rileowski

I relate to you so much! I always wanted to go to med school but recently got accepted into nursing school, and I think I may have to decline that acceptance and work on getting my prereqs for med school done instead. I wanted to be a doctor because not only do I love helping people, but that I love science. But I can tell I will be disappointed by the lack of detail nursing school will go into for a science nerd like me. I want to know all about human anatomy and physiology. I want to know the intricate details of how drugs work and human pathology. I am taking pathophysiology now at a community college by a nursing instructor. She is really sweet and nice, but when it comes down to the details of certain topics she can only say "I don't know. I'm a nurse, not a doctor." It kills me when she says that because I really wanted to be a kick ass nurse, but I know in my heart the only way I can learn all the stuff I want is to go into medicine. I am glad I almost went into nursing though because I learned so much about the nursing profession and how difficult it can be. Nurses are badasses and I will be relying on them all the time when I'm a new intern to make sure I don't screw up, but nursing is just not my path. Thanks for sharing your journey though. I'm sorry you had to learn the hard way, but at least your mistakes helped another person from making those same mistakes.

Also since you're starting soon I figured I should share something I recently found. There is a quizlet page that was created by an NIU nursing student that has a ton of amazing information on it, including from classes I think you'll be taking this semester like alterations in biological systems and fundamentals and critical thinking and health assessment. I'm already starting to look it over just so I'm overly prepared haha hope this helps you kick butt first semester! skye_torres | Quizlet

Thank you this was real helpful and gives me greater confidence of getting accepted. Northern is the only school I applied to as well so I hope the applicant pool is about the same as it was last year. And congrats on getting in! NIU is one of the best programs around from all the people I've talked to. But man, $1000 for just books. Brutal! Good luck this semester I'm sure you'll do great. But look out for me messaging you in May or June about how the first semester went so I can prepare and get a little head start lol.

Okay so this will be a fairly long post so get ready! I have been thinking about this internally for a while now. So currently, I just applied to nursing school and in all likelihood will probably get accepted because of my grades. However, I'm really starting to doubt if nursing school is right for me. I am absolutely FALLING IN LOVE WITH SCIENCE. I love everything about A&P and want to learn as much as I can about it. I spent a lot of my own time studying even when I don't have to. I just like learning! My prereqs are fun but I want to get even more in-depth with the material. This is why I am struggling with nursing. I originally wanted to be a nurse because I'm caring and like helping people. I've always liked going to the hospital and seeing health professionals caring for patients, and even though I haven't starting nursing school yet I know how hard nurses work and have enormous respect for what they do. It's a lot more work than what people think. I'm just worried about not being satisfied with nursing school because of how much I love science and how much more I want to learn about it. Additionally, getting a BSN is going to be extremely time consuming and extremely difficult. Should I really go through that if my heart isn't fully in it? My original plan was to get a BSN, then go back to school and either become a NP, PA, or get my masters in biology and start teaching A&P and Biology at a community college. I wanted to do that so I could get real clinical experience before I started teaching. However, I'm really thinking this path is not the right path for me. There are things about nursing that appeals to me like critically thinking, learning about diseases, flexibility, opportunities, etc. I just don't know if going to nursing school is worth it since I want to eventually get a master's in biology and likely a PhD. I don't know if nursing school is worth it since I want to become an educator and possible researcher. I was looking into getting a bachelors in biomedical science instead of a BSN and all the courses make me so excited (anatomy, physiology, cell physiology, immunology, genetics, neuroscience, embryology, histology, biopsychology, nutrition). Just thinking about taking these courses now makes me excited. It would take me an extra year of CC to get all the prereq courses completed to get accepted into the program but all those classes seem so interesting to me. In both of my A&P classes, I couldn't stop thinking about me being in the professor's position and what I would do differently to teach the material. Being an A&P professor (or biology in general) seems like the perfect job to me. I don't think there is anything I would like better. Plus I think other careers like in research would be interesting as well. I think I already know what is right for me but I would love to hear your opinions about it, since you're all either in nursing school or working as an RN. Are you burnt out working as an RN? Are you satisfied? Are a lot of your coworkers satisfied? Would you do it all over again? Do you think nursing school is worth it for someone like me? Any comments or thoughts would help. Thanks for getting through all of this!

