Virginia College New RN program - anyone know anything about it?

justshe · Oct 28, 2009

It's in Hanceville. It takes me 30 minutes to get there from Gardendale.

matchsticktgt, LPN · Nov 3, 2009

While it is true that most local colleges do not accept transfer credit from Virginia College, some actually do. I'm half way through the LPN program at Herzing and they accepted all my pre-requisite credits from Virginia College. You would need to verify which accrediting body the college you wanted to transfer to accepts before making a final decision.

KrysCford · Nov 7, 2009

Hi,

I am currently in the night/weekend program at Jeff State. It is very hard, and is certainly not really a part-time program in the amt. of studying you have to do for exams, but it is a good program, and they do prepare you well. I have some friends who have also checked into Wallace, and they found out it is a "Hybrid" program. You take your classes online (audio podcasts/or taped visual lectures), so you don't have to go to campus except to take your exams and labs. I do not know where students do their clinicals, though--you would have to check into that. Also, they have times set up for "chat sessions" with the instructors online so you do have opportunities for questions, etc. So, even if you are 30-60 minutes away from Wallace, it might be worth it, if you are a person who can discipline yourself to handle classes that are set up this way. I am already towards the end of my 4th semester, so I am not going to switch programs as long as I am passing. Also, at Jeff State the part-time program is set up to where you go year-round, and if you don't pass a course, you have to remediate and re-apply, and you cannot take a certain class again in the evening program until it is scheduled again, usually only during a certain semester, so you have to wait a year to get back into rotation. You do have the option to switch to the day program if you fail a class and have to repeat one, but this doesn't work for someone who has to work. I'm not sure what the requirements are to switch from night to day if you fail and have to repeat a class, but the opportunity is there. Jeff State's tuition is reasonable, and overall, they do prepare you extremely well. Several of us have also been able to find "flexi" positions with Brookwood Hospital as PCAs as well, which enhances your chance of being hired as an RN on graduation if you are a good employee. Good luck! Another option, for those who are looking for work, and have completed Fundamentals of Nursing course and the clinical, you can sit for the CNA exam and the skills exam and then you work as a CNA. (www.nacesplus.org--for information).

angelwings7983 · Jun 10, 2010

I am a nursing student at Virginia College in montgomery. My thoughts about the school are a little bit different than previous post. By the way, I am apart of the first class we will be graduating in march. Yes it is a brand new program. Yes it is accredited by the acics which is a national acredidation counsil. You can look that up on line. Since it is a new program everyone has these speculations and questions. Just like any other school, when a program first starts, kinks have to be worked out. The most important thing is that we are getting the same if not better education as all the other leading schools. For example, I am currently doing clinicals every week at one of the leading local hospitals. I will admit that the tuition is expensive, but the tuition is ALL you pay. Your books, lab supplies, uniforms, and all your skills kits ARE INCLUDED. They dont nickle and dime you like all the other schools. You dont have to worry every term, where you're gonna get the money to pay for your books and supplies, cause its already paid. And the only way you can transfer any credits from any school is if the school that you are transfering to has the same accredidation as the school you are transfering from. Thats not a Virginia College problem, thats world wide. So you've heard it straight from the horses mouth. Its just as good as any where else.

Columnist · Aug 19, 2010

Moved to AL Nursing Programs Discussion forum.

morrisalanas · Oct 23, 2010

@ Angelwings, I am considering going to the nursing program in Jacksonville, FL. Just wanted to know how everything is going so far with school, have you graduated yet, and if you don't mind me asking what type of financial aid assistance have you received, e.g loans, grants....

redstepchild · Oct 25, 2010

QUESTION: I am considering Virginia college for my RN. THE ONLY classes I will have to take for the RN degree is the actual NURSING classes. Can someone please advise if the Jeff State Math 100, speech. etc prereq classes TRANSFER to Virginia College.. I just want to be able to get a degree that allows me to sit for the nclex and be an RN... I will do the Online RN- to BSN mobility program from there at a college like jacksonville. I wont need the Virginia college RN classes to transfer if I am already a licensed RN with the state of Alabama.

bamaangel · Jan 18, 2011

don't do it!!!!!! vc credits will not transfer to real colleges. next time you speak with someone who works for vc, ask them what you do if you want to obtain a bsn or msn. they will tell you that you don't need it, you are already a nurse. i graduated from js in 2009, yes it is hard and yes it is even harder to get in. i got in my first try, because i did not apply until i knew i could get in somewhere. i applied to every "real" college that had an rn program within a 45min drive from my house and got into 3 different programs. now i am working on my bsn @jsu and will be finished this may; i am applying for the mshi program at uab, which pays major compared to my adn from js. could i have obtained a master's degree at a school that will not transfer credits.....no. i would be stuck for life. on top of all that...i paid $10,000 for my entire adn (books, uniform, graduation fees, pictures, ect.), there are no hidden fees. the colleges give you a rundown of the cost you will have to pay.

my job is making us take our diplomas in to see where we went to school. i wonder why they are doing this, we all think because of the "so called new nursing programs" they are making up. another thing, are these students really going to recognized as real rn's from the alabama state board of nursing. i really do not think so, but i guess we will find out very soon.

before deciding where you want to go, make sure the new students from this program are hired on as "real" rn's and make the same amount of money as we do before wasting that much money and time on the program.

most the program they offer and make you pay thousands for can be obtained at "real" colleges for hundreds of dollars or you do not even need a degree for them. check it out.....

bamaangel · Jan 18, 2011

One more thing, look up accredited colleges in Alabam in google. You will see no VC or other school in their network of so called accredited colleges on any of the sites with the "REAL" colleges.

Need to know anything else.....go to a real accredited college. One that takes transfers to a real University.

bamaangel · Jan 18, 2011

QUESTION: I am considering Virginia college for my RN. THE ONLY classes I will have to take for the RN degree is the actual NURSING classes. Can someone please advise if the Jeff State Math 100, speech. etc prereq classes TRANSFER to Virginia College.. I just want to be able to get a degree that allows me to sit for the nclex and be an RN... I will do the Online RN- to BSN mobility program from there at a college like jacksonville. I wont need the Virginia college RN classes to transfer if I am already a licensed RN with the state of Alabama.

You cannot transfer VC credits to any university, even if you have your RN. They will still want your REAL classes from a real college to obtain your BSN @ JSU. Trust me....I graduate from JSU this MAY.

mrswill · Feb 2, 2011

I also go to VA college for Nursing, and the tuition is on the costly side, but there is no waiting list here. We have a lot of students that come from other schools that transfer to this school because the waiting list are like 2 yrs long. I have started this program that the professors have been nothing but nice and helpful. They truly do have an open door policy including the President and Dean.

futurernjap · Feb 2, 2011

So what exactly is the cost??