Possible to take a few nursing classes from community college?

Nurses General Nursing

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Hi, my name is Mary. I have finished almost all of my core classes except for one, and will not have enough hours to be a full time student next semester. Though I have not been accepted into a nursing program, I was wondering if it would be possible for me to take a few nursing classes from a community college, and then hopefully attend a 4-year university the next semester. Do universities generally transfer upper-level hours over into their nursing programs, or is it usually required to take all nursing classes from the university? Thank you very much!

A lot of programs don't accept transfer nursing classes.

Specializes in Gerontology, nursing education.

You need to be accepted into a program before you can take nursing courses. You can take your prerequisites at a community college and transfer them into a university, but you cannot take nursing courses unless you are accepted and enrolled in that school's nursing program. Slots in nursing classes are very limited at every school and only those who are admitted to that school's program are allowed to take these courses.

You have to be accepted into a school's nursing program. Registration for the nursing classes is only open to students who have been accepted. If you are interested in going to nursing school you should research different nursing programs in your area and find what suits you best. Then, find out the steps to apply there such as entrance exams, pre-reqs, etc.

Many credits do not transfer. However, in my state (North Carolina) the community colleges are associated with my state's universtites (the University of North Carolina colleges). Your credits are guaranteed to transfer. For example, when I finish my ADN program at my community college, all my credits would transfer to a BSN program within the University of North Carolina systems that offer a BSN.

Specializes in Cardiology and ER Nursing.

As others have said you can't just show up at a school and start taking nursing courses. There are a slew of hoops to jump through, background checks to be completed, urine test, admission tests to take, ect ect. They don't just let anyone show up and start taking nursing courses and attend clinicals. When you start in a program be it ADN, BSN whatever you finish in that program. You just can't start taking courses here, then transfer and pick up where you left off over there. Each college/university structures their nursing program differently unfortunately.

Specializes in School Nurse.

I'm not sure if this pertains only to graduate programs, but some universities allow non-matriculated students to attend classes. Have you applied to the nursing program you plan to attend? Some will let you start out as non-matriculated until you are accepted. I would talk to a counselor at the school.

Specializes in Gerontology, nursing education.

It is only graduate programs that will permit this. Pre-licensure nursing programs do not.

Specializes in School Nurse.

Thanks Moogie - nursing school was 20 years ago so I remember very little about the admission process back then. And of course things change.

Nursing school is pretty much all or nothing. Some programmes allow LPN's to complete the second year and there exist RN to BSN bridge programmes; however, you will not generally be allowed to cherry pick core nursing classes. Either you are a nursing student in the programme or you are not.

Specializes in Cardiac Care.

Try looking into the co-reqs for the BSN program to fill your credit requirements while you wait for a nursing program, if you have not already done so.

On rare occasions, some nursing schools will allow non nursing school students to take select courses, such as pharmacology, (nursing) physiology, or (nursing) nutrition. But this is only for certain classes, usually on a space available basis, and the individual usually has to present a valid reason to be allowed to take the course. Strict nursing courses, such as medical surgical nursing, do not fall under this exception.

everyone else here has pretty much told you like it is. However, you could get all the pre-reqs out of the way, including those required for a BSN, which I hope you are planning on if you are going to a 4 yr school.

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