Nursing Classes Overview: Find Out What Classes You Take in Nursing School, What You Will Do During the Program, and How to Prepare

Starting nursing school can seem overwhelming, especially if you are only beginning your educational journey. However, knowing about the nursing classes and courses you will be taking in your program can go a long way in helping you not only brace for the start, but also to prepare for your new life as a nursing student well ahead of time.

In this guide, you will discover a comprehensive overview of all the key nursing classes you will take in your nursing program of choice, as well as the other activities you will encounter throughout the educational experience. By the end of this article, you will not only know what you are looking ahead to, but also why each of the nursing courses is important for your becoming a healthcare professional, and what to expect when learning starts.

Common Nursing Classes Overview

Below, you will find a quick overview of the most common nursing classes you will take, as well as essential information about each.

Nursing Classes By Program Type

Although nursing programs share many similarities, each learning module and program will have its own curriculum and specific set of nursing classes and activities. 

Below, you can discover what nursing courses you will take depending on your program of study:

PN Diploma Nursing Classes

Practical Nursing (PN) Diploma programs prepare you to become a Licensed Practical Nurse (or Vocational Nurse) and equip you for entry-level nursing practice, emphasizing safe, patient-centered care. The curriculum emphasizes practical skills, recognizing changes in patient condition, communicating with the healthcare team, and supporting patients with common health needs in long-term care, clinics, and other settings. The PN Diploma program culminates in students applying for licensure and taking the NCLEX-PN to practice.

Find out more about the Licensed Practical Nurse role and how to become an LPN.

Common PN Diploma Classes include:

• Fundamentals of Nursing: You will study the basic nursing process and the foundations of safety, infection control, vital signs verification, hygiene, and mobility. The class also prepares you to interact with patients and their families and to orient yourself in a healthcare setting.
• Basic Pharmacology & Medication Administration: During this course, you will learn the basics of dosage, safe administration, side effects, and how to create and organize documentation appropriately.
• Adult Health / Introduction to Medical-Surgery: The class familiarizes you with acute and chronic conditions, as well as with basic and routine nursing interventions.
• Maternal-Newborn Basics: You will learn about pregnancy, labor support, the postpartum period, and newborn care fundamentals. The class is particularly important if you wish to pursue a career in midwifery or neonatal nursing later on.
• Mental-Behavioral Health Basics: Another topic that becomes important for exploring specialties later on, this class covers the basics of therapeutic communication, safety, and crisis management. It is key if you want to explore a career in psychiatric-mental health nursing.
• Nutrition & Wellness: The class familiarizes you with diet principles, hydration, diabetic diets, and wound healing nutrition, areas that will become particularly important once you start your practice in long-term care facilities or community health centers.
• Professional Role & Ethics: Additionally, you will learn about the scope of practice of nurses, delegation of responsibilities within the workplace, legal and ethical basics of nursing practice, and fundamentals of teamwork in healthcare environments.

The clinical focus will be on the practical skills you will need to perform under supervision, including basic head-to-toe assessments, medication passes, essential wound care, patient education and communication, and documentation.

The PN Diploma Program at Nightingale College is an educational program meant to prepare you for a faster entry into the field of nursing that adopts a hybrid teaching system, which blends online instruction and in-person field experiences. During the 12-month program, you will study the core topics of nursing care (including Human Anatomy with labs, Pharmacology, Pathophysiology, Practical Nursing Fundamentals, and Concepts of Nursing Care) along with General Educational Requirements. 

Learn more about the PN Diploma Program at Nightingale College!  

LPN-to-ASN Nursing Classes

LPN-to-ASN programs serve as a bridge for certified Licensed Practical Nurses, allowing them to advance their education and pursue Registered Nursing certification. The curriculum aims to expand your knowledge and competence in RN-level decision-making and complex care, building on your current education and practice and preparing you to apply for licensure and take the NCLEX-RN.

Learn more about the differences in education between LPNs and RNs.

