Please help me choose a program in Hampton Roads

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Hello all! First post to allnurses, although I've been reading LOTS of posts.

I am thinking of a career change to nursing. I currently work in public relations and have a bachelors in media studies. I want to do something different - apparently I am not cut out for a desk job! :)

I have been to orientations for Sentara's BSN program and TCC's ADN program. The Sentara program wowed me with its clinical hours. I learn better outside of the classroom, so this appealed to me. However, it is much more expensive than the TCC program, even though I have some credits that will transfer.

I've read a few posts that suggested doing the TCC program, then once in the field, hopefully my employer will offer tuition assistance and I could take the RN-BSN track. Sounds like a great idea, but if most of the hospitals in this area are Sentara and they are now producing BSN graduates, won't they be hiring only BSNs? I live in Virginia Beach and would like to avoid going to the Peninsula if possible (the tunnel traffic - yikes!!).

Please offer up any suggestions, where you went to school, how you liked the program, how others view the program, etc. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!!! THanks so much!

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Specializes in Urology, Nephology, Internal Medicine.

Look into the Hampton University Virginia Beach Campus.

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hey, just read your post and wanted to know why would you have to travel to the pennisula if you live in va. beach? Sentara's main campus is in chesapeake by greenbriar. I attend the school and it just turned into a BSN program and it should be starting its first class next january (i believe). It's clinical experience is what persuaded me to transfer from ODU to Sentara. I can't tell you how many times I worked with nurses from schools that offers BSN programs that doesn't know as much as I do (I'm not trying to start anything just giving my opinion). And I just want to let you know not to count on your employer to pay for your school expenses. The economy is so messed up right now that they don't have as many incentives like they use to (a sentara recruiter came and talked to my class about this last week). Anyways you just have to look into the school and figure out what will work better for you! Go to the virginia board of nursing and check out the nclex pass rates for one.

Good luck to you

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Most schools of nursing receive many more applications than there are spaces. I encourage potential students to apply to more than one school. Then if you get accepted at more than one place, you can make the best choice for yourself.

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Specializes in Cardiac, Rehab.

You sound like you are in the same boat as I am, you want to make a change into nursing from a non health care related field. From what I can see from all the programs, they want you to come in with a certain group of prereqs already fulfilled. English, math, that sort of thing. You should be pretty well off if you already have a bachelors degree. Also, they want you to have at least 5-8 credits of Anatomy and 4 credits of Microbiology. So that really boils down to 3 courses you will need to take before you can get into a program. TCC might be a bit different, since they include those courses as part of their normal curriculum.

I would encourage you to take a longer term view and start planning out a strategy. Talk to the folks at Sentara as well as the college based programs. Lots of information can be had via the web. Most likely you will not start a program for at least a year, but that would give you enough time to get all the required courses complete and under your belt.

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You know what is interesting is that I too was in the same boat, I live in the area of Hampton Roads and have worked at the rehab center in hampton, so asking nurses, doctors and just watching students of nursing schools come in gave me great insight. I am actually finding the better nurses were from TNCC, their application period and net come up beginning in Septemeber, sept 1st actually. So that is what i am doing and then you start in the spring of 2010 in the williamsburg campus, I dont know if you want a diploma or not to go onto to BSN but most places, ie the hospitals dont give a diploma, good luck with your search, its a hard decision to make. take care and good luck in the future, malia

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Thanks for all the great info! I plan to start Anatomy/Phys. in Jan at TCC. From there, I think the best guess is to keep asking around and do LOTS of research! And great idea, UVA Grad Nursing, to apply to multiple programs. I'll Just keep working on a few of the pre-reqs i dont have, such as Statistics, public speaking and developmental psych.

It doesn't seem necessary to have the BSN unless I plan to go into management. Right now, I dont know if I will or not! I just know I want the best training so that I can be the best nurse I can be.

thanks so much for the great insight!

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annfaith - thanks for the HU suggestion! I had no idea they had a campus at Town Center in VB. I'm going to do some more reserach on their accelerated BSN course ...

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I've been in 2 programs.

I started at TCC. Failed a class. I could have gone back, but it would have been at least a year until I was able to get into another cohort. I picked Sentara b/c even though I had to wait a year to get into there too, I had 3 more prerequisites to get in there, so I wouldn't be sitting around doing nothing and waiting. And- as it turns out those 3 classes I'll need to get into the RN-BSN bridge they're offering.

I've been at Sentara for a week. Mind you, I'm in the last diploma class, so if you go into the BSN program you'll have a much different experience than I am. In terms of class learning and clinical learning.

I like the teachers, and the thing that really sold me was the amount of clinical experience. We get a lot of hands-on in the skills lab, and our acutal clinicals start in October.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I think that Hampton, ODU, and Norfolk State all have programs specifically intended for 2nd degree students. You should probably check all of the me out as they may give you a BSN for less time and money than other options.

People mistakenly believe that you only need a BSN if you want a management position. That is not true. There are a lot of jobs that require (or at least prefer) a BSN. Some are clinically focused, some are educationally focused and some are management focused ... and you won't know what career path might interest you until you long-term until you have spent a little time actually being a nurse.

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wow - thanks llg! I will definately check out those programs as well. Maybe more of my credits from college will fit one of these BSN programs.

Thanks again to everyone!

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