Pre-Nursing and Pre-Requisite

BellsRNBSN · Jul 20, 2010

I believe "pre-nursing" is when you're taking nursing school pre-requisites...like chemistry, anatomy, physiology, microbiology, psychology, etc.

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

asker101 · Jul 20, 2010

that's what I also think it to be.

thanks for the answer. :)

mik510 · Jul 20, 2010

taking pre requisites means that you are a pre nursing student.

Saysfaa · Jul 20, 2010

It depends on the context. Here prenursing means you are not accepted into a nursing program yet, it doesn't matter what your declared major is or if you are undeclared. As a colleg major, it means the student is officially declaring his intention of getting a nursing degree but is not accepted into the nursing program yet.

Usually prenursing students are taking prereqs and the terms can be used interchangably in conversation. Technically, they are not the same thing because rarely does a student need to officially declare themselves "prenursing" to take any of the pre reqs. Although some college might give preference to declared majors as far as signing up for classes (let them sign up sooner or reserve a certain number of seats for them).

Once you are accepted into a nursing program, you would be a "nursing student" rather than a "prenursing student", even if you are still doing prereqs.

happy2learn · Jul 21, 2010

A prereq is a class that you have to take before you can get into another class. Taking a prereq does not mean you are a pre-nursing student or anything. Anyone can take pre-reqs.

For example, A&P 1 is a prereq for A&P2; English Comp 1 is a prereq for English comp 2.

Pre-nursing is like a limbo stage where you are degree declaring student, but you are not technically in the nursing program yet. At my school, we are not considered nursing students until we start clinical.