Why is Physics a prereq course?

anothermadhatter · Jan 17, 2006

I'm still completing my BSN before making application to CRNA school, but I believe the purpose for Physics is about learning gas laws. It was dropped as a prereq at the school I'm hoping to attend.

gongju · Jan 17, 2006

Is that it? Just for gas laws? I would think that wouldn't require a whole semester to learn.

Nitecap · Jan 17, 2006

Gas laws, diffusion, flow, pressure

asianrn · Jan 17, 2006

gas laws..diffusion..etc..those can be learn if you took inorganic chem, organic chem as well as physiology..physics--well, i'm wondering myself..

NurseyBaby'05, BSN, RN · Jan 17, 2006

I'm not looking at being a CRNA, I'm just a mere Neuro RN. However, during school, I really found physics helpful when studying certain body systems, cardiac in particular. Just my .02. Another poster idea about gas laws makes a lot of sense too.

heartICU · Jan 18, 2006

The gas laws will help. Another important thing is enhancing critical thinking skills - a lot of classes in undergrad will not apply directly to nurse anesthesia, but will provide a way of thinking about things to solve problems - in addition to teaching you physics, they area also teaching a way to logically approach problems.

carolinapooh, BSN, RN · Jan 18, 2006

Introductory kinetics - the same reason it's a prereq for pharmacy school. Chemical kinetics, pharmacokinetics, all that stuff. (In addition to the whole "critical thinking" reasoning, which really gets on my nerves.)

Gas laws are in chemistry (which I've taken a year of) and are expanded upon in physics. There are no gas laws in organic (which I've also taken a year of). Organic chem is the structure, function, and reaction mechanisms of organic compounds.

And since you get introductory kinetics in a year of chemistry (or in a semester of analytical chem), I've never understood why you need physics for pharmacy or for CRNA or med school, unless you're going to be an orthopedist!

maturner · Jan 19, 2006

Physics is a foundational science, a science upon which all other sciences are built. The issue is not "why?" is physics a prereq for anesthesia school, but why is it not a prereq for earning a BSN. Afterall, it is a Bachelors of S C I E N C E in Nursing.

Anesthesia is physiology and it is not a mistake that the greek root "phys" is the root word for both physics and physiology.

roosevelt127 · Jun 10, 2006

I hate physics but I can appreciate the reason why it is a prereq...

As everyone mentioned, I was under the impression its purpose is the gas law, kinetics, and several other concepts that relate directly to physiology, physical assesement and management (think airway management, ventilator management, CV system dynamics, etc.) It's hard to think about sometimes, but remember in your physiology classes when the professor got annoyed when everyone said "duh!" after he explained concepts relating to blood pressure and vessel diameter? And how he got frustrated when nobody could get the concepts of thoracic pressures and spontaneous ventilation? Those concepts are straight up physics plugged right into a working model...the human body. I believe this is why some people have trouble getting certain physiological concepts, b/c not many people are good at or have more than a surface understanding of many physics concepts. Don't get me wrong, i'm one of those who barely understands the concept in physics class, but luckily I AM able to better understand the physics by learning in physiology class...whew!

TallGirlAni · Jun 10, 2006

I just earned my BS in nursing and Physics was a prerequisite to the major.

MmacFN · Jun 10, 2006

Clearly physics isnt very important as a pre req as its not a pre req in over 3/4 of the programs. That should tell you just how little you need to know.

I have seen the physics taught in the CRNA program, its a VERY small subsection of the physics class i took in univ. I would say less than 10%. So there is absolutely no reason to have it as a pre req since the important information is emphasized and taught in the CRNA program.

I am not in a CRNA program yet but I do know something about risk vs benefit. here is the truth, Chem, Ochem, Physics and Biochem are NOT easy classes. I have taken them all and not one of them are a standard prereq for CRNA school. Why would you risk your admission by taking a class which you may well do badly in since your trying tio juggle work and homelife with hard science classes. Take my advice here, none of those classes are worth taking for CRNA school based on their risk to lower your GPA and their minor benefit. Afterall, your going to be doing it anyway in the program.