Nursing programs require the completion of nursing prerequisites prior to enrollment, including physiology, microbiology, and other subjects. With Pacific Lutheran University’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program, you could earn a degree in as few as 16 months.
The best way to ensure you will excel at your studies in your chosen field is to build a strong foundation of knowledge. Nursing school, especially an accelerated program, is challenging as it prepares you to help care for the sick and save lives. Most nursing education programs require particular nursing prerequisites before enrollment to ensure you have started building the foundation for success.
Pacific Lutheran University’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program, located near Seattle, will prepare you to prepare you to sit for the NCLEX, the exam for licensing nurses, in as few as 16 months.
Prerequisites are satisfied before entering a nursing program and are separate from the program’s degree requirements.
What Are the Minimum Requirements for Nursing?
There are different nursing roles in hospitals and other health care institutions, from certified nursing assistants to registered nurses (RN).
To be an RN, you need to earn a nursing degree and pass the NCLEX, the licensing exam for nurses. Most aspiring nurses earn one of two degrees:
- Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN)
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
Most health care employers prefer to hire nurses with a BSN degree, as depth of education leads to better patient outcomes. An American Association of Colleges of Nursing survey reported that 25% of health care facilities require new hires to hold a BSN, and 69.8% of employers strongly prefer BSN graduates.
Some nurses further their education by earning a master’s or doctorate or becoming Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs).
If you hold a non-nursing bachelor’s degree or have at least 60 college credits, you might be eligible for Pacific Lutheran’s ABSN program. It builds on your education to make the 16-month transition into nursing possible.
Common Nursing School Prerequisites
Many nursing programs require you to pass BSN prerequisites with a minimum grade to be accepted. These often include biology, anatomy, statistics, and more. An admissions representative can help you determine which courses you need and whether any you’ve already taken will transfer.
Pacific Lutheran’s ABSN program requires seven prerequisite courses from an accredited institution, many of which must be completed within six years of your program start date. Courses include:
| Course | Description |
|---|---|
| BIOL 201 | Intro to Microbiology + Lab |
| BIOL 205 | Human Anatomy & Physiology I + Lab |
| BIOL 206 | Human Anatomy & Physiology II + Lab |
| CHEM 105 | Chemistry of Life |
| PSYC 320 | Development Across the Lifespan |
| STAT 231 | Introductory Statistics |
| NUR120 | Nutrition in Healthcare |
You must earn a grade of B- or higher in each and maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0.
Why Nursing Prerequisites Are Important for Your Success
ABSN prerequisites for nursing lay the foundation for program success and are essential to nursing career preparedness. Because an accelerated nursing program is highly focused on teaching you the information and skills needed on the job, coming into it knowing science fundamentals and physiology will enable you to hit the ground running.
What Science Courses Are Required for Nursing?
Nursing is a scientific field, and knowledge of how the human body works can help nurses make sound decisions when assessing and treating patients.
In your nursing program, you will likely take courses covering the following topics:
- Care of complex conditions
- Fundamentals of care delivery
- Health and physical assessment
- Health care technology
- Health promotion
- Leadership
- Mental health principles
- Nursing theory
- Pharmacology
- Research methods
You will apply the concepts you learn in skills labs, simulation labs, and clinicals at local health care facilities. Students who already have mastered concepts in biology, microbiology, physiology, etc., will find themselves with a steadier foundation when tackling nursing-specific courses.
What Is the Hardest Nursing Prerequisite?
All science and nursing courses are and should be challenging, but which is most difficult for you depends on your background and abilities. Regardless, you can draw on the support and knowledge of your instructors and lean on other members of your cohort.
How Do Nursing Prerequisites Prepare You for an ABSN Program?
Nursing school prerequisites prepare you for an ABSN program by cementing basic knowledge about the human body before you learn how to assess and treat a patient. Some common prerequisite subjects include:
Biology: Covers the principles relating to living organisms, including chemical and physical properties of life, classification, function, reproduction, and genetics.
Chemistry: Introduces the fundamental laws of chemistry and covers topics like atomic structure, properties of elements, chemical reactions, and more.
Development across the lifespan: Focuses on biological, cognitive, social, and emotional development from conception to adulthood and death.
Human anatomy and physiology: Introduces human form and function and the integration and connections between cellular function and the body’s organ systems. Topics discussed might include chemistry, cellular biology, tissues, and the skeletal, muscular, nervous, and endocrine systems.
Nutrition: Highlights nutrition as it relates to well-being, including how the body absorbs and uses nutrients, a body’s nutrient needs, and planning daily diets.
Psychology: The scientific study of behavior and mental processes, including learning, memory, emotions, personality, and mental illness.
Statistics: Covers methods for gathering, measuring, and interpreting data.
Such prerequisites will give you the basic knowledge and vocabulary needed during your nursing courses. Note that different nursing programs have varying requirements and grade expectations prior to enrollment.
Start Your Journey with Pacific Lutheran’s ABSN
Pacific Lutheran University views nursing as a caregiving process rooted in scientific knowledge, humanistic theory, and health care technology. Our ABSN program is comprised of three main components:
- Online coursework focuses on the fundamentals of professional nursing practice.
- Nursing skills and simulation labs at our ABSN program site in Lynnwood, north of Seattle, allow you to develop your applied skills and clinical judgment alongside faculty.
- Clinical rotations at local health care facilities provide real-world patient care experiences.
Contact us today, and an admission representative will help you develop a plan to complete any prerequisites and enroll in our ABSN program sooner rather than later.