If you’ve ever been to a hospital or medical centre, or accompanied someone else through the experience, you can attest to the meaningful role nurses play in the experience. They are often the first people you see – answering questions, taking samples, dispensing medicine or lending a helping hand. They coach families on how to manage and avoid illness, and promote health and wellbeing. And they use their broad knowledge, deep compassion and hard work to ensure that every patient – no matter how young or old, sick or well – gets the care they deserve.

Lately, we’ve recognized these front-line workers for what they are: heroes. One of the most sobering perspectives that we as a culture have gained over the last two years is that the world couldn’t function without nurses. They form the backbone of the hospital system, and we owe so much to their tireless efforts and continued determination.

Lately, we have received several inquiries from people who want to become nurses. It’s heartening to see the number of people – both young and mature students – willing to take up the profession and help others. And, for our part, we want to help the helpers.

Like you, we understand that becoming a helper starts with education. You need soft skills and knowledge to become a nurse. Specifically, you need certain prerequisites and requirements to attend a nursing program. At OES, we’re available for all your secondary education needs.

Join us in this article as we explore popular subjects for future nurses, as well as the benefits of our online courses in Ontario for young and mature students looking to enter the profession.

Popular Subjects for Future Nurses

Whether you are making your way through high school with an eye toward nursing, or are retroactively hoping to acquire or update course credits to enter a program, you will find what you’re looking for at OES. We’re proud to offer a wide range of courses that kickstart your journey toward helping others.

Below, we’ve listed some popular subjects (along with specific course names to help you navigate our offerings). If you’re unsure what you need, please feel free to contact us.

English

According to Ontariocolleges.ca, “All entry level nursing programs will require an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent, with a grade 12 English credit.” Some programs may also require you to follow your Grade 12 English credit with a first-year, post-secondary English course.

It makes perfect sense: nursing requires solid foundations in written and oral communication, which you hone in English 12 and beyond.

Our ENG4U course (English – Grade 12 – University) combines literacy, communication, critical thinking and creative thought to help you succeed through – and beyond – your academic career. You’ll focus on using academic language confidently and coherently by analyzing and evaluating diverse texts. It’s an exciting course filled with spirited discussions and sharp insights.

Math

Nursing programs request a footing in mathematics since you will likely encounter statistics, chemical equations and pharmacological calculations. For example, the Ryerson Nursing Program (one of Ontario’s best) lists among their academic requirements: “Grade 11 U or M or Grade 12 U mathematics (one of MCF3M, MCR3U, MCV4U, MDM4U, MHF4U)”.

If you haven’t yet received credits for one of these courses, you can easily take an online course as you attend post-secondary school or work. If you want to improve your mark in these courses (and, consequently, improve your chances of getting into your nursing program of choice), consider upgrading one of these courses through OES.

Enroll in our MCF3M course (Functions & Applications – Grade 11 – University/College) to learn the basic features of functions, or take our MHFU course (Adv. Functions – Grade 12 – University) to extend your understanding of functions.

We also offer the three other Grade 11 and 12 mathematics courses that Ryerson lists: MCR3U, MCV4U and MDM4U. Visit our website to read course outlines for each and decide which is best for you.

Kinesiology

Kinesiology is the study of human movement, physiology and body mechanics, so it’s no wonder several future nurses opt to take it in high school. (It’s one of our most popular courses with students working toward a nursing degree).

In OES’s PSK4U course (Kinesiology – Grade 12 – University), students explore several topics pertinent to a career in the healthcare sector:

• How physical activity affects health and performance
• The major anatomical systems of the human body and their related physiological processes.
• The biomechanic principles that drive movement
• Nutrition and its effect on the human body
• The growing role of technology in human movement
• The evolution of physical activity and sport, as well as the struggle minority groups face in sport.

You can read more about the course by visiting the “Our Courses” tab on our website, where you will find PSK4U and its accompanying course outline.

Chemistry

The BScN programs at both Ryerson and McMaster Universities (among others) require SCH4U (Chemistry – Grade 12 – University). As a nurse, you will deal with administering medicines to patients and understanding the adverse or complementary reactions between medicines, so chemistry is essential.

In OES’s SCH4U Grade 12 Chemistry course, you will strengthen your understanding of chemistry by tackling various topics:

• Organic chemistry
• The structure and properties of matter
• Energy changes and rates of reaction
• Chemical systems and equilibrium
• And electrochemistry

Moreover, the course is designed to make you more comfortable analyzing and communicating scientific information. You’ll make audio and/or video presentations, brainstorm what you’ve learnt, conduct inquiries to develop your problem-solving skills, and complete individual activities to make you more comfortable using science in everyday life.

Biology

Every nursing program (at least the ones we’ve encountered) lists prerequisites in Biology. There are so many topics covered in high school biology that carry through to a career in nursing: the cardiovascular

system, lymphatic system, digestive and respiratory systems, etc.; homeostasis; the application of new medical technologies; the nature and effects of illnesses; and much more.

