Should I take chemistry just too impress?

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My college has a prenursing major and all i will need to have to complete it is chemistry 1 and 2. The ADN/BSN schools here do not require chemistry (I checked). Would a potential employer give me an extra nod if i had the total prenursing background along with my ADN/RN? Especially If i had high grads in prenursing? Or should I use my money to take something else like first aid or medical terminology? Is prenursing even really a major?

thanks.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

I don't think a pre-nursing degree is going to be any more impressive than any other pre-nursing degree/programs in the eyes of an employer. You're really only as good as your latest degree when you think of it... so they are going to care about seeing your RN-ADN or RN-BSN. Anything before that really isn't going to matter much, imho.

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Specializes in ICU.

Wow, I've never heard of a BSN program not requiring at least chem I with a lab. Do they not require microbio as well? Everywhere I've looked chem I is a pre-req to micro.

I say if it's not required, don't take it. Unless you want to/have extra time/money. Potential employers are not going to be looking that closely at your pre-nursing classes, if at all. By the time you're interviewing for jobs, all that matters is that you've graduated a nursing program...and maybe your GPA/class standing in your nursing program. Anything that happened before is kind of irrelevant - if you did well enough to get into your nursing program and met your nursing program's requirements, I doubt employers are going to care what those requirements were.

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Specializes in School Nursing.

Where I go to school, A/P1 was the pre-requisite for Microbiology... but Chem is required for all the BSN programs (but none of the ADNs I'm looking at)... Don't take 'em if you don't need 'em is my philosophy. ;)

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Is this a major that you get a degree in or is it just a status? My school has a pre nursing major, but its not a degree that you get like accounting or teaching. Its pretty much an in limbo status for students before they are accepted into the nursing program. Nobody gets a degree in pre-nursing at my school. If you are not accepted then you just have to figure something else out. There's no degree at the end of pre-nursing if you don't get in the program. Can't think of a reason a pre nursing degree would be useful anywhere.

If you are going to get a degree before applying to nursing school then I would think a degree in biology or health sciences or something might be more useful. I don't think its useful for nursing jobs, but lets say nursing doesn't pan out, then you could use that biology degree for something else.

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Yep, don't take them unless they are required or you actually have an interest in learning about a particular subject area (like chemistry).

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Oh and one other thing. I'm not sure where you are in terms of pre-reqs. But be aware that although Chem may not be required as a pre-req in some programs, you may still end up having to take it if its a pre req for something else. Its not a pre-req for my program, but the kicker is that its a pre-req for A&P so you had to take it before taking A&P at my school.

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Specializes in Med-Surg/DOU/Ortho/Onc/Rehab/ER/.

I still dont understand how people register for microbiology and physiology when basic/college chemistry is a pre-req for them both.

Strange...

Employers will NOT care about what classes you take, your GPA etc... they just do not give a rats butt.

As long as your licensed by the state and know what your doing your fine...

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Specializes in School Nursing.
I still dont understand how people register for microbiology and physiology when basic/college chemistry is a pre-req for them both.

Strange...

Employers will NOT care about what classes you take, your GPA etc... they just do not give a rats butt.

As long as your licensed by the state and know what your doing your fine...

Chem has not been a a prerequisite for any of my science classes and I cant say that it has hurt me much.. The small amount of chem we've touched on in these classes is simple! I think General Biology should be a prerequsite to A/P though.

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Specializes in LTC, Med-surg.

Wow. How can your program not have chemistry as a pre-req? I know that chemistry I and chemistry II are both pre-reqs for Anatomy and Physiology classess for my nursing program. My nursing chair person even said that chemistry might not be easy now but it will help make Anatomy and Physiology a hell lot more easy to learn with it so she was like, "Painful now[in chemistry], less painful later [in A&P]."

Honestly though, if you need an elective course or something to make yourself a full-time student I'd take a chemistry course just because it will stuff easier for you later.

I also really really like my chemistry class because it helps build on all the biology I take. I even understand the importance of certain structures (like R/S configuration) and its affect on FUNCTION. For example S-ibuprofen is active in the body while R-ibuprofen is inactive... both look the same just their function is different.

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taking chemistry wont impress anyone, except maybe Bill Nye.

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Sure, go ahead and take it.....if you want to PUNISH yourself!

Be happy that you don't need it!!

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