Should I take this?

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Hello,

I am sophomore this year and I currently interested in applying to a nursing school for my ADN. I will be applying for a bridge program (RN to BSN) right after I finish. I have not been accepted into the nursing school yet because I chose to take care of both anatomy and physiology 1 and 2 before I enter nursing school. Plus, I still have to take the HESI ( April 18). I have my mind set on taking A&P II in Summer 2017 because I have nothing to do this summer and I might as well make use of my time. I am applying for Spring 2018, so the deadline is Aug. 1-15. I should have anything finished by then, but I was wondering...Should I be enrolled in Fall 2017?

The reason why I ask this is because the bridge program requires the applicant to take General Biology 1 with lab (non-science or science major). I am already taking that class in the fall, but I was wondering if I should take Intro. to Pharmacology. I will be taking other classes as fillers and to learn something new while waiting for an acceptance/rejection letter.

From what I have read, the nursing program requires nursing students to take pharmacology classes. I wondered would it be a good to take an introduction class to pharmacology. Just to get an idea of what I am expecting for the Pharmcology classes in nursing school.

Please let me know your thoughts =]

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Yes, I think any prior knowledge and practice of pharmacology would be helpful for passing Pharm while in the nursing program. Also make sure that your A&P end date for the summer course is before the deadline for applying for the program, if it's a pre-req they may not accept you without that course being completed before applying.

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@Gangsteroids Thank you for your response! Yes, I checked the end date of my summer program and it ends before August 1. I am excited.. =) I understand the information will be condensed, but I know it will be worth it..

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I think that would be a great idea. You should definitely take pharmacology to get a head start.

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Should I take Intro. to Pharmacology on campus or online? Also, there is a course called, "Nursing School Success". The page of that course says : The course is offered in an online course format. Prospective students get a glimpse of what the life of a nursing student is like. They also are able to develop tools such as time management, test taking skills, stress management techniques and much more. Nursing School Success content includes:

  1. Exploring the Options of Nursing and Healthcare Careers
  2. Educational Requirements of Healthcare Careers
  3. Professional Possibilities
  4. Legal Issues
  5. Stress Management
  6. Critical Thinking
  7. Technology in Healthcare Education & Practice
  8. Goal Setting & Time Management
  9. Communication
  10. Dealing With Failure
  11. Studying & Test Taking Skills
  12. Culture & Caring
  13. Pre-Admission Testing

Should I take this class too?

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I would definitely take as many nursing related classes as possible. They will make you a more well rounded person.

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Specializes in Ambulatory Care, Clinical Care Coordination, LTC.

It sounds like you have a great gameplan for how and when you want to complete your courses, test, and apply for your program, so I would go for it this fall.

I graduate from my PN program this summer, and am taking pharm now. I wish I would've taken it prior to starting my nursing theory classes. (Pharm is a requirement for graduation from my program- not required for admission into the program.) You'll learn bits of pharm here and there through all of your theory classes, but I think you'll be ahead of the game if you do it prior to starting nursing theory classes and clinical. Good luck:)

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Thank you so much @lunanarya. I do appreciate the advice and encouragement from everyone. Originally, I wanted to get my BSN first, but...sometimes things do not go as planned. When you see your mom needs help at home and you miss being at home, I think it is best for me to go home. I feel at ease being able to watch over my mom and helping her out too. I do hope everything works in my favor for the rest of this year.

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Oh yes! The more you know about a particular subject before any class is a HUGE +! I took intro courses and also studied some things on my own, and it does help somewhat. It's never a bad idea to take intro classes or study before the ACTUAL credited class!

Good luck to you!

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I never took a pharm course before nursing school, but I'm sure it wouldn't hurt as long as you don't overdue it. You can endlessly study for pharmacology, there's a whole career on it. As a student nurse, you should be okay with what they are teaching you in class, the basics, you can iron out all of the small details as you go along. The drug handbooks are very overwhelming and contain a lot of information for all health professionals not just nurses. "NCLEX Nursing Tools" is a good free mobile app I used that contained only relevant information for student nurses to know. It is what I used and still do as an ER RN, good luck. This is the website if you want to check it out nclexessentials.barcalabs.com

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

It's a great idea to take whatever you can to prepare yourself, just keep in mind that there can be financial aid implications for taking too many "unnecessary" credits. If you go too many credits over your required course load for your program, you can lose federal aid. There's also a lifetime limit on the Pell Grant. If that's something that would be of concern to you, I would check with your financial aid department to be sure.

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