Bevill State Nursing Program... food for thought

U.S.A. Alabama

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This is being posted for anybody that is considering the Bevill State Nursing program. I have heard lots of good things about the program from students that were there in the past. This is being posted as an up to date status on the program. In the past 2 weeks I have talked to two of the people in my class, 5th semester, that are having trouble doing their preceptorship. The first student was assigned to a nurse that has been off work on medical leave for a couple of months. I assumed the school would call the nurse to tell them who to expect as a precepting student this semester, not let the student try to locate the nurse and find out she is not available. The other student found out her precepting nurse had been "double booked". The school had assigned two students to her. The second student may be put in a postion where she will have to do her preceptorship during the summer, and graduate a semester after the rest of her class. Between the Sumiton and Jasper campuses, I am fairly certain these are not the only two with major problems, just all I know of personally.

Nursing school is stressful enough when the staff is doing their jobs. This is rediculous! I am just thankful I am not having problems with my precept.

Specializes in ICU.

What is the process to fill the seats now? They invite 200 people to take the TEAS test to fill 150 seats, or do they invite 150 people to take the TEAS test hoping they all pass it?

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Hey you all! I applied to bevill to for the fall, but I got accepted to jeff state for the summer so if I get accepted I'm just gonna give up my spot. With the teas test it's not so much hard- it's just stuff that is tested to see if u have a knack for retaining information long term. The test is mostly comprised of stuff like middle and high school math, reading, English and science.I feel like the science us a little difficult because it's stuff that we haven't SEEN in a long time. Especially wince the nursing pre req list is anatomy and micro. The science part particularly is hard because it's not anatomy or stuff That mainly comprises the test( it's only like 3 or 4 questions related to anatomy) it's stuff like geology, chemistry and physical science is heavily used on the test basically if you took physical science in wether highschool or first semester of college you'll do good on the test because physical science combines geology, chemistry, biology, ect... A little micro is on the test to. The first time I took the teas test I made a 64%. I bought the study guide off ati.com and I used it for a week and increased my score to a 72.7%. I took my test the second time at wallace in hanceville. I would highly suggest buying the study manual. It's $85 bucks for the packet, but it comes with the study book and 2 practice test. Practice test A is to take before you start studying to let you know where you are before you start using the study manual and practice test B is to let you know where you are after you have been studying the manual. Hopes this helps!!

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What is the process to fill the seats now? They invite 200 people to take the TEAS test to fill 150 seats, or do they invite 150 people to take the TEAS test hoping they all pass it?

I heard their not even accepting many people this year. A advisor told me 100 max for each campus. I thing they're probally gonna test 150 though.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

Futurernjap pretty much summed up the test, that is all right. There were I think 125 questions? Is that right? I purchased the $40 teas v practice book and I made 82% first time. The book did really help, some of those exact questions were on the test, I remember particularly a math question about painters lol it was kinda confusing to me but bc I had the book I was able to get it right. I don't know that the $80 one is really necessary, but I guess it depends on how much practice you want to get in. There are practice tests you cantake online for free and the $40 book is nothing but questions anyways. (from what I remember). I just sold mine so I can't really remember.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
I heard their not even accepting many people this year. A advisor told me 100 max for each campus. I thing they're probally gonna test 150 though.

Yes that's how it was for us. We had like 72 people accepted and I think sumiton campus had at least 100, they were full and started sending people to Jasper campus

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Futurernjap pretty much summed up the test, that is all right. There were I think 125 questions? Is that right? I purchased the $40 teas v practice book and I made 82% first time. The book did really help, some of those exact questions were on the test, I remember particularly a math question about painters lol it was kinda confusing to me but bc I had the book I was able to get it right. I don't know that the $80 one is really necessary, but I guess it depends on how much practice you want to get in. There are practice tests you cantake online for free and the $40 book is nothing but questions anyways. (from what I remember). I just sold mine so I can't really remember.

Lol your right. At the time I took my teas test, the teas v had just came out( I took mine like in september of last year) so if free practice test existed I didn't know about it! Lol. I think the study manual is $35 itself.

