15 Common Courses In RN Programs

Are you interested in becoming a nurse and curious about typical courses in a registered nurse (RN) program? Whether you’re considering an associate degree in nursing (ADN) or a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN), you’ll take courses in physiology, health assessment, and lots more. Nursing students may also choose electives based on their desired specialty, such as pediatrics, oncology, or geriatrics.

Our list of 15 common nursing courses draws from the curricula of top accredited nursing schools. Explore the list to learn more about what to expect as a nursing student.

RN programs often begin with a course on nursing fundamentals. Students explore healthcare systems, the professional role of nurses, and patient care. This foundational course can help undecided majors determine whether nursing fits their interests and skills.

The course develops fundamental nursing skills through lectures and lab requirements and builds a framework for making clinical decisions. It also prepares nursing majors for advanced coursework and clinical practicums.

In anatomy and physiology courses, nurses strengthen their understanding of human anatomy and how the human body functions. Topics include cell processes, organ systems, and homeostasis. The class builds the medical terminology nurses need to record medical records while introducing specialized terminology related to illnesses and injuries.

Anatomy and physiology are often prerequisites for more advanced nursing courses. They help nursing students develop the communication skills and patient care knowledge required for the profession.

In lifespan growth and development courses, nursing students learn about developmental stages. This nursing course covers cognitive, physical, and social-emotional development across the lifespan. Coursework also examines the role of genetics, culture, and gender in development.

While examining individual growth and development, nursing students also consider family growth and the impact of the social environment on health and wellness. In addition, students develop an understanding of health promotion and disease prevention for different age groups.

Nursing students learn how to assess patients using interviews and physical examinations. The class covers health assessment practices for patients of different ages, including children, adults, and aging adults. Comprehensive approaches emphasize the importance of mental health, health education, and cultural aspects of health.

Health assessment courses build clinical nursing skills through lab experiences and simulations. These hands-on components develop critical patient care abilities. Learners also strengthen their communication, health promotion, and disease prevention skills.

Gerontology is the study of aging. RN classes in gerontology cover conditions associated with aging, the psychology of aging, and how to effectively communicate with aging adults. Nursing programs may offer geriatric nursing courses as electives or upper-division courses.

While geriatric nursing is a foundational course for nurses who plan to specialize in gerontology, it is also vital for all nurses due to the aging US population. Older adults comprise a large proportion of general and specialty care patients, so training in common acute and chronic conditions for aging patients benefits nurses.

Classes on mental health nursing prepare RNs to provide psychiatric and mental healthcare. Learners examine mental health conditions and their treatment, as well as the special legal and ethical considerations associated with caring for patients with mental health conditions.

Physical and mental health are closely related, making mental health nursing courses vital to understanding patient well-being. Because nurses provide direct care and are a critical communications link for patients, their ability to understand mental health directly affects the quality of their nursing.

Pharmacology is the study of medications. Nursing courses in pharmacology focus on the safe administration of medications, including opioids and other substances with the potential for abuse. Students learn different methods for administering medications, how to watch for medication errors, and potential drug interactions. In addition to covering medications and how they work, the course introduces the major pharmacology reference sources, including databases and texts.

While RNs do not prescribe medications, they must understand the fundamentals of pharmacology in order to ensure patient safety and answer patients’ questions. The NCLEX-RN exam also tests candidates on pharmacology.

Classes on women’s and infant health cover women’s health, reproductive health, pregnancy, delivery, and infant development. Nursing school classes in this subject emphasize the nurse’s role in patient education and communication and duties when providing direct patient care. RN programs may offer this topic in two courses, one in reproductive health and the other in infant health.

This foundational course covers general nursing concepts and prepares nurses who specialize in women’s and infant health for advanced courses, which can include pediatrics, gynecology, or obstetric nursing.

Typically offered as an upper-division or BSN course, nursing leadership develops the clinical decision-making and management skills required for administrative roles in nursing. Topics include staff leadership and motivation, legal and ethical aspects of nursing leadership, nursing strategic planning, and healthcare administration. The curriculum combines management theory and case studies of how that theory applies to real-life nursing situations.

In addition to preparing nurses for leadership roles, these nursing school classes also cover organizational behavior and management theory.

Nursing ethics is a core class for RN programs because nurses face many ethical situations regardless of where they practice. RN ethics classes cover topics such as professional conduct, conflicts of interest, health equity, diversity and inclusion, and appropriate responses to unethical behavior. Like leadership classes, ethics classes combine theory and practice, encouraging learners to analyze ethical issues critically.

Nurses will face ethical dilemmas throughout their careers. Ethics in nursing classes build the mental framework to reason through dilemmas and find the best resolution.

A branch of public health, community and environmental nursing examines the impact of communities and the environment on health. Nursing students strengthen their education and health promotion skills by examining social determinants of health. Typically offered at the BSN level, this nursing course covers community safety, pollution and its impact on health, and community design for health.

As frontline health workers, nurses are among the first to communicate health risks to the public. Understanding the influence of community and environmental factors on health gives nurses critical skills for working with at-risk or underserved populations.

Nursing research classes introduce students to the research methods used to assess patient health outcomes and nursing practice. Students examine research studies, data collection methods, and research ethics. The course also develops critical analysis skills as learners evaluate research.

Typically offered as a BSN nursing course, the class prepares nurses to evaluate research and translate it into evidence-based practices. Nurses considering graduate-level programs also benefit from a strong background in nursing research.

As nurses and other healthcare professionals increasingly rely on technology to improve patient care, an understanding of nursing informatics benefits RNs. Nursing informatics courses build the skills needed to use informatics to improve the safety and efficiency of nursing practice.

This course introduces the best practices for using electronic health records, database management, and clinical information systems to store and access patient information. It also prepares nurses to use informatics techniques for quality improvement and patient safety.

RNs strengthen their end-of-life care practices in courses on hospice and palliative care. Nursing students learn how to care for patients with chronic or terminal illnesses. The course emphasizes the nurse’s role in providing comprehensive care, including pain management and supporting patients and families at the end of life.

Hospice and palliative care courses also examine ethical issues, cultural aspects of death, and symptom management, preparing RNs for roles in hospice units, home care, long-term care, and acute care.

RN programs incorporate clinical training to strengthen clinical skills and meet state licensure requirements. While more like an internship than a traditional course, clinicals are a vital part of becoming an RN. Learners complete clinical hours in a setting such as a hospital, health clinic, or another healthcare facility.

Under the supervision of an experienced RN, nursing students develop their skills and explore different nursing specialties. In addition to preparing learners for the NCLEX-RN exam and licensure, clinicals develop the skills that early-career RNs need to treat patients.