I can't seem to find a straight answer on this. My book says one thing and my professor will say another. My understanding is hyperkalemia causes the electrical activity in the heart to increase, therefore causing tachycardia. But if the hyperkalemia is severe enough, it can cause bradycardia and possible cardiac arrest. Is this correct or am I missing something? Thanks!

I am starting nursing school next fall (hopefully) and I am curious about the major diseases and conditions nursing students see the most of. I know that in nursing school I'll spend most of my time learning about all the different types of diseases and I'm excited! I love pathophysiology. But I would like to at least get a bit of a head-start and get down the major pathologies that, generally, nurses and nursing students should know extremely well and see all the time. Any input on this subject would help a lot. Thanks!

Well I don't know how my my advice would help you since I am only starting nursing school next fall. However, my education and career path is a little nonconventional. I do not plan on being a nurse forever. Once I start working as a nurse I will go back to school and get my masters in biology and try and get a job teaching A&P at a community college. So possibly teaching nursing or biology classes at a CC would be more enjoyable for you? It will also be a bit easier for you to get a job teaching since you have actual real life experience working in the healthcare field. Other possible options could be a high school teacher, writer, police officer, firefighter, or whatever your other passions are. I love A&P and I want to be the best A&P professor I can be, so I'm diving straight into healthcare so I know what it will be like for my future students and so I can bring my experiences working in the hospital to the classroom. We all have things we're passionate about. If you haven't found that yet keep looking! It's out there.

I just applied to NIU and I'm worried about getting in! I have a 3.9 accumulative GPA and a 4.0 in prereqs (including stats and A&P and chem) and received a 110/120 on the reading accuplacer, but I still have 2 prereqs left to complete and I will finish them in the spring. I know not having all prereqs done will hurt me. But is this typically enough for a transfer student to get accepted? I heard last year NIU received over 1,000 applicants! That worries me a little. Also has anyone else applied to NIU or is there anyone currently in the program?

I have a couple more prereqs to take in the spring semester and I start nursing school in the fall. Since I have a lighter workload next semester I was thinking of taking first aid. Will this class help me a lot in nursing school? Or is it just a waste of time? Thanks!

Northern Illinois University

The school I applied to in Illinois only requires an accuplacer reading exam--no TEAS. It was easy and only tasted you on basic reading comprehension. But most of my friends had to take the TEAS. The school I applied to seems to be one of the only exceptions here in Illinois. If I were you I would just do practice tests for the TEAS or look at the requirements for all the nursing schools in your area. You might be able to find one or two that doesn't require an entrance exam (or at least the TEAS).

I am currently in prereqs and just applied to nursing school so I won't pretend like I know how to prepare for it lol. However, I do have a very similar mindset as you and I am currently preparing for nursing school on my own time--mostly by watching youtube videos. Here are some channels I found that are REALLY and you might like them too (: professorfink - YouTube ---- this is by far the best channel I've found. He has an entire playlist of anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology! His pharmacology playlist helped me understand all of the major classes of drugs and the most popular drug names. His physiology playlist really helped me understand how the body works; and what I like about his teaching style is he ties in the physiology with clinically relevant information. For example, when he goes over cardiovascular physiology he talks about a lot of the major diseases like congestive heart failure and he describes the difference between right-sided heart failure and left-sided heart failure and how it can lead to pulmonary edema. He then talks about the major types of drugs a patient with CHF would take like diuretics, statins, beta blockers, and digitalis. This is just one of the hundreds of examples of how he ties in physiology with patho and pharm. His anatomy playlist is useful too. RegisteredNurseRN - YouTube ---- I'm sure you heard of this channel by now. She is amazing and has a video on just about everything! But she also has a website with a bunch of NCLEX style practice quizzes that are extremely useful. Dr. Najeeb Lectures - YouTube ----- He is a doctor who is a little hard to understand but pretty helpful describing some important topics! ------ these are webinars specifically made for nurses and they cover a pretty wide range of topics Dr. John Campbell - YouTube ----- this is probably my second favorite channel, right behind Professor Fink. He is a nurse lecturer and he has a very calm and direct way of talking that makes him very nice to listen to. Hope this helps you a little bit (:

Microbiology is only one of two prereqs I have left to take next semester. I get the idea of the course "the study of small life" but out of all the material you go over, how much of it was clinically relevant? How much of it, do you think, will help you (or has helped you) in nursing school? Just trying to get excited for the course haha thanks !

