Pre-Requisits for pre-requsits???

Published

Specializes in Geriatrics.

I have reached the limits of my endurence! I have been applying to colleges all around my area to continue my education and obtain my RN degree. I have been accepted at 2 colleges who then informed me the courses I need to take are full, but, I can take fun classes until next year when an opening occurs. The killer was when I was told that in order to get into an A & P class (a pre-requisit for the RN class) I had to take a pre-requisit Chemistry class. I am not so young anymore, I hope to retire in 10 years. I really don't want to spend the next 4 years taking classes (that are a waste of time) so that I can finally enter the RN course.

I think I'll go into cullinary classes, or, maybe just take an astronomy class and spend my time looking at the stars. I understand that there is a shortage of teaching Nurses out there, but do the colleges really have to make it this much more difficult just to qualify for a simple A & P course???

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER; HBOT- lots others.

i had to do that too, if it helps. i had to take a 'pre-tech' chem class to be able to take the rest. i dont know how much of it is that we are short teachers- i know we are, but its the fact you have to have certain stuff to get into what you really need.

and i am going to capitilize the next part- YOU DONT NEED TO BE A SPRING CHICKEN TO GRAD TO BE A NURSE. AGE DOESNT MATTER IF YOU WANT IT! I get that you dont want to work forever, but if you want it, thats a different story. on the other hand, maybe its not worth it if you are not going to even use the degree.

but i do totally agree that you dont need to take all kindsa "fun" classes to get to where you want to be. have you looked into online stuff for gen eds? i personally cant do that, but heck- lotsa can.

GL on whatever you decide. but i will tell ya, its totally worth it.

-H-RN

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I didnt have to take the biology or prebiology course. I just registered for the A&P. Is it a community college or university?? Every school works differently and I guess I just got lucky on that one!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Oh yeah!! When I graduate in may 09 a 55 year old woman will be graduating along side of me. That just proves a point that you are never too old!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I remember something about our community college having a chemistry requirement before taking A&P, but only if it had been 7 years since you had chemistry. Somehow I didn't have to take the chemistry, even though it had been much longer than 7 years since I had it in HS -- it might have been because I had another degree. Talk to a counselor at the college and make sure you are getting accurate information. I know of quite a few people who were given misinformation. If you do have to take chemistry, you might be able to get instructor approval to take both the A&P and the chemistry in the same semester. Make sure they know that you already have practical experience to draw upon.

Try not to think of the amount of time involved. That same amount of time is going to pass whether you take the courses or not. If you want the RN degree, it's worth it. However, if you are set on retiring in 10 years, then you may decide it's not worth it. Hard decision.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I have reached the limits of my endurence! I have been applying to colleges all around my area to continue my education and obtain my RN degree. I have been accepted at 2 colleges who then informed me the courses I need to take are full, but, I can take fun classes until next year when an opening occurs. The killer was when I was told that in order to get into an A & P class (a pre-requisit for the RN class) I had to take a pre-requisit Chemistry class. I am not so young anymore, I hope to retire in 10 years. I really don't want to spend the next 4 years taking classes (that are a waste of time) so that I can finally enter the RN course.

I think I'll go into cullinary classes, or, maybe just take an astronomy class and spend my time looking at the stars. I understand that there is a shortage of teaching Nurses out there, but do the colleges really have to make it this much more difficult just to qualify for a simple A & P course???

I don't know if this helps you any, but this isn't unusual, and it isn't new. Nursing prerequisites are more than commonplace, and having a requirement of chemistry before other sciences (like A&P) is really VERY common, and has been for years.

It's not that they are making it hard on you because they feel like it; the fact is there are LOTS of applicants for few available seats in a nursing program. In areas where competition for seats is highest, the ones who get to TAKE those seats have taken all the other courses they need. My own school was pretty blunt: we're not going to waste a seat on someone who might not pass chemistry or algebra, A&P, etc.

If you get into the clinical part of the nursing program it's because they are reasonably sure you've got a chance of graduating. And even with THAT, the failure rate for the nursing components can be high, depending on the school. Someone without ALL of those "other" courses might just be too much of a risk.

The fact is, there's never just a "simple A&P course". The average Associates Degree in nursing takes 3 years to get, not two. If it takes you four years to become a nurse, it is likely because you don't have the college coursework done that you need, and it will just take you that long to complete the requirements. That's just how it is, regardless of your age. Being older does not mean it gets easier to get in or out, of course. The requirements are for the 60 year old the same as the 20 year old.

I would suggest that if you plan to retire in a mere ten years, that RN is probably not a reasonable choice for you. Perhaps you should investigate an LPN program in your area; you can complete them in the time period you prefer and therefore can work for longer before you retire altogether.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I would check out community colleges around the state. I needed to take microbio for a prereq, and they college wanted 1 year of bio and 1 year of chem as prereq for it.

