4 answers
Sophina
Student
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2
Questions
Asked
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After graduating high school, do you go to University first, and then nursing school? Or do you go straight into a university that is a nursing school? If that makes sense...
I'm a freshman in high school and I'm not really sure about how it all works after graduating. #high-school #medical-school #nursing
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4 answers
Raquel Davis
Registered Nurse, premed student
148
Answers
Providence, Rhode Island
Updated
Raquel’s Answer
Hi Sophia, that’s a great question, figuring out how to become a nurse can easily get confusing! There are two routes that you can take to become a registered nurse, both of them require you to go to college. You can either go to a community college and get an associates degree or to a 4 year university and get a bachelors degree. Both will prepare you to take the NCLEX exam and allow you to work as a nurse. The associates degree is often faster and cheaper, going to university will take four years and is often more expensive. However, many jobs are now requiring BSN (bachelors in nursing) degrees, you would also need a BSN if you ever wanted to go to graduate school.
But to answer your question specifically, whichever route you choose you will have to take regular college classes before starting nursing school. All nursing schools have prerequisite courses, things like biology, microbiology, anatomy & physiology, math, English, etc. Part of this is because in order to earn your nursing degree you have to meet the regular graduation requirements so some of these classses are general ed, but some of them like anatomy & physiology and nursing school specific and very important. Individual programs may have other prerequisite courses that are required for their specific program, so you will want to look into that when you first choose a school so you know what classes you need to take. For example the nursing school I attended required an interpersonal communications course, the other two nursing programs in my city did not. After you complete any necessary prerequisite coursework you can apply to school, likely interview, and then be accepted and start! Nursing school is very competitive so it is very important that you do well in the prerequisite courses to make yourself a good applicant.
But to answer your question specifically, whichever route you choose you will have to take regular college classes before starting nursing school. All nursing schools have prerequisite courses, things like biology, microbiology, anatomy & physiology, math, English, etc. Part of this is because in order to earn your nursing degree you have to meet the regular graduation requirements so some of these classses are general ed, but some of them like anatomy & physiology and nursing school specific and very important. Individual programs may have other prerequisite courses that are required for their specific program, so you will want to look into that when you first choose a school so you know what classes you need to take. For example the nursing school I attended required an interpersonal communications course, the other two nursing programs in my city did not. After you complete any necessary prerequisite coursework you can apply to school, likely interview, and then be accepted and start! Nursing school is very competitive so it is very important that you do well in the prerequisite courses to make yourself a good applicant.
Sorry I misspelled your name Sophina! Though useful autocorrect certainly makes mistakes. I do apologize.
Raquel Davis
Thank you so much Raquel! And no problem at all, I also spell my name wrong sometimes using autocorrect.
Also, by prerequisites, I'm assuming you're referring to the ones I need to take in high school so I can take the courses that are needed for nursing in college/university? Or are you talking about prerequisite courses in college to get into nursing school? I hope that makes sense.
Sophina
I was talking specifically about the ones that you will need to take while in college to get into nursing school, sorry I should have clarified that.
Raquel Davis
Ok, thanks so much.
Sophina
Dave Takisaki
Director of Sales
2
Answers
Denver, Colorado
Updated
Dave’s Answer
Hi Sophina, Canada might be different than the states so my advice might only apply to America. I have several family members in healthcare and one who is a nurse and I can tell you that nursing schools are typically very competitive, so it is very important that you do well in your courses before applying for nursing school. I do know there are some advantages to doing your undergrad courses at the same university you are going to apply for nursing school because you will know exactly what courses you will need in order to be accepted into the program. If you can find a current nursing student or recent grad from the nursing program and connect with them to hear about their experience that is very helpful too. Since every school is different and depending on the size of each of the programs, some are harder to get into than others. So if you can get first hand experience from someone who has gone through it at the schools you are evaluating that is very helpful.
It's great that you are already thinking about career choices and looking into the details! What you might find as you take your science classes in college your freshman and sophomore year is that you are interested in a different field too. College student on average change their major 2-3 times as they take different courses. Who knows maybe you decide to become a surgeon :)
It's great that you are already thinking about career choices and looking into the details! What you might find as you take your science classes in college your freshman and sophomore year is that you are interested in a different field too. College student on average change their major 2-3 times as they take different courses. Who knows maybe you decide to become a surgeon :)
Thanks so much, Dave. And yes I agree. There are so many career paths so I want to choose one so I have a goal to work towards. But I actually did consider being a cardiothoracic surgeon before but it's super competitive and years of school/studying. Don't know if I can handle that haha :)
Sophina
Don't sell yourself short ;), shoot for the stars and at least you will reach the moon.
Dave Takisaki
Sandra Hurst
nurse
32
Answers
Jacksonville, Florida
Updated
Sandra’s Answer
Hi Sophina,
This is a good question, as many students prefer to attend a 2-year college before attending a university or may prefer to skip the 2-year route and go straight into a graduate school/university. I personally, for economic reasons, chose to attend a 2-year college first and then pursued to go further into a higher education level. I knew that attending a university for all the classes I needed before becoming eligible for entry into a nursing program would be more expensive than starting at a cheaper, 2-year college to take preparatory courses for nursing. Good luck on your decision
This is a good question, as many students prefer to attend a 2-year college before attending a university or may prefer to skip the 2-year route and go straight into a graduate school/university. I personally, for economic reasons, chose to attend a 2-year college first and then pursued to go further into a higher education level. I knew that attending a university for all the classes I needed before becoming eligible for entry into a nursing program would be more expensive than starting at a cheaper, 2-year college to take preparatory courses for nursing. Good luck on your decision
Cheryl Newcomb
nurse practitioner
5
Answers
Riverview, Florida
Updated
Cheryl’s Answer
Hi. I am in the US also so I am not sure how it is different in Canada. I did not go straight into nursing. I got my BA in psychobiology and was a pharmaceutical research scientist for 10 years. I then got my associates degree in nursing and worked as an RN for 10 years and then I went back for my BSN and MSN. There are several ways to get into nursing. I would try to volunteer in a hospital to make sure you understand what the job entails and start taking the prerequisite classes. You then can get the associates or bachelors degree in nursing. Good luck.
Thanks so much, Cheryl.
Sophina