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Which high school classes can help you get ready for a nursing career? ?
I’m a high school senior looking for courses or classes that will help me prepare to apply for a nursing program in the future.
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Maureen’s Answer
Van,
Your senior curriculum is set. These would have been the classes I'd recommend:
1. 4 years of a foreign language
2. 4 years of science
3. 4 years of math/algebra, trigonometry, statistics, calculus
4. Computer science/programming/AI
Your college program with recommend pre-requisites for whatever classes you're deficit in. I was an Assistant Professor in a College of Nursing in Chicago. Classes missed in high school will become classes to take in your university or college setting.
Good luck!
Your senior curriculum is set. These would have been the classes I'd recommend:
1. 4 years of a foreign language
2. 4 years of science
3. 4 years of math/algebra, trigonometry, statistics, calculus
4. Computer science/programming/AI
Your college program with recommend pre-requisites for whatever classes you're deficit in. I was an Assistant Professor in a College of Nursing in Chicago. Classes missed in high school will become classes to take in your university or college setting.
Good luck!
James Constantine Frangos
SOFTWARE ENGINEER SINCE 1972; NUTRITIONIST SINCE 1976.
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James Constantine’s Answer
Good Day Van!
USA NURSING HIGH SCHOOL PREREQS
In the USA, high school students can prepare for a nursing career by taking a variety of classes that build a strong foundation in science and math. Here are some recommended classes:
Advanced Biology: Essential for understanding human anatomy and physiology, which are crucial for nursing.
Advanced Chemistry: Important for grasping medication interactions and understanding chemical reactions.
Advanced Physics: Provides a fundamental understanding of forces, energy, and motion, relevant in areas like biomechanics and medical imaging.
Advanced Math: Includes courses like AP Statistics, which are valuable for understanding research and data in healthcare scenarios.
Advanced Placement (AP) Courses: Such as AP Biology, AP Chemistry, and AP Psychology, which are highly recommended for their rigor and relevance to nursing.
These classes not only prepare students for nursing school but also enhance their overall academic performance and readiness for future challenges in healthcare.
Any Anatomy, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics via search engines would be helpful.
SEE https://nursejournal.org/articles/ways-high-school-students-can-prepare-for-a-career-in-nursing/
GOD BLESS!
USA NURSING HIGH SCHOOL PREREQS
In the USA, high school students can prepare for a nursing career by taking a variety of classes that build a strong foundation in science and math. Here are some recommended classes:
Advanced Biology: Essential for understanding human anatomy and physiology, which are crucial for nursing.
Advanced Chemistry: Important for grasping medication interactions and understanding chemical reactions.
Advanced Physics: Provides a fundamental understanding of forces, energy, and motion, relevant in areas like biomechanics and medical imaging.
Advanced Math: Includes courses like AP Statistics, which are valuable for understanding research and data in healthcare scenarios.
Advanced Placement (AP) Courses: Such as AP Biology, AP Chemistry, and AP Psychology, which are highly recommended for their rigor and relevance to nursing.
These classes not only prepare students for nursing school but also enhance their overall academic performance and readiness for future challenges in healthcare.
Any Anatomy, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics via search engines would be helpful.
SEE https://nursejournal.org/articles/ways-high-school-students-can-prepare-for-a-career-in-nursing/
GOD BLESS!
Updated
Joyce’s Answer
The best classes are biology, chemistry and algebra. These will give you a base for those classes in nursing school.
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
Hi, Van !
Since your 2025-2026 senior school year already began on August 7th and we're well into September almost October, I would say that your high school senior class schedule is already set and that is fine, you can still learn a bit about medical and science. Hopefully you're currently taking a Biology, Chemistry and or an Anatomy class this year in your already set schedule of classes. Those subjects and Health Science (which you may have already had) would be good.
You won't be preparing to be a nurse until you attend nursing school, however. You can go for certifications in CPR and First Aid if you haven't done so already. Inquire about where to take the training at your local Department of Health or a nearby hospital as they sometimes offer these certification classes.
Since you are already set with your senior year classes, you can always take a Medical Terminology course online in your spare time. This will familiarize you with the terms and words used in the medical profession which nurses are familiar with. Coursera offers a free online course in "Clinical Terminology for International and U.S. Students" from the University of Pittsburgh. The website Alison offers a free introductory course in medical terminology that teaches basic vocabulary, prefixes, suffixes, and roots used in medicine, allowing learners to develop a working medical vocabulary at their own pace. They also offer a diploma program for free focusing on diagnostic, pharmaceutical, and specialist terms.
Also check out Indian River State College LibGuides Skills Commons and OER Commons. I would also suggest that you watch some Medical Terminology videos on You Tube and keep a notebook of what you learn from them. Just type in "medical terminology" in the You Tube search box.
You could also consider volunteering at your local Department of Health. By doing so, you will start to become familiar with health subjects and may have the opportunity to interact with the community, be involved in their events and learn a lot about health.
Keep in mind that once your enroll in the college for the Nursing Program, that particular college will set out for you the prerequisites they want you to complete at that college before starting the Nursing Program. It's all going to depend on the particular Nursing Program you enroll in. So for right now, reach out for resources outside of high school and pay special attention to aiming for good grades in your already set high school classes. Don't worry about applying for Nursing School. Until you know the exact college you'd attend, no one can tell you what to take beforehand and most of the time they want you to take the college level courses as prerequisites, not from high school.
I hope this helps and I wish you all the best !
Since your 2025-2026 senior school year already began on August 7th and we're well into September almost October, I would say that your high school senior class schedule is already set and that is fine, you can still learn a bit about medical and science. Hopefully you're currently taking a Biology, Chemistry and or an Anatomy class this year in your already set schedule of classes. Those subjects and Health Science (which you may have already had) would be good.
You won't be preparing to be a nurse until you attend nursing school, however. You can go for certifications in CPR and First Aid if you haven't done so already. Inquire about where to take the training at your local Department of Health or a nearby hospital as they sometimes offer these certification classes.
Since you are already set with your senior year classes, you can always take a Medical Terminology course online in your spare time. This will familiarize you with the terms and words used in the medical profession which nurses are familiar with. Coursera offers a free online course in "Clinical Terminology for International and U.S. Students" from the University of Pittsburgh. The website Alison offers a free introductory course in medical terminology that teaches basic vocabulary, prefixes, suffixes, and roots used in medicine, allowing learners to develop a working medical vocabulary at their own pace. They also offer a diploma program for free focusing on diagnostic, pharmaceutical, and specialist terms.
Also check out Indian River State College LibGuides Skills Commons and OER Commons. I would also suggest that you watch some Medical Terminology videos on You Tube and keep a notebook of what you learn from them. Just type in "medical terminology" in the You Tube search box.
You could also consider volunteering at your local Department of Health. By doing so, you will start to become familiar with health subjects and may have the opportunity to interact with the community, be involved in their events and learn a lot about health.
Keep in mind that once your enroll in the college for the Nursing Program, that particular college will set out for you the prerequisites they want you to complete at that college before starting the Nursing Program. It's all going to depend on the particular Nursing Program you enroll in. So for right now, reach out for resources outside of high school and pay special attention to aiming for good grades in your already set high school classes. Don't worry about applying for Nursing School. Until you know the exact college you'd attend, no one can tell you what to take beforehand and most of the time they want you to take the college level courses as prerequisites, not from high school.
I hope this helps and I wish you all the best !