. My BSN program did not require a pathophysiology course. The pathophysiology was part of the nursing class curriculum.

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I'm taking Patho right now online @ Santa Barbara city college, $60 and $75 for the book. It's interesting and am enjoying it. I just passed cpt-1 and am doing pvt duty cna on the weekends while looking for first paid Phlebotomy job. Its been a great summer...G-d willing AD nursing program (prior BA in Psychology) in January. Take patho, its a lot easier online.

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Specializes in Trauma ICU, Peds ICU.

True that pathophysiology is included in "care of -------" type classes, but a dedicated patho course will go more in depth and likely better prepare you to think critically about your patients.

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I am in an ADN program and pathophysiology is by and large what my nursing school is centered around. I would assume the same for all other RN programs. I do not think one could pass the N-CLEX without it.

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Specializes in NICU Level III.

I have NO CLUE why a program would not have patho. Take it!

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