science prerequisites

ganpatiji · Dec 29, 2007

I am completing my prerequisites for my nursing school which I start next year. I had a classmate with similar situation as yours in my A&P II class and she had also done science classes 10-11 yrs back but she is doing again all of them now . You can complete prereqs along with your job doing evening or weekend classes but you cannot join nursing school with job if you are going for accelerated nursing program. There is lot to study and clinicals are not always in evenings.

HeartsOpenWide, RN · Dec 29, 2007

My friend is in PA school, she was in nursing school before she had her kids and had to drop out. She had to take all her pre-reques again accept for Micro for some reason, not sure why not micro. But there was no way behind it.

Koofster · Dec 29, 2007

I am completing my prerequisites for my nursing school which I start next year. I had a classmate with similar situation as yours in my A&P II class and she had also done science classes 10-11 yrs back but she is doing again all of them now . You can complete prereqs along with your job doing evening or weekend classes but you cannot join nursing school with job if you are going for accelerated nursing program. There is lot to study and clinicals are not always in evenings.

I know the accelerated program is 12-15 months full time. I wasn't going to do that one. It's weird the 2 accelerated programs I contacted didn't have a problem with my science prereqs taken so long ago. I am hoping it will be on a case by case basis. I know it is not mandated by any licensing bureaus. After the new year I will make calls and narrow down the school I will attend based on the acceptance of my science prereqs. I do have a BA and another advanced degree, maybe that will help. I don't know. If I have to take a class or two I wouldn't mind, but 6 or 7 that would be a problem for me

Koofster · Dec 29, 2007

My friend is in PA school, she was in nursing school before she had her kids and had to drop out. She had to take all her pre-reques again accept for Micro for some reason, not sure why not micro. But there was no way behind it.

PA schools were another story. I didn't find one that would accept any of my credits.

SusanKathleen, RN · Dec 29, 2007

Hi Koofster,

To answer your question - no, not all schools have a problems with old classes. Mine did not. Or, some schools may require newer clinical science coursework, and accept older non-clinical science classes - like psych, etc. You really have to check with the school. You many not need to wait to check the pre-reqs situation. You may be able to go online and get a lot of info about the schools in your area. My school has a huge amt of info online, including all course requirements, acceptable coursework substitutes, recommended GPA, and so on.

Good luck to you. I was where you are less than one year ago, and am now accepted into the program of my choice at a fabulous school!

Regards, Susan K

Daytonite, BSN, RN · Dec 30, 2007

Yes, it's pretty much a rule that the science pre-requisites need to be at least 10 years current. However, each school makes their own rules and you really should get in contact with the nursing department of the nursing school you will be applying to in order to get clarification of this. It is a pretty good bet, however, that you will need to re-take anatomy and physiology, microbiology and probably chemistry. Not sure about the biology and math.

As for clinicals, you don't do clinicals with science classes, only labs. You do clinicals with nursing classes. Again, that is something you need to discuss with the nursing program office. Most nursing programs are not part time. Also, when you are in nursing classes you can expect that there will be a lot of studying time involved as most of the information is brand new and a lot of it.

AtomicWoman · Dec 30, 2007

Hi all
New to the forum
I am interested in a career change and decided nursing is for me
I have been doing research in the schools in my area
I want to go part time in evenings and weekends to keep my job
I took all the science prerequisites in undergraduate school when I got my BA. I graduated more than 20 years ago and many schools require these classes be taken within 7-10 years. I have not gotten around to call the schools yet because most are on break until after the new year. Is this time limit on the science classes a hard and fast rule or are exceptions made
ALso part time.......How does that work with the clinicals

My experience has been this: if the school states that there is a time limit on how old science courses can be *then* it is "hard and fast". Around here, all the schools have limits, and they don't budge. But if you find a school that "suggests" courses be no older than X years, or if they don't say anything about it, I would think they would be more open to negotiation.

graceomalleyRN, RN · Dec 31, 2007

I respectfully disagree with Daytonite about it "being a rule" that the science prerequisites be under 10 years. It depends on the school. I will agree that MOST programs require them to be less than 10, and many even less than 5 years old.

My school (Regis University) has no time limits on the science prereq's -- but the other universities in my state do. Those that require them don't budge (or they didn't for me). I consider myself fortunate that I was able to find a school that doesn't make time limits.