Prerequisites and the actual nursing program

smalltownhero · Dec 7, 2013

to answer the bolded question: all of it.

bunnysanford · Dec 7, 2013

Things do come up -- you'll never remember all of your anatomy info, but it'll be easier to recall it from the back of your brain as you begin to apply it to nursing process. It sticks more easily when you're combining it with other concepts. Save your anatomy book if you can (though the internet is fine, too), so that you can look up forgotten terminology as it arises.

douxmusique · Dec 7, 2013

You will want to know cardiac, respiratory, renal and diffusion reeeeeally well. That will help you a lot. At least at first. I cant really tell you much abkut anything other than the beginning.

StudentOfHealing · Dec 7, 2013

It is not necessary to memorize every last bit of information.

As you progress in nursing school, you will begin to draw back on your stored information. Perhaps your knowledge about epiphiseal plates may not be as extensive as it was during anatomy & physiology However I can bet you that you will say "I've heard of that before!". So then a quick dirty Google search will give you a brief description - that combined with the information being presented involving epiphiseal will get you what you need to know.

In nursing school, for the larger part of your time you will be spending it learning disease after disease. Don't worry about knowing every minute detail of disease you learned about in prerequisite coursework. You will learn them again! If you have a basic gist, you're good to build more ontop of your foundation.

I would say the following things are essential though:

*You MUST know cardiac. KNOW your bloodflow.

*Understand sympathetic vs. parasympathetic - this will be useful in pharmacology

*Know Gastrointestinal. Know the anatomy. Know what each section does. A good brief understanding. You dont have to get cell-specific. Although if you are a nerd like me, you can! lol

*Know your urinary system. Know the basic function like flirtation/urination. Know how the kidneys contribute to RBC and you'll get why patients kidney failure are anemic.

*Know KNOW KNOW your fluid and electrolytes.

*Know where every organ is generally located. (liver is RUQ) (appendix is RLQ etc.)

*Know your cranial nerves, they'll show up

*Know about insulin/glucagon

Overall. You don't HAVE to know the "super details" coming in - for lack of a better word.

lovenotwar14 · Dec 7, 2013

It is not necessary to memorize every last bit of information.
As you progress in nursing school, you will begin to draw back on your stored information. Perhaps your knowledge about epiphiseal plates may not be as extensive as it was during anatomy & physiology However I can bet you that you will say "I've heard of that before!". So then a quick dirty Google search will give you a brief description - that combined with the information being presented involving epiphiseal will get you what you need to know.
In nursing school, for the larger part of your time you will be spending it learning disease after disease. Don't worry about knowing every minute detail of disease you learned about in prerequisite coursework. You will learn them again! If you have a basic gist, you're good to build more ontop of your foundation.
I would say the following things are essential though:
*You MUST know cardiac. KNOW your bloodflow.
*Understand sympathetic vs. parasympathetic - this will be useful in pharmacology
*Know Gastrointestinal. Know the anatomy. Know what each section does. A good brief understanding. You dont have to get cell-specific. Although if you are a nerd like me, you can! lol
*Know your urinary system. Know the basic function like flirtation/urination. Know how the kidneys contribute to RBC and you'll get why patients kidney failure are anemic.
*Know KNOW KNOW your fluid and electrolytes.
*Know where every organ is generally located. (liver is RUQ) (appendix is RLQ etc.)
*Know your cranial nerves, they'll show up
*Know about insulin/glucagon
Overall. You don't HAVE to know the "super details" coming in - for lack of a better word.

Very helpful

tsm007 · Dec 7, 2013

You do use all of it, but I wouldn't go back and restudy it. When you hit the nursing classes every topic you will be reviewing the anatomy as you study the diseases. It will be easier for you to remember it because you have learned it before. Eventually as you learn things for the second, third and fourth time it starts to move over to that long term memory and things that you need to know start to stick. At least that's been my experience. Where you first have to look things up every time you see it you eventually through repetition start to remember it. (As they say if you don't use it you lose it. You use it in nursing school and nursing.)

nurseprnRN, BSN, RN · Dec 8, 2013

The answer to your question is to be found in the knowledge that nursing school isn't like any other academic course of study you ever took.

Your friends taking an English Lit major can take that course in Shakespeare, write the paper, take the final, and then sell the books and forget all about Troilus and Cressida if they want to.

You, however, will be expected to retain and be able to apply everything you learned in past semesters, including the hard science prerequisites as well as the earlier nursing coursework, in the ensuing ones.

So you will keep all your books and never hesitate an instant to go back and refresh yourself on the background of whatever today's lesson/expectation is.

krisiepoo · Dec 8, 2013

I think you probably THINK you've forgotten them but when they're put in context with a real person, it kind of all comes flooding back

Keep your A&P books, I referenced them later

I didn't think I had remembered as much as I had until I was teaching a patient about her disease and the disease process and all of a sudden I thought, Holy crap I actually understand what I'm saying!

LoriRNCM, ADN, ASN, RN · Dec 10, 2013

I think you probably THINK you've forgotten them but when they're put in context with a real person, it kind of all comes flooding back
Keep your A&P books, I referenced them later
I didn't think I had remembered as much as I had until I was teaching a patient about her disease and the disease process and all of a sudden I thought, Holy crap I actually understand what I'm saying!

What she said.

SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP · Dec 10, 2013

I think you probably THINK you've forgotten them but when they're put in context with a real person, it kind of all comes flooding back
Keep your A&P books, I referenced them later
I didn't think I had remembered as much as I had until I was teaching a patient about her disease and the disease process and all of a sudden I thought, Holy crap I actually understand what I'm saying!

This!!! Yes :)