During an LPN-to-ASN program, you will usually study:

• Transition to Professional RN Practice: The course represents a role expansion, delving into scope differences, delegation, and accountability within the healthcare setting.
• Advanced Adult Health (Med-Surg): Teaches you to manage complex conditions, multisystem issues, and postoperative complications in medical and surgical settings.
• Maternal-Child Nursing: the curriculum usually includes a class that builds on higher-risk scenarios, more in-depth assessment, and an educational focus, using your knowledge of the basics.
• Mental Health Nursing: The class deepens your understanding of mental health assessment, therapeutic approaches, safety, and substance use considerations, while also giving you slightly broader responsibilities.
• Leadership & Management Foundations: One central difference from the LPN role is the increased level of workplace autonomy and independence. This class prepares you to coordinate care, prioritize, and delegate duties, which are central to leadership and management roles. 
• Introduction to Evidence-Based Practice: The class teaches you to use research to guide practice and to develop basic appraisal skills, grounding your activities and understanding of healthcare practices in a scientific framework.

The clinical focus of LPN-to-ASN paths shifts toward activities that evaluate your clinical judgement, prioritize care, and respond to changes in patient status. This will go beyond performing some basic nursing skills, as you will have to showcase your judgement and applied understanding of nursing practice.

If you want to advance your level of education and practice, you can pursue Nightingale College’s LPN-to-ASN Path. This 16-month hybrid learning program familiarizes you with all core fundamentals of nursing practice by blending online instruction with in-person practical experience.

Learn more about the LPN-to-ASN curriculum and apply today!

BSN Nursing Classes

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs prepare learners for RN licensure while also building valuable competencies in leadership, community health, safety and quality, and evidence-based practice.

Find out why you should get a BSN degree. 

In addition to the core RN program-level nursing courses (such as Assessment, Pharmacology, Med-Surg, Maternal-Child Care, Pediatrics, and Mental Health Nursing), you will also attend advanced classes and complete Bachelor-level coursework that prepares you to practice across various healthcare systems and with varying populations.

Learn how to earn your BSN degree.

The curriculum for a BSN program will generally include:

• Science & General Foundation nursing courses: Anatomy & Physiology, Microbiology, Chemistry, Nutrition, Psychology, Statistics, English Composition, and others.
• Health Assessment: Prepares you to complete interviews and clinical exams and develops your clinical reasoning skills.
• Pharmacology: You learn about medication safety when treating a broad range of patients across their lifespan.
• Maternal-Newborn & Pediatrics: Focuses on the care of antepartum and postpartum patients and newborns, as well as child health (common pediatric conditions and treatments), often with clinical rotations.
• Mental Health Nursing: Focuses on behavioral and mental health conditions, therapeutic communication, and treatment and management approaches, typically including a clinical rotation.
• Community/Public Health Nursing: Focuses on community-level nursing, prevention (primary, secondary, and tertiary), health promotion, disease prevention, and topics like disaster response, often including a community clinical.
• Leadership and Professional Practice: A core nursing course for the BSN program curriculum, it prepares learners to assume increased levels of autonomy and leadership responsibilities.

These come in addition to the core nursing courses that are also part of the ADN/ASN curricula. The emphasis of a BSN-level nursing program is on evidence-based practice, research literacy, and improving quality of care and patient safety. Notably, most BSN programs will also include activities and projects that synthesize your accumulated knowledge and experience.

At Nightingale College, the BSN Program focuses on four main target areas: Concept-Based Theory (CBT), Intervention Skill-Based Preparation (ISBP), Case-Based Preparation (CBP), and Direct Focused Care Preparation (DFCP). This CCNE-accredited program adopts a hybrid instructional approach that blends online instruction with in-person field experiences conducted in one of the Supervised On-Ground Field Experience (SOFE) Areas. The BSN Program culminates in a Capstone Project, where learners begin to apply the skills and knowledge gained during coursework, showcasing their leadership abilities and their ability to transition from learner to nursing professional.

Learn more about our BSN Program and enroll today!

RN-to-BSN Nursing Classes

RN-to-BSN programs represent a transitional track for Registered Nurses from ADN/ASN-level to BSN-level education. Coursework is at a post-licensure, upper-division leveland commonly emphasizes community nursing, leadership and management, policy and ethics, informatics, health promotion/disease prevention, geriatrics, and gerontology, all compressed into a shorter time span and building upon your current knowledge and experience in the field. It also includes a capstone leadership project.

Read our guide to online RN-to-BSN costs and learn how to enroll in an RN-to-BSN program to earn your Bachelor’s degree effectively. 