Several programs that we’ve found call specifically for SBI4U, which OES is proud to offer. Our SBI4U course covers several topics relevant to a career in nursing, including a unit on career exploration, in which you can directly research your career path as a nurse.

Physics

While high school physics isn’t often a direct requirement for nursing programs, some programs – like the McMaster University BScN – ask for “Two additional Grade 12 U or M” courses, in addition to Chemistry, Biology, Math and English.

What better way to spend a Grade 12 U or M course than by delving into the exciting world of physics? From directly observable phenomena like motion and magnetism to conceptual and big-picture concepts like quantum mechanics and special relativity, you’ll finish this course with a deeper understanding of how the universe works!

Why Future Nurses Choose OES

As mentioned in the intro, we have received several inquiries recently about our online courses from future nurses. It prompted us to ask ourselves: Why do future nurses choose OES? What is it about our educational model, staff, courses and support offerings that these soon-to-be health professionals value?

After some soul-searching, we arrived at a few salient points. If you are considering a career in nursing, and need OSSD credits to get there, here are a few reasons you should choose OES.

Our Flexibility Means You Can Multitask Your Way to Achieving Your Goals

Plenty of people applying to a nursing program have a full plate of work already. They are studying in their first years of college or university, working a full-time job, or completing a course-full senior year of high school. They need a flexible option for completing their admission requirements, which doesn’t interfere with other obligations.

At OES, we offer that flexibility. All of our courses are self-paced. You can integrate the course into your busy schedule by studying during available hours or taking a longer time to complete your course (as a standard, we allow students to take 12 months to complete a course). Conversely, if you want to expedite your course credit to meet an application deadline, our self-paced model allows you to complete a course quicker, if able.

We Offer a Wide Variety of Courses

As evidenced in the section above, Ontario eSecondary School offers a broad array of courses. We offer every high school course that a nursing program could possibly ask for – and quite a few they don’t!

This comes in handy if you need to complete more than one prerequisite high school course. Rather than cherry-picking institutions, completing multiple courses through multiple schools, you can finish all your requirements in one, streamlined, consolidated place: your home computer.

Meet Your Post-Secondary Requirements with Upgrade Courses

Beyond completing specific prerequisite courses, nursing programs also look for a minimum GPA or “minimum overall average” for eligibility. These averages vary between institutions, with some prestigious post-secondary institutions exacting competitive eligibility standards.

Regardless, all programs take marks into consideration. If you are mulling over your high school transcripts, worried that your past efforts won’t get you into your preferred program, you can take action by enrolling in upgrade high school courses online.

Upgrade courses are for students who want to improve their grade in a previously completed high school course. They contain material similar to your first go-around, albeit with a condensed assessment workload containing fewer and/or short assessments. They result in the same credit you initially achieved – only this time, the better of your two marks will appear on your transcript. Since the workload is condensed, you can progress through the course at a quicker pace.

There are several other benefits of upgrading high school courses online, beyond revamping your transcript. You can read our article, linked above, for more information on upgrade courses.

We’re Available Internationally

Many nurses who grace the classrooms and hallways of Canadian post-secondary nursing programs come from abroad. And they need OSSD credits to get there.

OES offers a convenient, streamlined solution for international students who need Canadian prerequisite credits. Since our courses are online, you can complete them from wherever you are. And because the courses are self-paced, you won’t need to attend middle-of-the-night classes from your domestic time zone – simply complete the course on your own time.

Visit our website for more information on attending OES as an international student, including tuition costs.

We Offer Lots of Support

Several prerequisite courses for nursing programs are challenging – there’s no sense in minimizing the fact. They delve deeply into complex scientific and mathematical concepts. And they may be doubly challenging for students who have been out of high school science and math for some time (as many mature students and current post-secondary attendees have).

That’s one of the reasons why OES offers plenty of support to our students. You will receive support in your course from an expert teacher. You can also access 24/7 on-demand tutoring, ideal for when you have burning questions in the middle of the night.

OES Is an Accredited Online High School

When earning credits toward a nursing program, it is essential that you ensure your grades will be accepted by your university or college. Ontario eSecondary School is a Ministry of Education inspected private high school. As such, all universities and colleges in Ontario will accept the credits you earn through our school.

To summarize, we at OES are committed to “helping the helpers.” At our online high school, you will find a diverse array of course offerings, including courses requested explicitly by Ontario nursing programs. Further, you will enjoy an atmosphere that promotes learning, encourages success, offers course upgrades, allows flexibility, and welcomes international students.

We want to extend our gratitude to those incoming students on their path toward a career in nursing. Your tireless determination and drive to help others are an inspiration to everyone that works here. We would be proud to be your teachers, mentors, administrators and friends.

For more information on how our courses work, including how to enroll in a course, please visit our website or contact us. We look forward to seeing you (virtually) in the near future!