Microbiology is only one of two prereqs I have left to take next semester. I get the idea of the course "the study of small life" but out of all the material you go over, how much of it was clinically relevant? How much of it, do you think, will help you (or has helped you) in nursing school? Just curious -- thanks!

I am almost finished with my prereqs and I plan to start nursing school in the fall of 2018. So I have gotten A's in both of my A&P classes but I want to make sure I don't forget any of the important stuff I've learned because I know how important A&P is. However, I do realize some of the material is more relevant to nursing than others. So what are the most important body systems to know before nursing school? What anatomy and physiology is going to help me the most entering nursing school? And if you could go back to before you started nursing school (knowing what you know now) and study/review your A&P, what specifically would you go over again? Thanks!

I have gotten A's in both of my A&P classes and plan to start nursing school in fall 2018. But I want to make sure I don't forget any of the important stuff I've learned because I know how important A&P is. However, I do realize some of the material is more relevant to nursing than others. So what are the most important body systems to know before nursing school? What anatomy and physiology is going to help me the most entering nursing school? In other words, if you could go back to before you started nursing school (knowing what you know now) and study/review your A&P, what specifically would you go over again? Thanks!

I should have rephrased what I said. I should have said "I disagree with. . ." I type these responses on my phone and I type quite fast. I didn't mean to offend anyone. But I did not want dreamer05 to get discouraged or to think she has to apply right away to other programs she's not excited about. Some people have a college and program of first choice but they still have one or two other colleges they'd be happy to go to as well. On the other hand, there are some people--because of several factors--that only have one really great option. Now, if you get rejected from the same school twice, then you'll have to suck it up and choose somewhere else to attend. But since dreamer05 stated that the only reason she wasn't accepted was because she had a prerequisite in progress, it is plausible to think she will be accepted the second time she applies. Although there may be some people who do not want to take a semester or two off, I think most people would be willing to do that if it means they get into the program of their choice. And if she is not accepted the second time around then she still has other options since she stated she will be applying to more than one school for the fall term.

What I was saying is if you really want to get into one program it's not the end of the world if you don't get in the first time around. As dreamer05 stated she (or he) has a plan and she plans on applying to more than one program the second time she applies to the program she really wants to get into just in case she gets rejected the second time. My cousin has 15 years of experience working as a nurse and I talked to her about this. If you don't get into the program you want the first time is it really that bad to take a semester or two off school and work as a CNA, volunteer at hospitals, go over and review your anatomy and physiology, etc.?

Well I'm sorry you didn't get in. Don't listen to the other people on here. I know exactly how you feel. There is one college I have my mind set on for numerous reasons like you. There is a lot of factors that goes into college choice like cost, location, requirements etc. Just finish your prereqs and try and do as well as possible and then reapply. I'm sure you'll get in the second time. Good luck (:

What school did you apply to if you don't mind me asking and what was your accumulative GPA and prereq GPA?

I completely disagree with the people that said A&P class is harder than nutrition. Now, the actual material in A&P is more difficult and heavy than a typical nutrition course, but that does not mean your A&P class will be harder than nutrition. My nutrition class was MUCH harder than A&P and required A LOT more work because of the teacher I had. My nutrition teacher was ridiculous and it seemed like she set up the class to make it as hard as possible to get an A. A lot of time consuming and useless projects and pop quizzes. On the other hand, the anatomy and physiology professor I had would give out a lot of extra credit and prepared you very well for the exams. It just depends on your specific teacher really. But just like most other classes, you should walk away from nutrition with a decent grade as long as you put in the effort.