Like you, I didn't want to waste another year doing prereq, so I found a community college 4 hrs away that allowed me to take Micro with 1 year of bio (my A&P (I and II) qualified). The college was happy, I was happy, and saved me a year of prereqs.

If you decide to do that route, then make sure the credits will transfer to the institution you will be attending.

If $$ is not a factor, or you don't care about instate rates. Consider going out of state (online). The community colleges I went to allowed a local proctor (libraries offer this service) to test me, so I never had to visit the college :-D

(BTW, I had A&P at Northern Virginia Community College and Micro at Thomas Nelson Community College (Norfolk, VA))

You have options........you just have to get creative :D

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Oh how I feel for you. I was going around in a vicious circle with the pre-reqs to the pre-reqs!!

Needed pre-req courses:

A&P I (pre-req for that was Chem)

A&P II (pre-req for that was A&P I)

Chem (pre-req for that was Intermediate algebra)

Then the pre-reqs for the pre-reqs:

I needed Chem in order to take A&P I

I needed chem and A&P I to take A&P II

I needed Bio to take A&P

I needed Intermediate Algebra to take Chem

I needed to take Basic Algebra to take Intermediate (luckily for me I tested out of basic algebra)

I have quite a few under my belt that are still ok in terms of time frame but a lot of them I have to retake because its been long before the 5-7 yr time frame for sciences!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU.

I know in my situation I needed to apply for the program in the fall/spring for the following fall. In order to apply I needed to have chem because, like you I needed chem to take A&P. So I needed to have Chem in my first semester so that I could apply. In order to take chem I needed to score high enough on the math portion of the admissions test. This meant I had to spend weeks brushing up on all that old algebra and stuff that I hadn't thought about in 20 years.

It was all a great big pain in the butt but now, I was accepted into the nursing program on my first try and I start the program in 2 weeks with every non nursing core class needed for my degree completed. (all of my eng, pysch, sociology etc)

Sometimes getting all of those prereqs out of the way is beneficial as I now only have one or two classes a semester to take.

It is all a big pain in the butt, but taking chem DID help in some aspects of A&P I and II. If I hadn't just taken the chem class I would have been lost.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in NICU.

If you are a good self studier, you should look for online classes and also check to see if the schools you are applying to accept CLEP exams. I did the CLEP exams for Bio and Chem. Heck if you have 4 months to study (16 week semester) you could knock those out and be ready for the next semester. You can get plenty of study books from the library.

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/about.html

Good Luck!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

"My own school was pretty blunt: we're not going to waste a seat on someone who might not pass chemistry or algebra, A&P, etc"

I graduated in 1998 from Excelsior College and did not have to take chemistry or algebra. I do not feel it has made me "less" of a nurse nor has it impeded my ability as a RN in any way. Face it, how many times have you used chemistry or algebra as a nurse? What is more important than algebra is the ability to do accurate drug and drip caculations as well as recognizing that an calculation error when it has been made.

The mass of prerequisites and prerequisite's of prerequisites have been gotten to the point that it must be compared to JACHO for bureaucratic mess it has created. Why not go back to a hospital based RN program that turns out competent, caring nurses that are ready to function upon graduation? The "just because I had to do it attitude" is helping sink us as nurses. The fact that so many American want to be nurses yet are hindered by the hoops is making us having to import nurses from other countries when we have thousands who want to go to school here. Help our sisters who want to become RN's and let's really reform the nursing school nightmare!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pediatrics.

It took me three years working on pre-reqs and their pre-reqs before I got accetpted into a program. For A&P I needed to be at math 65, and a year of biology, and cor-req chemistry. I placed low on my mathplacment test and I spent a year taking math classes until I finished statistics. Taking the pre-pre-reqs might seem time comsuming and a waste of time, but the help build an understanding of what is happing with A&P. If you think about it the human body and the biology and chemistry of the body it dosnt hurt you as a student to have an understanding of these concepts before diving into A&P. Because of the amount of pr-reqs I have taken I had enough credits to earn two asscoiate degrees, one in general ed, and one a science transfer degree, and now that I am in a nursing program I do not have to take any support courses so I am abe to focus solely on the nursing classes.

Granted I hated every part of chemistry, but I understand why it was required. What area of the country are you in, the community college that I took my pre-reqs at has created a hybrid class that combines chem and biology for nursing majors. The hybrid class wouldn't carry over to a 4 year college though.

However, because you want to retire in 10 years mabey becoming an RN isnt for you. It will take me close to 6 years to earn my 2 year RN degree. Like others have said mabey try for a LPN.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion