The field of nursing focuses on the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities; prevention of illness and injury; facilitation of healing, alleviation of suffering through diagnosis and treatment of human response; and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations.
Nurses play a variety of critical roles on the healthcare team depending on their education, experience, and training. A nurse's responsibilities can include:
- Providing health promotion, counseling, and education
- Administering medication, wound care, and personalized interventions
- Interpreting patient information and making critical decisions about needed actions
- Coordinating care in collaboration with a wide array of other healthcare professionals
To learn more about the field of nursing, check out the American Nursing Association (ANA).
Nursing Preparation
- Timeline
1. (4+ years) Obtain a Bachelor’s degree and complete all pre-nursing requirements, including prerequisites, the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) OR Health Education Systems Inc Exam (HESI) OR Graduate Records Examinations (GRE) depending on students intended nursing program, and experiences
2. Attend an accredited nursing program. UC Davis students have two options:
Accelerated Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (ABSN) - these programs typically take 12 to 18 months and are for students who want a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing. These program prepares students to take the NCLEX-RN to become a registered nurse.
Entry-Level Master’s of Science in Nursing (ELMSN) - these programs typically take 2 to 4 years and are for students who want a Master’s of Science in Nursing. These programs prepare students to take the NCLEX-RN to become a registered nurse as well. Some programs incorporate some level of graduate coursework that allow students to have opportunities in leadership roles, public health, and more.
Note: Both programs will prepare students to become a registered nurse, regardless of the degree students obtain.
3. Pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) to become a registered nurse
4. Become licensed in the state you wish to practice
5. Maintain certification and continuing education
Optional: Students may pursue further education in nursing to become an Advanced Practiced Registered Nurse (APRN). For students with a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing, they have the option of obtaining a Master’s or Doctorate degree in Nursing. For students with a Master’s of Science in Nursing, they have the option of obtaining a Post-Master’s Certificate or Doctorates degree in Nursing.
For more information about the wide variety of nursing roles, feel free to explore the HPA’s Nursing at a Glance chart.
Upon matriculation into a nursing program, there are additional steps students must complete in order to obtain licensure or professional certification. These steps vary by field and by program, and may include board examinations, supervised clinical hours, background checks, or other program-specific milestones. Once you are in your graduate program, your graduate program advisor will provide guidance on the post-graduation next steps.
- Pre-Requisites
Prerequisite courses are the academic foundation that most schools require students to complete to prepare for standardized exams and before beginning nursing school. No matter which major you choose, you will need to fulfill the specific science and non-science prerequisites set by each school. We strongly recommend you complete the prerequisite coursework prior to studying for and taking the exam. Always review and cross-check the requirements of your major with the prerequisite coursework for your chosen nursing programs to ensure you are completing both UCD requirements as well as the requirements of the professional program(s).
While HPA has developed a suggested prerequisite chart from a sample of schools, prerequisite coursework and entrance requirements will vary by program, hence it is important to check individual programs' websites to familiarize yourself with their exact prerequisites.
Program Prerequisites1
Courses to Take at UC Davis
Required for the TEAS or HESI?
Most schools require:
General Chemistry2
CHE 2AB OR CHE 4AB
Yes for TEAS and HESI
Human Physiology with Lab
(NPB 101 & NPB 101L) OR (NPB 110C & NPB 101L)
Yes for TEAS and HESI
Human Anatomy with Lab
(EXB 106 & EXB 106L) OR (CHA 101 & CHA 101L)
Yes for TEAS and HESI
Microbiology with Lab
MIC 102 AND MIC 103L
Yes for TEAS and HESI
Statistics
STA 13 OR STA 100
No
Some schools may require:
General Psychology
PSC 1
No
Lifespan/Developmental Psychology
HDE 100ABC
No
Nutrition
NUT 10 AND NUT 11
No
Sociology
SOC 1
No
English Composition/Written Communication
Combination of writing-intensive ENL and UWP courses
No
Public Speaking/Oral Communication3
CMN 1 AND/OR CMN 3, CMN 120, CMN 130
No
Critical Thinking/Critical Reasoning
PHI 5
No
Other possible requirements:
Organic Chemistry
CHE 8AB OR CHE 118ABC
No
Abnormal Psychology
PSC 168
No
Genetics
BIS 101
Recommended for TEAS
Additional recommended courses:
General Biology4
BIO 1 & 2 & 3 AND BIO 1L & 2L
Yes for TEAS and HESI
Prerequisite Chart Footnotes:
1. Some programs will have their own prerequisite database which will oftentimes include their preferences on UC Davis courses for prerequisites. Please follow those instructions when it comes to taking prerequisite courses as they may require specific units or curriculums which UC Davis may not offer.
2. While most nursing programs may ask for the unit equivalent of two general chemistry courses, students are encouraged to consider taking the whole general chemistry series to prepare for the TEAS or HESI.
3. Some programs have requirements regarding oral communication. HPA has listed a couple courses that could fulfill the required unit count but always cross reference with the schools website to make sure it fulfills their unit and curriculum requirements.
4. While general biology is not necessarily a nursing prerequisite, it will be tested on the TEAS and HESI which are both entrance exams that may be required for nursing programs. General biology is also a prerequisite for UCD upper-division biology courses.
HPA recommendations:
1. Complete all prerequisite courses for a letter grade, not P/NP.
2. Earn a “C” or higher in all prerequisite coursework. Some programs may require no lower than a B in any of your prerequisite courses.
3. Maintain a minimum undergraduate and science GPA of 3.0 or higher. A competitive GPA will likely be higher for most programs.
Please note that nursing programs do accept community college work in varying degrees, some accept all transferable work, some a certain amount of units, and others accept a very limited amount. Most nursing programs also restrict the amount of course repeats and have specific deadlines for the completion of prerequisites prior to applying (ex: complete prerequisites by a specific month, a quarter/semester prior to applying, etc.). Additionally, the acceptance of AP credit may differ from program to program. As a result, it is imperative for students to research their nursing programs of interest. If you have any questions about your major, prerequisite courses, or grade/GPA concerns, you are encouraged to make an appointment with one of HPA Staff Advisors.- Exam
The Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS), Health Education Systems Inc (HESI) Exam, or Graduate Records Examinations (GRE) may be required by some nursing programs and it is strongly recommended to be taken prior to applying. You can speak with a HPA Staff Advisor about your specific timeline. Check each individual school’s admissions webpage that you are applying to to see if they require it.
The Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) is not a course-dependent test, meaning there are no specific UCD courses you need to take to prepare. The best way is to give yourself time to study the test by buying test prep books or taking a test prep course.
Before taking the HESI or TEAS, we strongly recommend that students complete the prerequisite courses for the exam prior to taking the exam - the courses provide foundational knowledge to support studying for the test.
To learn more about the standardized exam and preparing for it, please visit HPA’s Application Preparation tab on Standardized Exams and HPA’s Test Prep Events & Resources.
Applying to Nursing School
- Choosing Schools
There are over 300 accelerated bachelor’s (ABSN) programs and over 100 entry-level master’s (ELMSN) programs in the U.S. Check out the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN): Member Program Directory for a list of accredited U.S.nursing schools.
There are a variety of factors that go into choosing which nursing schools to apply to, including degree awarded, location, environment (i.e. urban), tuition, class size, focus or mission statement, etc. Spend some time researching schools online and create a spreadsheet that tracks the factors most important to you. On average, pre-health profession students apply to 3 to 5 nursing schools. HPA also recommends meeting with an advisor to discuss your school list.
- Application System
Applicants typically apply the year before they matriculate into nursing programs and Nursing Centralized Application Service (NursingCAS) is a centralized application system that is used by some nursing programs. To learn more about NursingCAS, visit the NursingCAS webpage. Students are encouraged to refer to the NursingCAS Applicant Help Center for additional guidance on how to complete their applications. Some programs will have applicants participate in NursingCAS and will also have applicants complete an application through their own internal graduate school applications, while other programs do not use NursingCAS at all. HPA recommends for applicants to carefully review the application process of each individual program that they are applying to.
The NursingCAS is open year-round; these dates may vary for programs who are not utilizing the NursingCAS. While NursingCAS stays open year-round, participating programs of NursingCAS may have earlier deadline dates, which are the deadlines applicants should be submitting by. These deadlines may also vary by programs or some may admit students on a rolling basis; please check your individual programs for specific dates. If that is the case for your program of choice, be sure to submit your application early, but only when you are ready. Come see an advisor at Health Professions Advising to review your application.
Programs and application systems may have specific guidelines about what is considered a completed application, and these components may vary based on the application system and/or individual program. Some examples include but are not limited to submitting the application fee and receiving letters of recommendations and official transcripts. Students are responsible for ensuring their applications are complete, submitted, and verified by the application deadline.
To learn more about applications and application timeline, please visit HPA’s Application Preparation tab on Applications and Application Timelines.
- Personal Statement
- The prompt and/or character or word count may vary per year. HPA recommends applicants begin drafting their personal statement in advance of the application opening. It is very common for applicants to write multiple drafts before they finalize their personal statement. To learn more about approaching personal statements, please visit HPA’s Application Preparation tab on Personal Statements.
- Experiences and Activities
Experiences and activities help students learn more about their motivations, interests, and goals, and to explore the field of nursing. What you do with your time helps define who you are in your application. Whatever you choose to do, be sure you are dedicated, passionate about it, and understand your motivation for pursuing it. It is important that you balance your co-curricular activities with your academics to ensure you are maintaining strong academic performance while still engaging meaningfully outside the classroom.
Please keep in mind that some nursing programs will require certain volunteering or healthcare hours before applying for their programs. Additionally, some programs may have preferences for students who do have healthcare experiences. Such experiences could include: working in a hospice setting, volunteering at an outpatient clinic, shadowing a variety of nurses, and more. Students are encouraged to check the schools they are interested in applying to and see what specific requirements they have about experiences before applying.
To learn more about experiences and various on- and off-campus opportunities, please visit HPA’s Application Preparation tab on Experiences. UC Davis students are also encouraged to subscribe to HPA Today (HPA’s newsletter).
- Letters of Recommendation
Letter of recommendation requirements vary by health professional schools. For many health fields, HPA recommends two lecture-based science instructor recommendations (this excludes research PI), one lecture-based non-science instructor, and additional letters from your co-curricular experiences. This can include a research PI, mentor, volunteer coordinator, professional you shadowed, etc. Your specific school list will determine what letters you may actually need.
To learn more about the etiquettes for letters of recommendation, please visit HPA’s Application Preparation tab on Letters of Recommendations.
- Supplemental Applications
- Supplemental applications (or secondaries) may be required for some nursing programs and some may not require it. Students should carefully review the application process of the programs they are applying to. Supplemental/secondary applications may include additional fees and/or essays. To learn more about supplemental applications, please visit HPA’s Application Preparation tab on Applications.
- Interviews
- Interviews may be required for some nursing programs and some may not require it. Students should carefully review the application process of the programs they are applying to. To learn more about preparing for interviews, please visit HPA’s Application Preparation tab on Interviews and HPA’s Interview Week.