I drove to NIU to take the exam but I did not observe any nursing classes. Just be aware that there is hardly any parking near NIU so you'll likely have to park a few blocks away and walk to the testing building, which is pretty small. I'm currently not working so I can focus solely on my grades, since GPA is the only thing NIU looks at besides the accuplacer score. I also just finished recovering from wrist surgery. However, next semester I plan on volunteering at the hospital and possibly getting a job to save for nursing school--it'll depend on how hard my classes are next semester. I am a bit nervous about getting in as well. I have a 4.0 in prereqs and a 3.9 accumulative but I still have microbiology and human biology left for next semester and since it's competitive and so many people apply there might be a lot of people who have gotten all A's in prereqs AND have all their prereqs already completed. I hope that's not the case. I talked to one of the nursing advisors and she said it's more competitive for transfers since they accept less transfers but she also said transfers do get accepted into the program while still working on a few of their prereqs--but to remain a competitive applicant she said you'll need to have mostly A's. So for me, nursing is the perfect fit. I originally thought of going to med school but there were a thousand reasons I could think of as to why med school wasn't for me (time, money, lifestyle, etc.). When I try to think of reasons why nursing school isn't for me, I can't really think of any! I love helping people. I love making people feel better and it will be great helping them in one of their most vulnerable times. I've been in and out of hospitals a lot (because of my family) and I've seen what nurses do up close and it seems like a job I would love to do and be good at. I love science as well. I love learning about the anatomy and physiology of the body. In nursing school you learn a ton about diseases and it will be interesting to actually have patients who have a disease or condition that you've been studying about in class, and to be able to understand the pathophysiology of what's going on inside their body and piecing together your knowledge to help them. Additionally, I want to become an anatomy and physiology professor eventually but I want to have real clinical experience first so I can incorporate my clinical experience into my lectures. But even when I'm a professor I think I'll still want to work as an ICU or ER nurse once a week because it's such an amazing job to have. What about you? Why have you decided to apply to nursing school? What makes you want to become a nurse?

I only took two practice exams online before taking the exam: Best Free ACCUPLACER Reading Practice Test! https://accuplacer.collegeboard.org/sites/default/files/next-generation-sample-questions-reading.pdf I took the exam about a couple weeks ago. There were a few other people there taking it for nursing too and we were led into a small room. The test is exactly like the practice quizzes except the questions are different, obviously. Just take your time on each question. It's not timed so be sure to read everything carefully and you should get a great score. I'm not planning on applying to any other program. NIU is the perfect fit for me for many reasons like the location, price, requirements, etc. The only reason I can think of as to why i won't get in this time is because I still have two prereqs left to complete. I'll have them finished by spring 2018 so if I don't get in I'll just apply again next fall. Plus I can just work and save up money for a year if I don't get in, though I'm fairly confident I should get in the first time! And yeah driving that far, especially during traffic, after clinicals will be painful. But I'm pretty sure NIU's program is typically 3-4 days a week so it should not be too bad... at least not as bad as all the debt you will have if you stay in a dorm

I just applied to NIU as well! I received a 110 on the accuplacer and will have 7/9 prereqs completed by the time they review my application, all with A's. Hopefully that's enough to get in. I was looking at other programs as well but NIU is my number one choice. UIC, for example, requires orgo chem and I do not know if I can survive that class haha Also I plan on commuting. I currently go to school at MVCC in Palos, but my dad lives in Yorkville. If I get accepted I will move in with him and the drive to NIU from Yorkville isn't bad--only about 45 minutes. But commuting from Skokie might be tough! I would say, if you get accepted, to try driving the first semester. If it's too much then you can always stay at NIU but I would definitely try driving first. Dorms are expensive! Hopefully I'll see you around NIU my future classmate and if you want to talk or ask about anything else feel free to ask away (:

I have applied to my top nursing school and have 7/9 prerequisites completed, all with A's. I also have a 3.9 accumulative GPA. My program requires you to have at least 5 out of the 9 prereqs completed. However, nursing programs are competitive and I'm worried about not getting accepted because of not having all prereqs completed. Have any of you been accepted while still working on prereqs?