The RN-to-BSN curriculum includes:

• Community Health / Population-Focused Nursing: Includes advanced community assessment, prevention strategies, population needs, and applied community-based work, often tied to required experiential hours.
• Post-licensure Leadership & Professional Practice: Builds higher autonomy and leadership capability for working RNs, and often culminates in a capstone leadership project or synthesis.
• Health Policy & Ethics: Examines how policy, regulation, and ethics shape care delivery and outcomes, supporting RN advocacy and systems thinking.
• Nursing Informatics: Strengthens competence in information systems and tech-enabled care, supporting quality and safety in modern environments.
• Health Promotion & Disease Prevention: Applies prevention frameworks and health promotion planning across diverse settings and populations.
• Gerontology: Advanced focus on aging populations, common comorbidities, and care delivery across settings.
• Critical Care Concepts: Broadens RN knowledge for higher-acuity environments and complex patient needs. The course varies by school and can either be a standalone course or content integrated into other activities.
• Capstone Project or Synthesis: Final integration course demonstrating leadership, community impact, and professional growth.

Discover what you will learn in an RN-to-BSN program.

If you want to quickly and effectively advance your education and broaden your scope and opportunities as an RN, enroll in Nightingale College’s RN-to-BSN Track. This fully online 1-year program provides valuable and essential preparation for the next step in your career.

Learn more about the RN-to-BSN Track and activities, and enroll today!

MSN Programs Nursing Classes

MSN Program curricula will differ by the track or specialty you choose, although most will include a graduate core, in addition to specialty courses and practicum.

The core graduate programs common across most MSN programs include:

• Advanced Pathophysiology Across the Lifespan: Deepens understanding of disease processes and clinical reasoning for advanced practice.
• Advanced Pharmacology Across the Lifespan: Provides advanced medication principles and therapeutics supporting safe prescribing and management in advanced roles.
• Advanced Assessment Across the Lifespan: Advanced health assessment skills, often with applied skills validation components, depending on the design of your program.
• Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse: Focuses on leadership and system innovation, theory-to-practice integration, and role assimilation for advanced practice environments.
• Evidence-Based Practice (Graduate): Emphasizes the study of research methods and the application of evidence to improve care, often used to support project work in the specialty.
• Health Promotion & Disease Prevention Across the Lifespan: Prevention and health promotion frameworks for advanced practice and population-focused care.
• Health Informatics for the Advanced Practice Nurse: Informatics, data, and technology for complex systems, decision support, and advanced practice workflows.

Learn more about the MSN degree program and what it means for your career.

Every MSN program will have a specific track focusing on a nursing specialty, including family nursing practice (FNP), nursing education/instruction (NI/Ed), psychiatric-mental health nursing practice (PMHNP), nursing midwifery (CNM), adult-gerontology (AGNP), pediatric nursing practice (PNP), clinical nursing leadership (CNL), healthcare administration and management (MHA, NA), nursing research, nursing informatics (MSN-I), and many others.

Read about the types of Master’s in Nursing you can pursue and what you will study in each.

Based on the overall direction of your track, you will also study:

• Advanced diagnosis and management courses by population focus, plus specialty didactic series and clinical practica for Nursing Practice tracks (NP, FNP, PMHNP, AGNP, PNP, and others).
• Curriculum building and teaching methods, learner evaluation, as well as education-focused practicum experiences for Educational tracks (particularly NI/Ed).
• Systems leadership and management, quality and safety improvement strategies, change management, and organizational practice projects for leadership and administration tracks (CNL, MSN/MHA, NA, MSN-Healthcare Policy, MSN-I, and others).

At Nightingale College, you can enroll in one of three CCNE-accredited graduate-level 24-month hybrid learning paths for popular specialties:

• MSN FNP Program for aspiring Family Nurse Practitioners looking to work with a diverse patient population throughout their lifespan.
• MSN Ed Program for learners who want to join nursing academia and prepare the next generations of professionals as Nursing Instructors or Educators.
• MSN PMHNP Program for those who want to pursue a career in psychiatric-mental health nursing practice.

Explore the graduate-level academic programs at Nightingale College and enroll today!

What Else Do You Do in Nursing School?

Beyond theoretical instruction, you will also have to complete various other, blended, or practical activities during your nursing program. These represent not only opportunities to advance your practical skills, but also ways to synthesize and ground your theoretical knowledge.

