Pre-Requisite Nursing Course with LAB?

jess.mont, ADN, RN · Mar 2, 2019

Welcome! It would help to know where you're located. :)

verene, MSN · Mar 2, 2019

For completing pre-reqs I highly recommend a local community college - many have online courses available or hybrid courses (lecture online, in-person lab), and they are generally one of the more affordable options. Make sure you know *which* particularly nursing programs you wish to apply to when taking your pre-reqs as the specific pre-reqs needed can vary significantly from program to program.

Now - why do you want to go for an MSN over an ADN, BSN, or ABSN degree? Direct-entry programs certainly exist, but vary in terms of what they actually set a student up for, and some (many?) may not offer significant advantage over a BSN program (accelerated or traditional as a post-bacc), and it would be best to find a program that will support your career goals. Also cost and geographic location can also be factors. Are you limited to your local area, or are you free to move? (how far?). Do you qualify for financial aid? Will you be relying on savings, family/spousal support, and/or loans to pay for your education? All of these are potential factors to consider. Will you need to continue working part-time or full-time during pre-reqs and/or school?

NursingStudent11 · Mar 2, 2019

16 minutes ago, jess.mont said:
Welcome! It would help to know where you're located. ?

Thank you so much for your reply, Jess.Mont. I really appreciate.
I wish I knew how to edit my post.
I'm in TN. ?

NursingStudent11 · Mar 2, 2019

17 minutes ago, verene said:
For completing pre-reqs I highly recommend a local community college - many have online courses available or hybrid courses (lecture online, in-person lab), and they are generally one of the more affordable options. Make sure you know *which* particularly nursing programs you wish to apply to when taking your pre-reqs as the specific pre-reqs needed can vary significantly from program to program.
Now - why do you want to go for an MSN over an ADN, BSN, or ABSN degree? Direct-entry programs certainly exist, but vary in terms of what they actually set a student up for, and some (many?) may not offer significant advantage over a BSN program (accelerated or traditional as a post-bacc), and it would be best to find a program that will support your career goals. Also cost and geographic location can also be factors. Are you limited to your local area, or are you free to move? (how far?). Do you qualify for financial aid? Will you be relying on savings, family/spousal support, and/or loans to pay for your education? All of these are potential factors to consider. Will you need to continue working part-time or full-time during pre-reqs and/or school?

Hi Verene,

Thank you so much for your reply. I really appreciate. ?

1) Do you know any community college that offers the pre-requisite course online? please.
2) I would like to do Nurse Practitioner or Acute Care.
3) Why MSN over ADN, BSN, ABSN? Its because I saw that some Universities offer MSN to someone with a non-nursing degree, and I would get my RN and MSN at the same time. Am I correct in thinking like that?
I apologise... I'm new to this area.
4) I can not afford a very expensive program, as my husband will not agree to it. I can do full time course. It will be nice if I can do a course here in TN or a online one. I think I'll qualify for financial aid, but I want to find an affordable course.

I'm new and need some help/Input, please. ?

angel0309, ADN, RN · Mar 2, 2019

So I looked into Direct Entry MSN programs before settling on getting my ADN then transitioning to BSN and eventually MSN. What I learned that “not expensive” and “Direct Entry MSN” do not go in the same sentence. Ever. If you want to go the direct entry route, you’re most likely looking at 80k+ for that degree.

verene, MSN · Mar 2, 2019

1 hour ago, ChrisT1 said:
1) Do you know any community college that offers the pre-requisite course online? please.
2) I would like to do Nurse Practitioner or Acute Care.
3) Why MSN over ADN, BSN, ABSN? Its because I saw that some Universities offer MSN to someone with a non-nursing degree, and I would get my RN and MSN at the same time. Am I correct in thinking like that?
I apologise... I'm new to this area.
4) I can not afford a very expensive program, as my husband will not agree to it. I can do full time course. It will be nice if I can do a course here in TN or a online one. I think I'll qualify for financial aid, but I want to find an affordable course.

I'm new and need some help/Input, please. ?

Chris:

1) There is no one specific "Pre-req course" of study. This is why it is important to know which program or programs you want to apply to, as each may have slightly different pre-req course requirements. I would suggest googling "community college" and your city name to find community colleges local to you.

