UTA / TCC / DCCCD Pre-req's

DreamBelieveSucceed · Nov 2, 2007

My recommendation as an El Centro Nursing program student - don't go there!! Maybe all nursing programs are the same as El Centro - with many incompetent and/or verbally abusive clinical teachers who yell at you and berate you in front of patients and their visitors; lecture tests that are worded so tricky the only possible explaination is "weed out" (but many times they weed out potentially awesome clinical nurses who happen to have test anxiety - why do they think a good test taker will make a good clinical nurse - I have some students in my class that score high on lecture tests but can't even take an accurate blood pressure!).

Granted El Centro does have an exceptionally high NCLEX pass rate (we heard the Spring 07 graduates had 100% pass rate). But I would be curious to know the school's pass/fail/drop rate(s) for each semester or the statistics of how many people actually start 1st semester and make it through all four semesters consecutively without dropping out or failing and having to be readmitted.

Those are some things to consider when adding up the cost of your education. If you fail and have to be readmitted there are other costs involved - such as computerized/online tutorials - in addition to the costs of retaking the classes. My 1st semester we only had maybe 5-10 people (out of 60) who did not continue to 2nd semester (whether they had to drop for personal reasons or they failed). However, the class behind us lost 1/4-1/2 of their students by the end of the 1st semester.

Anyway, whatever you decide, I wish you all the best. Nursing school is hard - harder than I ever dreamed it would be. But you can accomplish anything - no matter how difficult - if you want it bad enough and are willing to work hard for it!!

arabmagic · Nov 2, 2007

Thanks for the advice! I will definitely keep that in mind. I had considered El Centro a few years ago, but for their Sonography program. Now I'm just trying to get prepared for the challenges of nursing school!!!!!

At least I feel I do have some time to figure it all out. I'll take A&PII and Micro in the spring which I will need no matter WHAT school I go to.....

I just hate "not knowing" and right now I feel like a lot of things are up in the air!!!

Congrats on getting into nursing school & hang in there! It sounds like it is super, super tough. At least you will be more prepared than most to deal with potential difficult patients & their families!!!!!

txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN · Nov 2, 2007

i am very familiar with tarrant county's nursing program and you will never get in with only 2 sciences complete. you will also need to have them complete not in progress . there are many many people each semester that apply that have everything done and high gpa's that never get in. so sad ...tcc is a heart breaker.

uta- i know that those three nursing classes have to be completed prior to admission. i also know that the more classes you have complete the better.

if you have a bachelors why not try to get into the accelerated programs at twu or tcu. the nursing portion is shorter.. more intense but you get done sooner.

arabmagic · Nov 2, 2007

Thanks! Yes, that is what I hear about TCC unfortunately. It is such a shame because you always hear about the need for nurses. And then you hear about the people who want to be nurses, and can't even get in the program! Then to hear about all the people that DO make it in.... yet drop out!!!!

I am making all A's and will have my pre-req's done in May so I should be set to apply in the fall.

Thanks for the info on UTA. I could always take their prereq's next year should I decide to go that route.

I think the programs at TWU or TCU will be too expensive. I do not want to take out any loans. I guess there are always scholarships. I will check into everything and see. Thanks again!

jla623 · Nov 2, 2007

I'm weighing the pros & cons of going for my ADN vs BSN. One of the biggest factors for me is cost.....
I do have a BS already in Business. This semester I am taking A&P I, Bio Chemistry, Psych 2314 and a PE class (required by TCC).
I will have all of my pre-req's completed in the spring to apply to Tarrant County College. And even though you are not "required" to complete A&P II and Micro to apply, I hear that it is pretty difficult to get in without them.
So that is what I want to know.... not so much what the websites say you need.... but what the students who are accepted actually have completed so I know what it takes to be comparable.
DCCCD
There is a chance I may be moving to Dallas county & would consider applying to DCCCD's program(s). Do I need to complete HPRS 1203 (End of Life Issues) and SPAN 1300 before applying?
Do I need to take 3 classes.... Nursing Pathophysiology, Pharmacology & Dosage Calculations before I apply? Or are these classes that you actually don't take until you've been accepted into the program? Or are they ones you don't need to apply.... but the people who have been accepted into the program have completed?
UTA
I noticed 3 classes on UTA's website of pre-requisites too: Concepts of Professional Nursing, Pharmacology in Nursing Practice, Pathophysiologic Processes..... do those need to be taken before you can apply?
I'm just trying to get all of my ducks in a row so to speak. I always wonder how people manage to apply to numerous schools when it seems they all need something different! I don't want to take classes that I won't end up needing........
Any advice is appreciated!

For DCCCD---I don't know about El Centro, but for Brookhaven you don't have to take those classes until after you apply, but I would recommend taking them before since you get extra points for them. Nobody has been accepted yet this semester. We find out on the 12th.

JaxiaKiley · Nov 7, 2007

For El Centro, you don't have to take Spanish or End of Life Issues at all. Maybe that is for Brookhaven? You need Comp I, A&P I, General Psych and College Algebra and a HPRS class in order to apply. I can't think of the number for the HPRS class, but it teaches you the basics -- how to take vitals and stuff like that.

Good luck, whatever you decide!

kalmeira · Nov 10, 2007

I'm in the Brookhaven program, and end of life, spanish, dosage calc, pathophysiology and pharmacology are not prerequisites, they are called support classes. You will have to take them before you finish the program, and it is highly recommened you take them before as during the program you are just far too busy to be taking all those extra classes, plus you stand a better chance getting in the more you have completed.

The program is really good though. We don't have a high drop rate like El centro. They don't try to weed out people, the instructors all want us to succeed and are very supportive. The average you need to keep is lower at Brookhaven, you need to keep a 70, whereas at El Centro you have to keep a 78. Even still, we have 100% pass rate at NCLEX so far!

Guest 11/08/18 · Nov 10, 2010

hi all,

I was wondering for those who were accepted into the program, did u complete the 3 required pre- nursing courses (Pharmacology, Pathophysiology, & Intro. to Nursing) before starting the first official semester of the Nursing Program at UTA? Any information would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.

kat