Any Sentara BSN Grads? Current Sentara Students?

[mrsecookie]

Hey all,

I've been on this board for a while mainly to just help keep my fire stoked getting through classes! My husband and I just recently decided staying in Va for a couple more years would be best for us for his career, and my hopeful future of one. So that has led me to really start looking at bsn programs out here, instead of ASN programs in California. I've really taken an intrest in Sentara's new BSN program. I'm planning on going to an information seminar this month to find out more but wanted to know if any students there now have any feed back. How do you like you're instructors? How are the class sizes? How are clinicals? How hard was it for you to meet the requirements to be able to get in? Currently in all the pre-reqs I've completed I've managed to get A's, and my counselor at TCC said I wouldn't have much trouble getting in to tcc's program but I really want my BSN and to be done with school. However, I know that experience means a lot in the field of nursing, and am feeling a bit torn on what to do. I realize this is my decision, but I would love some input!! If I were to go the tcc route I would just have micro, and a&p left! Going the bsn route I have about 8 classes left. Thank you for even taking the time to read this!

Erin

[llg, PhD, RN]

You'll have the most job options after graduation if you go the BSN route. A lot of hospitals either prefer to hire BSN's or require a BSN -- not so much in the Hampton Roads area, but in many areas of the country -- and it sounds like you plan to moving after graduation. Even in Hampton Roads, there are some hospitals that prefer BSN's.

But can you afford to get your BSN now? Will you be spending enough time in the region to finish the BSN program? etc. etc. etc. Those are important considerations, too.

[tnbutterfly - Mary, BSN]

Moved to VA Nursing Programs Discussion forum for more responses.

[Bob_N_VA]

for starters, i'm not in the sentara program, i'm over across the water at riverside which is still a diploma program. that said, a few thoughts.

they started that program about a year and a half or so ago. it is a 2.5+ program, you come in with 1.5 years of college credits and they finish it up with all the nursing specific stuff. they have yet to be accredited for a bsn, they are still accredited as a diploma program, they wont pick up the new accreditation untill they graduate a class or two. that is what i was told by one of my instructors a while back. due dillegence would be to ask them about that. like riverside, its a hospital based program so they get as much clinical time as they want since they own the hospitals. tcc and all the other non-hospital programs have to negotiate that time. i have heard only good things about the program, unlike some others in the area. they probably have a bit of a waiting list too, again ask when you go over there.

getting a bsn is a good idea, but i don't think it's the be all and end all, especially around here. there are some areas of the country where its the basic requirement for new grads, but here, you can still get hired with an associates or a diploma, especially if its the same system you train in. lots of folks go the associates or diploma route and then apply over at odu for entry into the rn transition program and pick up the bsn while they are working. if you are planning on moving out of state, i would research what that states requirements are so you arent surprised down the road.

good luck.

from the board of nursing listing of diploma programs:

diploma programs (cont) for information, contact the program director

* riverside school of professional nursing - 28-397 deborah sullivan-yates, rn, msn

º [phone] director, school of nursing

[phone] (fax) 316 main street

email: [email protected] newport news, virginia 23601

* sentara college of health sciences - 28-390 angela taylor, rn, phd

º [phone] dean, school of nursing

[phone] (fax) 1441 crossways blvd, suite 105

email: [email protected] chesapeake, virginia 23320

this is off the nlnac website: http://www.nlnac.org/forms/directorysearch.asp

sentara healthcare diploma

sentara norfolk general hospital school of nursing

crossways 1, ste 105,

1441 crossways blvd.

chesapeake, va 23320

nurse administrator:

linda aleksa, edd, rn

director

email:[email protected]

phone:[phone]

fax:[phone]

accreditation status:

year of initial accreditation december 1964

continuing accreditation: last evaluation visit:february 2004

most recent action:february 2008

next evaluation visit:closed june 9, 2011

[mrsecookie]

Thank you so much for all the replies! The more I think about everything the more I'm considering getting my asn at tcc and transferring to odu for my bsn! I have a high gpa and counselors have told me it would be no problem for me to get in even with as many applicants as they have. What makes me re-consider going the Sentara route is that they are not fully accredited yet. I love the idea of all the extra hospital time but I need to know for myself and family that everything I do, and all the hard work I put in will assist me in even going so far as getting my masters in nursing.

[llg, PhD, RN]

That sounds like a reasonable plan. With ODU's BSN completion program available online, you can take it from anywhere in the country. So, if you move before you finish ... you can still finish at ODU online.

Good luck to you!