Sara723

It really was :] Thank you very much! I've decided that I do want to go to Sentara, my only hold up now is that the class near me is the learning site. I'm sure I could do okay with that, but I'd rather be in the actual class. I'm not sure if I want to move yet. I have plenty of time to decide, though!

I just have a couple questions. Does anyone know if Riverside will help you pay to get your BSN if you complete their diploma program? And: Can any graduates from Sentara or Riverside give me advice on which they feel is better of the two? Or are they both the same?

Yes it did! Thank you for your help. I'm still not entirely clear on what I'll end up doing, but I've got a start and so I still have some time to think

I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on this. I really want to be a nurse, but I have a strong dislike of needles. I have panic attacks every time I need to get a shot anywhere. Do you think that I should keep going for nursing and that it will help cure my fear, or should I move to another career field? EDIT: I read some other threads on the same problem, and they've helped reassure me :]

Yes the only thing I'm concerned about is the distance too, Sentara's campus is also about 50 minutes from where I live. I'm wondering if maybe I'll maybe finish my pre-reqs, go to Riverside, and move to Chesapeake later on to earn my RN-BSN through Sentara. I feel like that would be much more expensive than waiting out for TNCC's nursing program, and then getting my RN-BSN with Sentara still. Do you know if there were to be any supervisor's of the off-campus Sentara classes that had actual knowledge of what we were being taught, and could answer questions we might have?

I didn't just hear it; I read it. The PDF from Sentara's website states: "Tradition Track Only - Successfully complete a nurse aide program, pass the NNAAP exam to be certified in Comm. Of VA. Must be completed by 300 level nursing courses- show proof of enrollment." http://www.sentara.edu/programs/traditional_bsn.shtml - Click on "Application Worksheet - Are you eligible to apply?" And tessa45: Have you attended and/or are attending ODU for nursing? Is there anything you can tell me about how good their program is from experience?

I haven't met with any of the staff to confirm the exact details of it, but I have friends who are enrolled in TNCC and say that it's extremely competitive. One of them said there was a girl in her class with a 3.5+ GPA that was struggling with getting in. TNCC's website says that there is the 50-60 seat campus in Hampton, and the 10 seat campus in Williamsburg; but that there is still a lot more people applying than seats. This is probably the case with most places, but I suppose that this is also the result of TNCC's cheap tuition.

Yes, what I think I'm going to do is shoot for TNCC's nursing program and if I make it, then go for an RN-BSN. If I don't make it into that, I think I'll just finish my pre-reqs for Sentara and follow that course.

I was wondering if anyone could give me their opinion on Riverside's diploma program vs Sentara's BSN. I know the BSN doesn't start until next year, but there is a lot of information on it, and I'd heard people going to the open houses. I like the clinical advantages Riverside seems to have over other schools. The Sentara BSN program sounds like it's a great opportunity, but it just seems like so much time. I added up the total costs of tuition plus pre-reqs(minus uniforms/books/etc.) and Sentara is about $1400 more than Riverside, which isn't much for a BSN vs. a diploma. But if you add in the extra time to become a CNA - which I didn't know about- it sounds like it would be too time consuming for those who have to continue working. Does anyone else have this problem?

Yes, I would like to hear more about Riverside as well. I like the clinical advantages it seems to have over other schools. The Sentara BSN program sounds like it's a great opportunity, but it just seems like so much time. I added up the total costs of tuition plus pre-reqs(minus uniforms/books/etc.) and Sentara is about $1400 more than Riverside, which isn't much for a BSN vs. a diploma. But especially adding in the CNA thing - which I didn't know about- it sounds like it would be too time consuming for those who have to continue working.