Anyone going through Baptist Nursing School in Little Rock?

Jo Dirt · Oct 11, 2004

I'm enrolled in the accelerrated LPN to RN track set to start January 3, 05. I am having to move from Tennessee (live in Murfreesboro area) and am dreading the move, even though I'm really excited about going to school.

Can any alumni or current students tell me what to expect?

ERteleRN · Oct 13, 2004

I graduated from BHSON in 2000. The school has really expanded since that time. It's a great school...gives you great hands-on experience. My husband is going through the traditional program right now, and it sounds like there have been a few changes in their teaching methods since I was enrolled (especially since my class started out with about 150 students and lost about half....my husband has about 315 students starting traditional). I'm glad that I was able to have my training through Baptist.

If there is anything else you would like to know, feel free to ask. And welcome to Arkansas!! :)

Jo Dirt · Oct 13, 2004

I graduated from BHSON in 2000. The school has really expanded since that time. It's a great school...gives you great hands-on experience. My husband is going through the traditional program right now, and it sounds like there have been a few changes in their teaching methods since I was enrolled (especially since my class started out with about 150 students and lost about half....my husband has about 315 students starting traditional). I'm glad that I was able to have my training through Baptist.
If there is anything else you would like to know, feel free to ask. And welcome to Arkansas!! :)

Thanks. Were you an LPN before you went through the program? I wonder how different it is? I was born and raised in Conway and my family still lives there so that is why I chose Baptist.

I'm kind of nervous. Do they start clincals soon after the school starts?

ERteleRN · Oct 13, 2004

LPNtoRN,

I was not an LPN before RN. My studies were through the traditional RN course, but we joined up with the fast-track LPN's in our senior year. I'm not sure how the school coordinates this now, but the LPN's in our class did very well at that time. It was fast paced, and they had to learn how to do those tedious care plans (depending on which instructor was grading them :rolleyes: ). I would suggest having all of your pre-reqs out of the way so that you can concentrate solely on the nursing.

Baptist does start their clinicals early into the course. The school focuses a majority of the study on clinical experience, which is some of the reason I chose Baptist. We shared some of our clinicals with BSN students from local colleges, and they were impressed with the degree and depth of training that we received in our clinical experiences compared to other programs that were not hospital-based.

Baptist does have a great program, and will give you an excellent start in your new profession. I wish you the best of luck!

Jo Dirt · Oct 14, 2004

Geez...will still have three pre-req's to take when the program starts (A&P I and II and microbiology.

You don't think this will be doable for me? They told me they could set me up to take evening classes so I could get these out of the way.

ERteleRN · Oct 14, 2004

It's definitely doable. A lot of people take their prereqs at the same time as the nursing. What I was saying, was to try to get everything out of the way so that you could focus on nursing only.

Heck, I was taking ALL of my prereqs my freshman year of nursing (through Baptist and correspondence courses), had two small children around 2 yrs old, and going through marital separation @ the same time. So, it is DEFINITELY doable. I just try to encourage others not to have so many extra studies (and extra stress), if at all possible. And since you only need 3 more courses, I think you will do great. You just have to set your mind to it, and pray that God will guide you...and with that, everything is possible. And with you already being in the nursing profession, you know that it can be one of the most rewarding careers out there.

Jo Dirt · Oct 17, 2004

ERtele, I have got to ask your opinion...I'm having to make a tough decision...the money isn't stretching as far as I thought it would (which doesn't mean a thing except I will be having to work somewhere on the weekends when I am in Arkansas) and I am also getting cold feet.

I know ultimately I can only decide what is best for me but could you give me your opinion...I'm getting my a$$ kicked around over on the distance education forum because I happened to mention I thought a physical school had advantages over an online school but that I was thinking of going through Excelsior anyway.

So my question is....if you had it to do over, would you choose Excelsior or would you go to Baptist?

I'm going insane because I only have a couple of months to make this big decision...