New to Alabama - UAB?

I'm a graduate of UAB. It is an awesome school!! UAB is in the heart of downtown and close to so many hospitals. UAB hospital is a great teaching facility with magnet status. I feel one of the great things about UAB is that they teach the why we do everything we do. UAB also has a great skills lab facility. There is also the opportunity to have interdisciplinary skills labs with RTs and med students.
Also, if you are staying in Birmingham after you graduate, there are many hospitals in the area and you most likely will be able to get a job in an area that you want. Let me know if you have any more questions!

Samford is a good school also. My preceptor is my last semester was a Samford graduate and she was great. I don't really know much about how they do their program. One thing to consider may be that they are a lot more expensive than UAB because they are private.

Hi there,
Both of the programs you have asked about have excellent reputations. A couple of things to consider are: The cost of attendance, i.e. public out of state tuition vs private out of state tuition and program size- UAB SON has an enrollment of approximately 1800 vs Samford SON enrollment of approximately 600. I have heard good things about both programs, but really, if you could swing a visit, do so. Both are extremely competitive programs. You should chose the program and environment that feels right to you on a personal level and financial level. I am not affiliated with either program as I am enrolled in a night and weekend ASN program so that I can continue to work full time. The kid likes to be fed, and the bank likes the mortgage payment on time-- go figure. In my circle of friends there are some who went to UAB SON, some who went to Samford SON, and some who went the ASN route, and I would trust any of them to care for me or my family members. Good luck with your decision, and if you do come on down, bring some Gray's Papaya!

Sorry as I'm not trying to take over your thread but I'm also looking to apply to nursing school for a second bachlelors. However, I don't have any experience in the field. Never have worked in a hospital setting at all. Do I need to have any before I try to apply?

UAB gets many applications for the SON. Many more than they have room for. Due to this reason I suggest you apply to more than just one program. As a transfer student you will not be guaranteed a seat in the program. I applied with a 3.2 gpa, 8 years as a Navy Corpsman with both base hospital and combat surgical hospital experience, I shadowed an RN in the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at UAB, I shadowed another in the Trauma/Burn Unit, I am personal friends with a member of the nursing faculty, I also wrote what I thought was a killer essay, but I still didn't get in. I have no doubt the reason I didn't get in was due to my age. I am a nontraditional student. I would stand out amongst all the 20 somethings in class.

I am suggesting you don't do what I did and put all of your eggs in the UAB SON basket. Apply to all programs and pick the one you want out of those that accept you. For this Fall I applied to 6 different programs and was accepted into 5. THe only decline I got was UAB, for the second time. Oh well, life goes on.