2) It is possible to get an RN/MSN-NP at the same time as direct entry programs for non-nurses exist. There are not a lot of these programs and this option may or may not be the best fit for your circumstances. (Is there a program near you? Time? Money? etc.). By and large these programs are highly competitive and very expensive.

However, if NP is your goal there are many pathways to that end, including starting at a community college and getting an ADN; getting a BSN as a post-bacc student through a traditional BSN program (will typically take 2 years as post-bacc student), or via an ABSN program and then bridging from any of these programs to a MSN-NP program (with or with out work experience along the way).

I would suggest doing some serious research into schools in your area (or areas your would be willing to move to) and finding out which options of study works best for you - including geographic location, ability to work/not work, cost, length of time, flexibility (in case you have outside obligations like children or caring for older relative), and your own ability to learn in academic settings. (Joint RN/MSN and ABSN programs are extremely intense information wise - if you don't have super solid study skills, confidence in with science coursework, and the ability to learn very quickly - including from self-study - a slower pace may be better for you). Of note, most Acute-Care NP programs want at least a couple of years of work experience as an RN - so it may be to your benefit to work on getting your RN first (via whatever option makes sense), working for a few years and then applying.

3) I am not familiar with either community colleges or nursing programs in Tennessee. I believe Vanderbilt *does* have a direct-entry MSN-NP program, however I am sure there are other nursing programs in your state. I'd suggest googling "Tennessee Board of Nursing" and using their website to find nursing schools accredited in Tennessee. Once you have a list of schools in your area go to each school website and look at their admissions information - including cost, length of study, and admissions criteria - this last piece will help determine what classes you need to take from the community college to satisfy pre-req requirements.

Sara-no-H · Mar 2, 2019

I did my prereqs online at Clovis Community College in Clovis, NM (clovis.edu). You never have to go to New Mexico, and the labs are all done in your home (I dissected a fetal pig on my dining room table...) Some exams require a proctor, but your local community college or university probably offers proctor services. It's $111/credit, so about $350/class when you add in fees.

Like another poster said, different schools require different prereqs, but you can be pretty sure that you'll need A&P 1 and 2, microbiology, chemistry, and statistics. You should start with those until you figure out the exact classes you'll need for the schools you want to apply to.

araew2129, ADN · Mar 2, 2019

21 hours ago, verene said:
For completing pre-reqs I highly recommend a local community college - many have online courses available or hybrid courses (lecture online, in-person lab), and they are generally one of the more affordable options. Make sure you know *which* particularly nursing programs you wish to apply to when taking your pre-reqs as the specific pre-reqs needed can vary significantly from program to program.
Now - why do you want to go for an MSN over an ADN, BSN, or ABSN degree? Direct-entry programs certainly exist, but vary in terms of what they actually set a student up for, and some (many?) may not offer significant advantage over a BSN program (accelerated or traditional as a post-bacc), and it would be best to find a program that will support your career goals. Also cost and geographic location can also be factors. Are you limited to your local area, or are you free to move? (how far?). Do you qualify for financial aid? Will you be relying on savings, family/spousal support, and/or loans to pay for your education? All of these are potential factors to consider. Will you need to continue working part-time or full-time during pre-reqs and/or school?

Not to hijack this post but I think you ask some very good questions for those of us moving into nursing as a second career. I have contemplated many programs to enter nursing but I know my career goal (at least now and I understand this may change) is RN case management as I have been a social worker for 10 years and feel this is a good fit. What I can't seem to decipher is if I need the MSN for this career, or if a BSN would work just as well. Any advice in this case? I have completed all prereqs, have applied and been accepted to a ADN/MSN concurrent enrollment and have also applied to a traditional BSN program (which is a better education and less costly... unless I do ultimately need an MSN in which case it would be more costly to do the BSN and then MSN route). Thanks!

verene, MSN · Mar 3, 2019

19 hours ago, araew2129 said:
Not to hijack this post but I think you ask some very good questions for those of us moving into nursing as a second career. I have contemplated many programs to enter nursing but I know my career goal (at least now and I understand this may change) is RN case management as I have been a social worker for 10 years and feel this is a good fit. What I can't seem to decipher is if I need the MSN for this career, or if a BSN would work just as well. Any advice in this case? I have completed all prereqs, have applied and been accepted to a ADN/MSN concurrent enrollment and have also applied to a traditional BSN program (which is a better education and less costly... unless I do ultimately need an MSN in which case it would be more costly to do the BSN and then MSN route). Thanks!

