If you’re searching for a nursing program, you should choose one that requires ABSN prerequisites like anatomy and physiology, chemistry, microbiology, psychology, and statistics. These courses will prepare you for your rigorous nursing coursework as well as lay the foundational knowledge essential for your career.
It’s human nature to want to take the path of least resistance. That’s why it’s no surprise that many people search for ABSN programs without prerequisites while looking for a nursing program. It’s understandable; many people don’t want to have to wait to start their nursing education. While that ambition can prove to serve you well as you prepare for nursing school, know that if you want to be a great nurse, you will need to fully commit ― prerequisites are required for a reason.
Every nursing school has different ABSN prerequisite requirements ― some have 10 courses while others have four. It’s highly unlikely you’ll find an ABSN program without prerequisites.
While ABSN prerequisites may seem like a hurdle, they're an important part of the race. You won’t succeed in nursing school or the nursing profession without them. These courses lay the foundation for your nursing education. Among the most common ABSN program prerequisites are anatomy and physiology, chemistry, microbiology, psychology and statistics.
How well you do in these prerequisites will determine if you have what it takes to succeed in nursing school. Perhaps you’ll feel better about taking ABSN prerequisites if you understand why they’re vital to the nursing profession.
Anatomy and Physiology in Nursing
The human body is like a complex machine, with a wide variety of components that all work together. If one component goes bad, the entire machine can go down. This is why anatomy (the study of structures in the body) and physiology (how these structures function) are the cornerstones for essentially every health care career.
By understanding how a healthy body works, it’s possible to identify and treat disease and illness in patients. Nurses use their knowledge of anatomy and physiology to determine the best course of action when caring for a specific patient, with the goal of getting their body back to a balanced state.
Chemistry in Nursing
Chemistry focuses on the composition and properties of various substances, which includes different types of matter and how they interact with each other. Nurses rely on chemistry to guide them in understanding the medications being administered to a patient. By knowing which medications complement and clash with one another, nurses can avoid giving a patient a wrong combination of prescribed drugs and flag the issue before a problem arises.
Microbiology in Nursing
Microbes are all around us. Microbiology is the study of how these tiny, living things influence our lives through application or disease. It helps us understand and track the positive and negative outcomes of these microbes at work.
Nurses use their knowledge of microbes in a variety of ways, from examining smears for bacterial contamination, to properly disposing biomedical waste, to seeing how a patient responds to treatment.
A fundamental understanding of microbiology will also help you understand which precautions you must take regarding infectious diseases. Preventing the spread of disease will be crucial to the safety of your patients.
Psychology in Nursing
Psychology is a branch of science that focuses on the human mind and how it functions in terms of feelings and thoughts. Having a knowledge of psychology helps nurses know how to interact with the various personalities they encounter on the job. Being able to understand how a patient thinks and feels about their illness or injury helps promote higher quality care and maybe even a faster recovery.
Statistics in Nursing
Statistics is all about finding ways to organize, summarize and describe quantifiable data as well as create methods for drawing conclusions and generalizing upon them. An understanding of statistics makes it possible to read and evaluate reports and other literature critically and intelligently.
Nurses use their knowledge of statistics in several different ways, from studying disease patterns in patients to determining the time interval for when a patient should take prescribed medicine. Statistics also come in handy when nurses want to predict when health consultation is at its peak.
Need Help Finding the Right ABSN Program?
Ready to tackle those ABSN prerequisites? If you have a non-nursing bachelor’s degree or some college credits, simply complete our online form and we’ll connect you with accredited ABSN programs that align with your qualifications. This is a free service, and you are under no obligation to attend any of the nursing schools that contact you.
