Required Nursing Prerequisites for Admission to Nursing Programs

If you are interested in health care and pursuing a career as a nurse you may find yourself confused about what nursing prerequisites will be necessary to enroll in nursing school. The answer depends not only on the field of nursing you decide to pursue but also the individual program requirements of the nursing school you apply to.

Individuals with no prior nursing experience often enroll in a certified nursing assistant (CNA) program because it has no prerequisites. The CNA program allows students to begin their training from the ground up. Once certification is acquired, individuals can enter the workforce as a nurse’s aid and gain valuable experience in the health care field. There are several options for advancement and higher nursing education from this starting point.

Some people prefer to bypass the CNA and proceed directly to a licensed practical nurse (LPN) program. Many schools only require a high school diploma or GED to enroll in their LPN courses, however, some institutions are now requiring a completed nursing assistant certificate (NAC) prior to admission to the school. Unlike the CNA program which can be completed in a timeframe of 8-12 weeks, the LPN program generally takes 12-24 months to complete depending on course load per semester.

Individuals who choose to go acquire a traditional bachelor’s of science in nursing (BSN) may enroll in a 4 year nursing program. Nursing prerequisites vary by school for this program. Most schools require high school English and high school Biology although some allow you to add those classes as part of your undergraduate studies. The majority of nursing schools require an ACT score of 22 or an SAT score in the 1020-1050 range. The traditional BSN is equal to any other bachelor’s of science degree in it’s required credits.

For people who hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a field unrelated to nursing, there is the option of attending a 2nd degree nursing program, provided that the nursing prerequisites are met. Known as accelerated BSN or fast track BSN, this program is offered at many of the top nursing schools and accepts the first bachelor’s degree as the general education requirements for the BSN program. This allows the student to attend only the nursing portion of the BSN program. Prerequisites for an accelerated BSN program include Chemistry, Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology and Psychology, as well as a previous GPA minimum of 3.0. Prospective students should check with the desired school to find out if there are any additional prerequisites for acceptance into the program.