Question about pre-reqs

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Hi I am so glad that I stumbled across this website! It has been so helpful! I am a stay home mom of 4 and I have decided that since we are done it is time for me to go to school now. I have already applied to the college and I will be starting in August. I have to go and take the placement test probably in April and then I will talk with a Nursing Advisor. My question is for the pre-reqs that you have to take to get INTO the nursing program, are they the same at all colleges? I have been reading under the PRE-NURSING STUDENT FORMUM all the different pre-reqs and I am confused. I am sure I will find out more when I go and talk with the advisor in a few months, but I am curious now. The only pre-reqs that it states that I must take are Algebra, Biology, Chemistry and all the developmental courses that are prescribed by the scores of my placement/compass test. So I am assuming all colleges are different?

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Specializes in Critical Care, Clinical Documentation Specialist.

Welcome my4helpers!

I happened to be looking the other day at community colleges around my area because it looked like my upcoming plans might change. The CCs had only about 9 pre-reqs: AP 1&2, Nutrition, Human growth & Dev, Micro, English, psych, math calc and pathophysiology. However, it looks like our plans are back on track and I am going the BSN route (again, sheesh!) I have 16 pre-reqs including Organic & BioChem, Soc, statistics, etc.

Different schools (and types of programs) have different pre-reqs. Your best bet is to research what the pre-reqs are for the school you are interested in and, as you know, talk to an advisor. I took my list of BSN pre-reqs to my local CC advisor and she made some slight changes for me so that I had them all correct.

Good Luck - you picked a great place to hang out. I think I'll be here until I'm retired. Great people and great advice. :D

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Yep they're all different. There are some basics like college math, english and a&p and the rest varies depending on the school. Your adviser will give you a checklist

so that you can keep track of things.

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Thank you. That helps! I am going for my ADN and I have noticed that some of the pre-reqs that people are talking about I cannot take until I am in the actual nursing program like Basic microbiology.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Clinical Documentation Specialist.

Your lucky you got accepted before having any done. I couldn't even apply to the ADN program until I got the pre-reqs done (about 5) and the rest have to be done to graduate. Even then its a 2 year waiting list. For my BSN (were moving and I'm working towards getting into the U in the new place) I have to have all my pre-reqs done and then its a point system. I will be applying in April of 2010 when I am finishing my last 2 pre-reqs for their fall 2011 program (sigh). But I have a goal and got it all planned out. Better than sitting around watching the years go by not doing anything. :)

BTW, I'm a SAHM who homeschools her 2 kids, there are a lot of non-traditional students on this board.

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Yes, I do agree that it's better than sitting around watching the years go by and not doing anything. That's the same exact thing I told myself! My oldest will be 10 in April so I have been home for 10 years. I homeschooled him for a couple years as well! So now I have two kids in school full time and I always figured I would work at least part-time when they all reached school age. After thinking about it more I figured I could just go to school since I have always wanted to be a nurse. The baby will not start school until 2013 so I tell myself look at how many classes I could have out of the way instead of waiting to go back when she starts school. And I may even be graduated by then which would be so nice! :D

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I have noticed that some of the pre-reqs that people are talking about I cannot take until I am in the actual nursing program like Basic microbiology.

Unless something/someone tells your this, I wouldn't assume it. Most of the time the only classes you cannot take until you are in the program are the NUR classes. Everything else can be done either before or during the program. And taking everything (or most of everything) ahead of time is highly beneficial to not only getting in, but having more time for studying your NUR classes while in the program. But since you already got in to the nursing program I would recommend taking as much as possibly now and over the summer. Good luck, and welcome to allnurses!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Clinical Documentation Specialist.

I know what you mean. I kept thinking my youngest will be 18 in 7 years, what the heck am I going to do then?! Last fall we enrolled my daughter (14) in an online prep-school here in town. She just took her accuplacer at the local CC and is going to be able start on her pre-reqs this fall, and her school pays for them since she is still in HS - sweet!! So when we move, she may be able to start University full time the same time I do (have to do the 1 year residency thing to get instate tuition). My son who will be 13 when I start FT will keep doing his school at home. Gotta like when they are self-teaching, self-motivated....now that's another story, lol.

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FutureNOVARN

Sorry if I sounded confusing, but I have not been excepted into the nursing program yet. I am just being accepted into the college itself and then once I have completed Algebra, Biology, Chemistry and all the developmental courses that are prescribed by the scores of my placement/compass test I then can put my application in for the nursing program. They accept 80 students every fall so I really hope that I will be able to apply in the fall of 2011. I also didn't realize that I could take some of these extra classes before going into the nursing program. I am sure I will find out more once I talk with the advisor, but I need to take the placement test before I make an appt. The college sent me a paper on the program requirements everything in the nursing program is broken down into 4 semesters and this is where I am seeing some of the pre reqs that others are talking about.

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Just a word of advice, don't rush to take a placement test before studying for it. Because you might end up having to take math or English classes that aren't necessary. That is why they want you to take the placement test before you talk to them. You can always take the placement tests again, but you will have to go through a waiting period. And sometimes your pre-reqs witll have pre-reqs. I hope I am not confusing you.

You can definitely take all of the pre-reqs as well as supporting courses before you start the nursing program. It is a great piece of advice that somebody gave me when I started this journey. I share it with everyone, because I think it is invaluable. :)

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Specializes in Critical Care, Clinical Documentation Specialist.

Ah ok... that makes more sense. I totally agree with FutureNOVARN, study for your placement test, we use accuplacer in our CC. You can also take pre-reqs online (that's what I do, very handy) and from other colleges that offer them cheaper (Rio Salado for one). Just make sure they are accepted by your school.

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I have been so worried about this placement test! I have been out of school for 13 years and have never stepped foot into college. The only thing I did do after graduation was attend a vocational school and became a medical assistant, but then I ended up getting married and stayed home so I have never worked as being a MA. So my question is what types of things could I study for this placement test. I am horrible at math so I did purchase some math books, but what else? I have to take this placement test no later than April because they start scheduling classes in May.

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