Clinicals

Clinicals are supervised, hands-on training experiences where you have the opportunity to apply accumulated theoretical knowledge in real patient care scenarios. They are common to most pre-licensure programs, both pre-graduate and graduate. Typical clinical days include receiving patient assignments, reviewing charts, completing assessments, administering and applying care practices under supervision, and then documenting and participating in handoff communication. Typical evaluation areas for clinicals include safety and infection control, assessment, documentation and communication, clinical judgement, and medication safety.

Rotations

In nursing school, rotations are scheduled clinical placements where nursing students spend a set number of hours in a specific patient care setting or specialty unit, during which they practice under constant, dedicated nursing supervision. Rotations help you apply classroom learning in real patient scenarios and build clinical judgment, communication, and safety habits.

Learn more about nursing school rotations.

Perceptorship Experiences

Preceptorship experiences represent more immersive, often real-world experiences, where you work under the guidance of an experienced nurse (perceptor), with the goal of transitioning from student performance to nurse readiness. Preceptorship experiences are common in both entry-level and advanced nursing programs, and they emphasize time management under pressure, strategies for managing and prioritizing multiple patient cases, efficient team-wide communication, and the development of practical trust and confidence. Preceptorships often center on specialty training or providing insights into a specialized field or environment. 

Projects

Often taken later in the program or as its culmination, projects offer an opportunity to synthesize the knowledge and experience accumulated throughout the program, develop your leadership skills, and mark the transition from student-level performance to nursing practice readiness. Projects will include developing care plans and concept maps, providing case studies and patient education materials, conducting group presentations on conditions or interventions, and compiling evidence-based practice papers. Capstone projects are the central example of such a system that helps you gather all the information you encountered throughout your programs and prepare for the shift from academic to clinical contexts.

Virtual Simulations and Labs

Skills labs allow you to practice hands-on techniques in a controlled environment before clinicals. Virtual simulations place you in realistic patient scenarios to build clinical judgment where you can practice skills such as recognizing deterioration, choosing interventions, prioritizing tasks, and practicing safe communication.

Discover what to expect from your first day of nursing school labs.

Beyond these activities, nursing schools may offer additional training, coaching, and tutoring, often focused on certification exams. For instance, Nightingale College provides a broad range of learner support services (LSS) and resources, including NCLEX coaching, academic tutorship, and learner success services.

Find out more about available resources from our Learner Experience hub.

What to Know Before Starting Nursing School?

There are some boxes to check before starting nursing school, which range from acceptance and enrollment criteria to elements of time management and preparatory planning for the journey you are about to take.

Pre-Nursing School Classes and Courses

All nursing programs will have, as part of their requirements and prerequisites, a body of general education courses you have to take. Not all of them need to be completed at the time of application and enrollment; some will be available during the program, depending on the learning path you take. 

The core nursing school prerequisites include:

• Science classes, including Anatomy & Physiology I and II, Microbiology, Chemistry, Nutrition, Human Growth & Development/Lifespan Psychology.
• Math and Analytical courses, such as College Algebra or Statistics.
• Communication and Humanities courses, including English Composition I and II, General Psychology, Humanities electives, Sociology, and other Social Science courses.

To learn more about the classes you should take in high school and college before or during enrolling in nursing programs, read our guide to nursing school requirements nd prerequisites.

How Long is Nursing School?

The length of nursing programs varies and can significantly affect your daily life and your personal or professional commitments. When planning to apply for enrollment, you should check the length of your program of choice well in advance. Here is an overview of the common nursing program lengths:

• Practical Nursing Diploma Programs – usually 12 to 16 months;
• Associate Degree in Nursing Programs – 2 years;
• Associate of Science in Nursing Programs – 2 years;
• LPN-to-ASN Bridge Programs – 16 months;
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing Programs – 3 to 4 years;
• RN-to-BSN Advancement Tracks – 12 months;
• Master of Science in Nursing Programs (various specialties) – 2 to 3 years.

Read more about how long nursing school is.

Admissions and Compliance Requirements

Getting into nursing school will also entail clearing some basic admissions requirements. These include background checks and drug screenings, immunization records and testing for transmissible diseases, and physical exams or health clearances. 

In addition, some nursing schools will consider previous experience, for instance, as a nursing assistant or volunteer, CPR or basic life support (BLS) certifications, and other relevant credentials or achievements. 

You may also have to take a standardized entrance exam that evaluates your general education and preparedness for nursing school (such as the TEAS, HEXI, or ACCUPLANER) or take an admissions interview.

How to Prepare for Starting Nursing School?