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Specializes in ICU.
I heard their not even accepting many people this year. A advisor told me 100 max for each campus. I thing they're probally gonna test 150 though.

I hope nurses start retiring soon. With Bevill, Sumiton and Jasper, graduating about 50 each, Jeff St. about 60, Wallace maybe 50 more, Samford close to 100, and UAB about 100 every May, this makes about 400 new nurses looking for jobs in the area. This does not include Jeff St and UAB graduating classes in Dec. There may be a nursing shortage nationally, but there is not a big shortage in the B'ham area.

6 weeks to go.... woo-hoo!

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I hope nurses start retiring soon. With Bevill, Sumiton and Jasper, graduating about 50 each, Jeff St. about 60, Wallace maybe 50 more, Samford close to 100, and UAB about 100 every May, this makes about 400 new nurses looking for jobs in the area. This does not include Jeff St and UAB graduating classes in Dec. There may be a nursing shortage nationally, but there is not a big shortage in the B'ham area.

6 weeks to go.... woo-hoo!

Congrats!! I'm guessing your in your preceptorship now? And girl you ai the only one! I hope some of them bring it on home to! Youforgot Jacksonville cause most of them Birmingham citizens. And ua. But my advisor explained to me it is still a shortage even in Alabama because with the baby boomer generation gettingready to retire in the next 5 years or less, we as future nurses need to be already trained andgroomed and ready to take their place! I'm just praying what they say about male nurses being able to find jobs easier is true!!j/k

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Specializes in ICU.
Congrats!! I'm guessing your in your preceptorship now? And girl you ai the only one! I hope some of them bring it on home to! Youforgot Jacksonville cause most of them Birmingham citizens. And ua. But my advisor explained to me it is still a shortage even in Alabama because with the baby boomer generation gettingready to retire in the next 5 years or less, we as future nurses need to be already trained andgroomed and ready to take their place! I'm just praying what they say about male nurses being able to find jobs easier is true!!j/k

First of all, I am not a girl. ha-ha!

I already did my preceptorship, first half of the semester.

I've decided to go straight into the BSN program at UAB. After I finish that I will go into the Navy as a nurse. I won't have to worry about hoping to get a job, and I will get out of the B'ham area. I am not from here, and I don't really like it here.

I agree with your advisor, there will be a big need for nurses in 5+ years. If you want to find out what the job prospects are now, go to the diff area hospital web-sites and see how many RN job listings they have that don't REQUIRE previous experience. Add all of those jobs up and divide by 400. That will give ya an idea of how many people they will have to choose from for each position. I have known of some recent grads that were still looking for jobs 4-5 months after they passed boards. I don't put much stock into advisors because their main job is to get you to attend their school. It's just business. I was accepted into Bevill, Wallace, and Jeff St. I talked to the nursing advisor at each. I discovered that each one had the best nursing program in the area, and the other two schools were on the verge of being under investigation. LOL

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First of all, I am not a girl. ha-ha!

I already did my preceptorship, first half of the semester.

I've decided to go straight into the BSN program at UAB. After I finish that I will go into the Navy as a nurse. I won't have to worry about hoping to get a job, and I will get out of the B'ham area. I am not from here, and I don't really like it here.

I agree with your advisor, there will be a big need for nurses in 5+ years. If you want to find out what the job prospects are now, go to the diff area hospital web-sites and see how many RN job listings they have that don't REQUIRE previous experience. Add all of those jobs up and divide by 400. That will give ya an idea of how many people they will have to choose from for each position. I have known of some recent grads that were still looking for jobs 4-5 months after they passed boards. I don't put much stock into advisors because their main job is to get you to attend their school. It's just business. I was accepted into Bevill, Wallace, and Jeff St. I talked to the nursing advisor at each. I discovered that each one had the best nursing program in the area, and the other two schools were on the verge of being under investigation. LOL

Lol I'm sorry! My bad man! And I agree because every school seems to think there program the best! Actually I would perfer going to bevill than jeff state. Ive always heard jeff state makes stuff so hard- harder than it has to be! No. The less I'm still excited to go on and get it out the way. Were there alot of males in your class? I went to our orentation an there were like 5 males out of 55 and that was on Jefferson campus. What made you decide not to go to jeff state and Wallace? I was accepted to Lawson also but I REFUSE to deal with them. I did my pre reqs there and I already know how they are!

