The Classes To Take In College

Jivane · Jul 1, 2010

Your college should have a list of requirements for admission, as well as 'general studies' classes to take. Although my school does not usually accept high school graduates directly in to the nursing program, it is recommended that students enroll in the college to take their prereqs first.

Ours include College Algebra, Psychology, Sociology, Composition I & II, Anatomy and Physiology, Human Lifespan Development, and a few others I can't think of off the top of my head. Chemistry and Biology are also recommended.

Again, your school should have a list somewhere on either their website, or in the guidance office.

krazievi3t6url · Jul 1, 2010

I would recommend checking out colleges that have a nursing program. Visit those schools and ask questions about admissions. The first two years of nursing is pretty much general education and all your science preqs. (Like chem, bio, anatomy, physio, micro). Alot of csu and uc will not let you chose nursing as a major until like sophomore or junior year. I recommend shadowing a nurse, just to see what its like. Maybe do some volunteer work at a hospital? That would look great.

wsuRN09 · Jul 1, 2010

The classes you'll take depend on the school and the length of their program. For a bachelors degree, as the previous posters mentioned, you will need your science prerequisites and the general education courses required for all students to graduate regardless of their major, before you can be accepted into the nursing program. At most colleges you are required to meet with an advisor that will help you determine what classes you need to be taking based on your tentative degree choice. I would contact the schools you are interested in either by phone or their website (most of which have online catalogs which list requirements for each degree they offer) to help you get an idea of what your classes would be.

Volunteering would be a good idea just to get some more exposure or become a nurse's aide part time. Don't worry about a speciality now, you would be exposed to many different areas of nursing through the school (lectures and clinical time) that it is not a choice you need to make right away. And for the most part, if you end up in an area your unhappy with, it usually doesn't take a whole lot to go into a different area.

As for what goes with the "title" of nursing. My favorite description: doctors diagnose, nurses care for and teach the patient how to live with the diagnoses. :nurse:

angela47x3 · Jul 1, 2010

Thank you all very much for the quick responses! :)

I am looking at attending Mercer, KSU, or West Georgia. I am not quite sure yet but i believe God has my steps ordered :)

PatMac10,RN, RN · Jul 1, 2010

Like everyone else said I suggest thatyou visit the college's website and look up the curriculum for a degree in nursing. Also ask current nursing students and nursing educators if you can. Call and talk to a counselor at the colleges you wish to attend.

As for the advice on nursing as a career, make sure it's what you want to do. Research the job of a nurse online. I don't know what you do and do not know about nursing but just research and ask nurses what their job is like. Also see if you can shadow a nurse at you local hospital or clinic etc.... It's great that your interested in nursing we need nurses. A nurses job isn't always easy or the most glorious job. Sometimes they get yelled at by doctors and have to clean up an old man who just used the bathroom on hiself and can't clean himslef at all.

I am not trying to dicourage you, but warn you of both the good and harder side of nursing. If your a strong person you'll be just fine though.

I wish you the best with your nursing ebdeavors.

birdcage · Jul 1, 2010

Also anything you might think i should know about nursing.

There are lots of little things to know about nursing. It can be highly rewarding at times. Expect to be unnoticed and unappreciated, but don't pay any attention to that. And I have never heard of a nursing specialty that is easy.

You should read through the posts here at allnurses.com. This is a wonderful community of nurses. The section for students will have a lot of info for you. There is even a place for pre-nursing students like you.

Don't worry about what type of nursing you want to do right now. You have several years of school ahead of you and plenty of time to figure that out.

Hospice Nurse LPN, BSN, RN · Jul 2, 2010

Angela, you got some excellent input here. As far a speciatity goes, you'll probaly change your mind with every clinical rotation. I love geri patients myself and as you can tell from my name I work in hospice. I'm currently working part time and in school full time in an LPN to BSN bridge program. I know I'll stay in hospice after graduation. Good luck to you in your studies.

angela47x3 · Jul 2, 2010

Thank you!

How do you manage your time with all the areas of your practice? Also I still get confused with the difference between all of the abbreviations. Could you explain to me what they mean?

CT Pixie, BSN, RN · Jul 2, 2010

Thank you!
Also I still get confused with the difference between all of the abbreviations. Could you explain to me what they mean?

Which abbreviations?

PatMac10,RN, RN · Jul 7, 2010

LPN - Licnesed Practical Nurse

RN - Registered Nurse (1 year without prereqs 2 with)

A.D.N - Associate's Degree Nursing (2 years without prereqs three with)

BSN - Bachelors Degree Nursing (Four years all together)