Nurses must understand the mathematical principles used to dose medication and to perform evidence-based research and treatment. For this reason, many nursing schools incorporate finite math and statistics courses into their curricula. High school students interested in applying to nursing school should be sure to take math through algebra and geometry to adequately prepare themselves.
Nurses work with sick patients and provide preventive care and screening to healthy patients. Therefore, it is important for nurses to have a proper understanding of the way the human body works. This is why nursing programs include courses in human physiology. They also require human anatomy. This has the added bonus of allowing a nurse to refer to locations on the human body with precision when conferring with colleagues.
The social sciences include psychology, sociology and health care ethics. While different schools offer different social science courses, almost all include at least one social science, such as psychology, in their required coursework. This allows a nurse to look for mental disorders and social disturbances in patients.
Nurses take several courses in chemistry and biology. These include courses in nutrition and pharmacology. High school students are encouraged to take physics and computer science as well to prepare themselves for nursing school. These provide nurses with a foundation for medical research and understanding how therapies work.