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First of all, I am not a girl. ha-ha!

I already did my preceptorship, first half of the semester.

I've decided to go straight into the BSN program at UAB. After I finish that I will go into the Navy as a nurse. I won't have to worry about hoping to get a job, and I will get out of the B'ham area. I am not from here, and I don't really like it here.

I agree with your advisor, there will be a big need for nurses in 5+ years. If you want to find out what the job prospects are now, go to the diff area hospital web-sites and see how many RN job listings they have that don't REQUIRE previous experience. Add all of those jobs up and divide by 400. That will give ya an idea of how many people they will have to choose from for each position. I have known of some recent grads that were still looking for jobs 4-5 months after they passed boards. I don't put much stock into advisors because their main job is to get you to attend their school. It's just business. I was accepted into Bevill, Wallace, and Jeff St. I talked to the nursing advisor at each. I discovered that each one had the best nursing program in the area, and the other two schools were on the verge of being under investigation. LOL

Lol I'm sorry! My bad man! And I agree because every school seems to think there program the best! Actually I would perfer going to bevill than jeff state. Ive always heard jeff state makes stuff so hard- harder than it has to be! No. The less I'm still excited to go on and get it out the way. Were there alot of males in your class? I went to our orentation an there were like 5 males out of 55 and that was on Jefferson campus. What made you decide not to go to jeff state and Wallace? I was accepted to Lawson also but I REFUSE to deal with them. I did my pre reqs there and I already know how they are!

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Specializes in ICU.
Lol I'm sorry! My bad man! And I agree because every school seems to think there program the best! Actually I would perfer going to bevill than jeff state. Ive always heard jeff state makes stuff so hard- harder than it has to be! No. The less I'm still excited to go on and get it out the way. Were there alot of males in your class? I went to our orentation an there were like 5 males out of 55 and that was on Jefferson campus. What made you decide not to go to jeff state and Wallace? I was accepted to Lawson also but I REFUSE to deal with them. I did my pre reqs there and I already know how they are!

We started with about 86 students on my campus. Out of those there was about 15 males. Out of the original 15 I would guess there are about 8 left.

The reason I chose Bevill is twofold. First it is the closest to my home, and second, I took my core classes for my BA at Jeff St. I knew they were proud to tell everyone "we have a very difficult Math and English program." I had to work very hard to get B's in Eng. Comp and Lit. I had to pray to come out of Pre-Cal with a C, and I was a finance major. After arriving on campus at UAB my advisor and I talked about my grades I was transfering in. He told me that Jeff States insistance on having an unusually hard math dept. hurts their transfer students. It discourages some and drops the GPA of others. On top of having a difficult Math dept. they don't even have a Math Lab for students that need some extra help. Their idea of offering help with Math was giving students access to an online tutorial. I told them the reason I wasn't taking Pre-Cal online is I needed one on one, face to face interaction in advanced Math. I had to go off campus and hire a tutor to get me through the class. With Wallace being much farther away I chose Bevill. I'm not exactly thrilled with the choice I made. If a student voices a complaint at Bevill, with the Nursing Program, we are catagorically told it can't be the instructors, because we are one of the top ranked 2-year Nursing Programs in the country.

After graduation I have to take a Statistics class and a Nutrition class then all of my core BSN classes will be completed. I will take them this Summer so I will be ready to go straight into the RN-BSN program at UAB. If I had put more thought into it I would have gone to UAB instead of starting with an ADN. When all is said and done I will have 5 semesters of ADN classes, 1 semester to complete BSN core classes, then 3 semesters of RN-BSN classes. This is a total of 9 semesters. If I had gone straight to UAB I would have my BSN in 6 semesters, 1 to finish core classes, then 5 nursing program classes. Oh well, live and learn.

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