Sentara College of Health Sciences BSN 2019 Application

Jdmgreg · Jul 1, 2019

5 hours ago, wshifty said:
Wow you guys have good GPAs and TEAS scores! Any tips and advice on how to study for the TEAS?

The best advice I can give you is to take your time in studying. Try to focus on each section for a few days or even a week at a time.

Reading

This section is a bit difficult to prepare for as it only relies on your ability to focus. What I remember doing was reading questions before I read long passages. That way I could make a mental note when I came across the information it was asking for. Also, try and get comfortable reading with a countdown timer.

Math

Try and focus on decimals, fractions, and conversions of the two. Get comfortable with word problems as well. The calculator is your friend in this section.

Science

This section can be ugly and understandably so. Out of 50+ questions around 32 of them are on A&P. Definitely focus on that by going through your old notes. I watched Crash Course: Anatomy and Physiology on youtube. That was a huuuuge help. Freshen up on the specifics of the endocrine system, circulatory loop, etc. They can really surprise you with very specific questions and then hit you with a simple question you learned the first day of class. So in general, it's good to really review each system.

English

Fairly basic. Know your grammar. Pronouns, comma splices, when to use semicolons, etc

Lastly, I recommend getting two review books. I used Kaplan and Mometrix. Highly recommend those two as they have quality practice tests in the book and online.

Selden · Jul 1, 2019

On 5/16/2019 at 11:03 AM, Sentara_BSN_2021 said:
No problem!
This semester that just finished, we were in class 2x a week for 3-5 hours and then had 1 clinical day which is 8.5 hours (6:45-3:15). I worked full time during this, it is doable! So my week usually looked like this: Monday class 8-1:30, work till 6. Tuesday work 9-5. Wednesday class from 9-12, work 1-6. Thursday clinical. Friday work 9-5.
Many people had jobs and other commitment's, it's definitely achievable if you set your mind to it and prioritize.
I'm really enjoying the program so far but there are a lot of things that can be improved - for example, the class load is already very hefty and this entire semester we were getting our lecture videos like a day before class so we did not have nearly enough time to prep prior to class. There was also a lot of conflicting teachings from different instructors which caused a lot of "self-teaching" during the semester for one of our classes.
As for admissions - yes it is GPA and TEAS only, so study hard for that TEAS! It's not a difficult test. I scored a 100 on the math portion and I am terrible at math (or so I thought). I had 6 years of experience in the medical field and there was no where on the application to put that.
Hope this helps!

Is it true that we get summers off? Or do we still have clinicals or classes during that time?

Steris · Jul 1, 2019

As far as the college catalog says we do not have any summer coursework. I’d be interested to hear from the current students if there is any expectations for summer.

Katie Layden · Jul 9, 2019

On 5/16/2019 at 11:17 AM, Sentara_BSN_2021 said:
Oh you're bound to get in with those stats! I was initially waitlisted and had a lower GPA, but was happy when they called! I can tell you that this program exceeds many other programs in the area, as it is a BSN program in 2.5 years, and our NCLEX pass rate is 100%. You will also get to work with the registration staff in making sure the schedule works for you, and Sentara students do take priority over other students / programs when it comes to clinical and job placement. Keep that in mind but also ask around! This may work great for me but terrible for others.

When will they stop calling people off the waitlist? I was waitlisted for the 2020 application and was wondering if they will keep pulling people off of it up to the first day of classes?

D_Scramble, EMT-P · Aug 15, 2019

On 5/10/2019 at 10:34 AM, Sentara_BSN_2021 said:
Hey there, current Sentara BSN student, just finished my first semester!
AMA about the admissions process or the program in general, I'll be happy to answer what I can!

Would you have time to tutor for the TEAS?! I have found that I just do better with a tutor on big tests like this!!

Sentara_BSN_2021 · Aug 15, 2019

5 hours ago, DemiCampbell said:
Would you have time to tutor for the TEAS?! I have found that I just do better with a tutor on big tests like this!!

I appreciate you asking but it would be absolutely impossible for me to tutor anyone while i'm in school. I'm taking 16 credits which includes 2 clinicals, I have a full time job, and a life haha. I have way too much stuff to try and teach myself before I can find the time to assist anyone else. Sorry if that is aggressive, but that's just how demanding nursing school is! I can tell you though that I used the ATI TEAS study guide that is straight from the testing website (the company who makes the TEAS test) and it helped me get an Advanced grade on my TEAS test 2 times. That's all I used and it was well worth it. They have a TON of material on that website that will help you and is much cheaper than a tutor i'm sure. The website is https://atitesting.com/teas-prep. The test is not a difficult test, it just takes some review. I wish you the best of luck!

Sentara_BSN_2021 · Aug 15, 2019

On 7/1/2019 at 12:38 PM, Selden said:
Is it true that we get summers off? Or do we still have clinicals or classes during that time?

Hey sorry for late response - this semester we had to take a nutrition course either over the summer at your own pace, or through the college. Nutrition is a new requirement for BSN programs and is now being incorporated into the curriculum. Some students already took the course in the past, so they lucked out and didn't have to take it. I chose to take it over the summer because I did not want to take it during the semester in conjunction with Med Nurg 1, Pharmacology, and Mother Baby. As for expectations during the summer - enjoy it! I worked a ton, took little vacations here and there, but when August hit I started prepping for the fall semester by getting my supplies, looking ahead at what material was already available, and some students started working on med-math because its a huge part of pharm. When you start, you'll figure out what will work best for you! Some like to get ahead while others wait till the weekend before school starts to get down to business because they want to enjoy summer down the the last minute.

On 7/9/2019 at 7:29 AM, Katie Layden said:
When will they stop calling people off the waitlist? I was waitlisted for the 2020 application and was wondering if they will keep pulling people off of it up to the first day of classes?

Hey sorry for the late response - I was called off the waitlist about 18 days after the initial acceptance letter went out. Some people were called off within the 2 months prior to classes starting which was stressful for them because there are weeks and weeks of items to complete before the start of classes. I hope you hear good news soon if you haven't already!

D_Scramble, EMT-P · Jan 13, 2020

Would any one be willing to tutor me for the TEAS test? obviously I would pay but I would like to score in the 80s my first attempt and not have to worry about taking it a second time!