Now that you are familiar with the contents of the curricula of nursing programs, as well as with other activities you will encounter, it is time to prepare for enrollment. Below, you will find a timeline of the steps you need to take in preparation for applying to nursing school.

• 8 to 12 weeks before: Refresh your knowledge of anatomy and physiology basics, and create a weekly schedule template with the study blocks. This is a preparatory phase that will also train you to handle the workload of a nursing program, even if you do not have to take any other exams or complete any requirements.
• 4 to 6 weeks before: Start practicing dosage and math fundamentals to prepare for medication-centered tasks. Familiarize yourself with NCLEX-style questions, giving particular attention to prioritization and safety.
• 1 to 2 weeks before: Prepare the logistics for attending. Organize your time in order to balance nursing education with childcare, work, and personal obligations, and check transport routes if attending in person. Take some time to also gather supplies and essentials, such as stethoscopes, notebooks, or scrubs. By the end of this period, you should also have a clearly identified and reliable support system to help you throughout the experience – otherwise, nursing school burnout can easily set in.
• First month of school: Consider this an accommodation period. Aim for consistent results, coursework, and attendance while avoiding pressure and maintaining your self-esteem throughout. Start practice questions early, preferably in daily sets, and use debriefing to analyze based on exam results, where you are academically, and what needs improvement.

Learn more about how hard nursing school really is to accurately gauge the difficulties ahead of time.

Nursing school can certainly prove daunting, particularly so if you have other obligations, such as attending while working, going to nursing school as a parent, a first-gen student, or while pregnant. What you must remember is that faculty and staff are there to provide assistance and help you not fall behind. Still, your main priority is to attend a program that best accommodates your preexisting obligations, while also aligning with your career goals and industry standards.

At Nightingale College, we provide high-quality, certified nursing education that invites as many learners, particularly those from previously underserved and underrepresented communities, to become top professionals and leaders in the field of nursing. The hybrid learning model seamlessly blends online instruction with in-person practical activities (field experiences, preceptorship classes, seminars) to accommodate learners from all walks of life while providing reliable, comprehensive training. Our academic programs also integrate technological solutions (such as virtual and VR labs and simulations), capstone leadership projects, and all the necessary support for learners in the form of tutoring, coaching, and resources, to guarantee a high level of learner success and preparation.

Nursing school need not be a hurdle in itself. Enroll in one of the academic programs at Nightingale College and achieve the career you dream of!

FAQs for Nursing Courses and Classes

What Is the Nursing Curriculum?

A nursing curriculum is the full plan of learning experiences that prepares you for safe nursing practice. It usually includes classroom instruction, skills labs, simulations, clinical experiences, and evaluations, such as exams, projects, or checkoffs. 

The curriculum is sequenced so that foundational knowledge comes first, then more complex clinical decision-making.

What Classes Do You Take In Nursing School?

Most students take a mix of Science prereqs and nursing core courses. Common nursing courses include Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology, Health Assessment, Pharmacology, Adult Health (Med-Surg), Maternal-Newborn, Pediatrics, Mental Health, Community or Public Health, and Leadership. 

Bachelor’s and Master’s programs add Nursing Research, Systems Analysis, and Advanced Practice coursework, often culminating with Capstone Projects.

What Do You Do in Nursing School?

While in nursing school, you will attend lectures, take exams, practice skills during labs or simulations, and train in clinical settings with supervision (during clinicals, rotations, or perceptorship experiences). You will also complete projects such as compiling care plans, exploring case studies, and completing patient education assignments. Over time, expectations shift from student activities, such as answering exam questions or doing skills correctly, to nursing practice readiness, which entails knowing how to make safe clinical decisions in real situations.

What to Know Before Starting Nursing School?

You should first know that nursing school does come with some academic difficulties, and you can expect a high workload, cumulative content, and a focus on concept-based critical thinking. 

Before enrolling, you should check that you fulfill all prerequisites (if required by the academic institution). Starting nursing school will feel like a lot, so plan your schedule early on, crucially, before classes begin. Time management is the secret to success.

Can You Take Nursing Classes Online?

Most nursing programs require some degree of in-person attendance. However, some institutions, such as Nightingale College, adopt a hybrid learning model, combining online theoretical classes with in-person practical experiences completed in designated areas, to provide learners from all walks of life with the opportunity to attend nursing school and achieve excellence in the field.