How hard is a nursing major??

College Majors Nursing Major
1

How hard are the pre reqs??

I’ve been interested in nursing, and I was wondering how hard the pre reqs were. I like science, but math is kinda hard for me to understand right away. What classes do I exactly have to take?

Thanks

2

Nursing schools used to be relatively easy to enter, but then many students would flunk out. Today, most students who are accepted have the ability to complete the degree and pass the test on the first or second try.

There are two main types of nursing schools -

  1. Direct entry colleges where you are accepted from high school. Most expect a student to have completed chemistry and biology in high school. An AP bio class would be particularly helpful, as well as a stats class. Taking AP bio is a good test of whether you have the aptitude to do all of the college science classes that will be required. Calculus is a waste of time for nursing. Some of these programs are 2 year or 3 year programs, in addition to the regular 4 year BSN degree.
  2. Colleges where you enter the college as a regular student, and then later are allowed to apply for a nursing major. The college will have a list of required prereqs that must be successfully completed in order to be eligible to be considered for the nursing major.

You can find a typical nursing curriculum on the websites of most nursing schools.

Nursing is one of the more difficult majors for entry into most colleges, and is one of the most time-consuming majors. Therefore, it is best to try to get some AP or dual enrollment credit in high school or take a class over the summer so you can lighten the workload during the hardest semesters. Also, it is important to try to find a college that is affordable enough that you do not need to have a job for too many hours during the school year. You also may need to pay to have a car during your last 2 years to get to clinicals.

3

BSN Nursing Prerequisites vary, depending on the University. Most programs generally follow these basic requirements:

All prerequisites and nursing courses must be completed with a grade of C or better.

Prerequisite (General Education Requirements (Must be taken prior to admission to the Nursing Program)

** Anatomy and Physiology I with labs (4 credits)

** Anatomy and Physiology II with labs (4 credits)

** Microbiology with lab (4 credits)

** Nutrition (3 credits)

** Statistics (3 credits)

** Human Growth & Development through the Life Span (3 credits)

** Introduction to Psychology (3 credits)

** Human Growth & Development through the Life Span (3 credits)

** Ethics

*** Chemistry with lab (4 credits)

College Algebra or Math for Liberal Arts (3 Credits)

English Composition I (3 credits)

English Composition II (3 credits)

Introduction to Sociology (3 credits)

** Core Prerequisites (Typical of most Nursing Programs)

If your intended College doesn’t have Direct Admit program, the above should serve as a guide as to what prerequisites are required. Some Schools may break out Anatomy and Physiology into separate courses.

You should look at the web site of some of the Nursing Program you will likely apply to and see what their actual prerequisites are or contact the schools directly. A lot of Nursing Programs expect their Nursing Students to have completed about 60 credits, including General Ed Courses before entering their actual Nursing Program.

4

As I had it explained to me, Microbiology was the nursing students most feared classes. However, as a Science major, it was one of the easiest classes I ever took. I hope that helps put some perspective on a small part of it.