What Will I Learn at a Nursing College
No matter which nursing school you choose to attend, and no matter which pathway you are taking to get your RN, nursing school should teach you everything you need to know to function as an RN in an entry-level job as a nurse.
If you are getting a BSN, or if you are getting an ADN, and possibly if you are going to a diploma school which might have a relationship with a local college, you could also be taking college-level classes in other subjects. You may have one or two years to fulfill some general education requirements and take classes that will help with nursing but are not exclusive to nursing, such as biology, anatomy, and physiology. In some programs you can take other general liberal arts or humanities classes. You may actually be taking classes with the general student population, not just nursing students. As you are taking classes toward a BSN or an ADN, you may have the chance to take classes in another discipline, like psychology or sociology. You will learn critical and analytical thinking and the tools you need to continue learning. There is more time and more opportunity to take other classes in a BSN program.
The majority of the time, however, you will be taking clinical nursing classes. These will include adult acute and chronic disease, pediatric, maternal and child health, psychiatric nursing, and community nursing, as well as pharmacology, nursing theory, and much more. These courses will cover the knowledge base you need as a nurse, both practical and theoretical. It is during this time that students get clinical experience in a hospital, in the community or in nursing homes. Hands-on practice is mandatory for learning to be a nurse. Depending on the program, you may have time to choose some nursing electives, so that you can spend more time learning about something that really interests you as a possible area in which to work. That could be obstetrics, or geriatrics, or any other area within general nursing.
This curriculum is not static, but changes as healthcare delivery changes. You will have more exposure to technology now in nursing school because you will need that knowledge during your work. Healthcare delivery in general is shifting from disease treatment to preventive care, and that shift will also be visible in the content of your classes.
By the time you finish, you should be prepared to take the nursing certification exam - the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses, also known as the NCLEX-RN. You must pass this exam to become a licensed RN.
If you have received a BSN, you are also prepared to enter an advanced degree program for a master of science in nursing, or advanced practice nursing, like nurse practitioner training. If you have an ADN, you are prepared to work as a nurse, but are also ready at some future date to finish the courses needed to get a BSN. But no matter how much you learn in nursing college, nursing education is a life-long experience.
Published: 2009-09-08
