HANCEVILLE, Ala. — Nearly two dozen employers were on hand recently to recruit more than 100 Wallace State Nursing students nearing the end of their third semester in the program. That is when they will be allowed to sit for the NCLEX-PN licensure exam to become licensed practical nurses and enter the workforce with those credentials.
Students Kelsie Madison and Kalli Jones were presently surprised to see so many medical facilities on hand at the event.
“I didn’t expect that many because like Tuscaloosa is far away and Decatur and all that, but I forget that there’s a lot of students who come literally from all the way from Jasper to Wallace for the Nursing program,” said Madison, who is from Hayden.
“I really didn’t know the number of options we would have as LPNs who were still in nursing school,” said Jones, of West Point. “It really lets me see what all is available for me and the endless possibilities I have as a nurse. This is a really good opportunity for us.”
Both students plan to take the NCLEX-PN licensure exam when they complete their third semester in the program and were happy to see representatives from their preferred facilities in attendance, as well as others they did not know hired LPNs.
“Before COVID it was hard to find a job as an LPN outside of long-term care and this kind of shows you how much it’s opened up since COVID happened,” Madison said. “UAB for instance, is allowing LPNs to do more than just give blood products as long as they’ve been checked off, so you’re actually getting to do more patient care before graduating.”
Jennifer Stribling, left, of Aspire Health & Rehab speaks with Wallace State Nursing students at a career fair held Wednesday at the college. (Wallace State)
Jennifer Stribling, Staff Development Coordinator for Aspire Health & Rehab, was attending the fair for the first time but is no stranger to Wallace State as she graduated from the program in 2010.
The students she met at the fair were “amazing,” she said. “I think they’re all going to be such a good contribution. They’re asking great questions and interacting beautifully.”
As a graduate and spending 14 years in the industry, Stribling said she’s always heard high praise for Wallace State Nursing graduates.
“Wallace turns out some of the best nurses,” she said she often hears from upper management. “And I agree, totally, and I told them this is a top-notch school, and I can’t sing their praises enough.”
Fred Ellis, right of University of West Alabama speaks with Wallace State Nursing students at a career fair held Wednesday at the college. (Wallace State)
For students who wanted to think ahead to furthering their education, they also had options for that at the fair.
Fred Ellis, Education Liaison for the University of West Alabama Online Division, was attending his first career fair at Wallace State, introducing students to UWA’s online bachelor’s degree program for nurses.
“We hear that Wallace State is putting out a lot of good nursing students,” Ellis said. “We want to promote and collaborate with Wallace State to make sure we’re on the same path as far as taking the students to a different level.”
Along with Aspire and UWA, other entities on hand were: Ascension Health, Baptist Health/Tenet, Barfield Healthcare, Cullman Regional, DCH Health System, Encompass Health/Lakeshore, Gadsden Regional, Hanceville Health & Rehab, Huntsville Hospital, Legacy Health & Rehab, Madison Hospital, Marshall Medical Center, McGuffey’s Healthcare, Northway Health & Rehab, Oak Knoll Health & Rehab, Rehab Select of Albertville, Riverview Medical Center, South Hampton Health & Rehab, South Haven Health & Rehab, UAB Medicine, UAB School of Nursing and University of West Alabama.
The Wallace State Department of Nursing Education is currently accepting applications through Oct. 1 for the Spring 2025 semester. Visit www.wallacestate.edu/nursing, email nursingapplicant@wallacestate.edu or call 256-352-8199 for more information.