It's not really my area, but most of the RN case managers I know have BSN + RN work experience. Pretty sure BSN + your years of social work experience would make you an attractive hire for many RN-case manager positions.

The case-management forum may have more information: https://allnurses.com/case-management-c57/

NursingStudent11 · Mar 3, 2019

On 3/1/2019 at 7:41 PM, angel0309 said:
So I looked into Direct Entry MSN programs before settling on getting my ADN then transitioning to BSN and eventually MSN. What I learned that “not expensive” and “Direct Entry MSN” do not go in the same sentence. Ever. If you want to go the direct entry route, you’re most likely looking at 80k+ for that degree.

Dear Angel0309,
Thank you so much for your reply. I really appreciate. :-)
Yes, I looked into the Direct Entry for MSN, and you're right, they are very expensive.
Now, I'm looking into an (maybe) Accelerated BSN (cheaper) that could be done in 15 months for example, then I can work and save some money for me to do my MSN in Acute Care (AGCNP).

Many thanks again.

NursingStudent11 · Mar 4, 2019

On 3/1/2019 at 9:02 PM, verene said:
Chris:
1) There is no one specific "Pre-req course" of study. This is why it is important to know which program or programs you want to apply to, as each may have slightly different pre-req course requirements. I would suggest googling "community college" and your city name to find community colleges local to you.
2) It is possible to get an RN/MSN-NP at the same time as direct entry programs for non-nurses exist. There are not a lot of these programs and this option may or may not be the best fit for your circumstances. (Is there a program near you? Time? Money? etc.). By and large these programs are highly competitive and very expensive.
However, if NP is your goal there are many pathways to that end, including starting at a community college and getting an ADN; getting a BSN as a post-bacc student through a traditional BSN program (will typically take 2 years as post-bacc student), or via an ABSN program and then bridging from any of these programs to a MSN-NP program (with or with out work experience along the way).
I would suggest doing some serious research into schools in your area (or areas your would be willing to move to) and finding out which options of study works best for you - including geographic location, ability to work/not work, cost, length of time, flexibility (in case you have outside obligations like children or caring for older relative), and your own ability to learn in academic settings. (Joint RN/MSN and ABSN programs are extremely intense information wise - if you don't have super solid study skills, confidence in with science coursework, and the ability to learn very quickly - including from self-study - a slower pace may be better for you). Of note, most Acute-Care NP programs want at least a couple of years of work experience as an RN - so it may be to your benefit to work on getting your RN first (via whatever option makes sense), working for a few years and then applying.
3) I am not familiar with either community colleges or nursing programs in Tennessee. I believe Vanderbilt *does* have a direct-entry MSN-NP program, however I am sure there are other nursing programs in your state. I'd suggest googling "Tennessee Board of Nursing" and using their website to find nursing schools accredited in Tennessee. Once you have a list of schools in your area go to each school website and look at their admissions information - including cost, length of study, and admissions criteria - this last piece will help determine what classes you need to take from the community college to satisfy pre-req requirements.

Thank you so much for your reply, Verene,
1) Yes, You're right. I'm still doing my research, and its not been easy, but I love it. ?
Normally, they ask for Anatomy/Physiology I II, Microbiology, PathoPhysiology, Statistics, Lifespan, Nutrition.
2) I never seen a RN/MSN-NP course. They may ask for a RN degree, or it may take long tie to finish. ?
I may do a ABSN where they accept people with a non-nursing degree, which is my case, or an ASN.
I do not have outside obligations, such as children, but I have a husband. ?
3) I went to Vanderbilt last Saturday for their open house, but they do not have any 'space' for MSN this year, and there are a long waiting list for all subjects, and they're very expensive also.
4) I still did not find a community college that offer the Pre Requisite course... but I'm looking. ?
5) Im researching a lot trying to find a course that will fit my needs.... a BSN perhaps. ?

Many thanks again. ?