LIVE From South College - TEAS Testing Tips with Dr Lisa Homa & Atlanta Nursing with Dr Abi Eloy

In Episode 31 of the LIVE From South College Podcast  podcast, Kathleen Stockham hosts a discussion with Dr. Lisa Homa and Sherry Shempert, NP about the TEAS test, an essential exam for nursing applicants. They provide insights into the test's structure, preparation strategies, and the importance of resilience and support in nursing education. The episode also features Dr. Abi Eloy, Associate Dean of Nursing for Atlanta discussing the dynamic nursing program in Atlanta and the resources available to students.

Keywords

TEAS test, nursing applicants, nursing education, Atlanta nursing program, resilience, support, preparation strategies, Dr. Lisa Homa, Sherry Shempert, Dr. Abi Eloy

Takeaways

• The TEAS test is a crucial step for nursing applicants, assessing readiness for nursing coursework.
• Dr. Lisa Homa and Sherry Shempert emphasize the importance of preparation and resilience in nursing education.
• The Atlanta nursing program is highlighted for its dynamic approach and extensive resources for students.
• Students are encouraged to strengthen weaker areas to balance their TEAS scores.
• South College provides support and resources to help students succeed in their nursing journey.
• The TEAS test measures academic readiness but does not solely determine success in nursing.
• Resilience, critical thinking, and compassion are key qualities for success in nursing.
• Dr. Abi Eloy discusses the innovative and supportive environment of the Atlanta nursing program.
• The episode provides practical tips and strategies for TEAS test preparation.
• Listeners are encouraged to believe in themselves and rely on their community for support.

Title Options

• Mastering the TEAS: Tips for Nursing Applicants
• Navigating Nursing Education: Insights from Experts
• Elevating Nursing in Atlanta: A Dynamic Approach
• Preparing for the TEAS: Strategies for Success
• The Role of Resilience in Nursing Education
• Atlanta's Nursing Program: Innovation and Support
• TEAS Test Tips: Balancing Strengths and Weaknesses
• Success in Nursing: Beyond the TEAS Test
• Empowering Nursing Students: Resources and Support
• The Journey to Nursing: Insights and Inspiration

Sound bites

TEAS test is crucial Resilience in nursing Dynamic Atlanta program Strengthen weaker areas Support from South College Academic readiness measured Resilience and compassion key Innovative Atlanta environment Practical TEAS tips Believe in yourself

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Introduction to TEAS Test
• 00:00:00 Preparation Strategies
• 00:00:00 Atlanta Nursing Program
• 00:00:00 Resilience and Support in Nursing

Got a question? Have some feedback? Email us at SouthCollegePodcast@south.edu or come visit us at www.south.edu.  Follow us on social media too.  The Live from South College Podcast is your source for all South College activity including new student information, deeps dive’s into our 100+ programs, and concentrations,  “Tools of the Trade,” and even Live on location from all of our campuses! Great interviews with Faculty, Staff, Deans and hear from South College students and alumni in their own words. From Certificates all the way to Doctoral degrees, catch up with “Live from South College” for the lighter side of helping your dreams find direction. 

Transcript

TRANSCRIPT – TEAS Testing Tips with Dr Lisa Homa & Atlanta Nursing with Dr Abi Eloy

Kathleen Stockham (00:38)

Welcome to the Live From South College podcast. I'm your host, Kathleen Stockham. The Live From South College podcast is your source for all South College activity, including new student information, deep dives into our 100 plus programs and concentration, tools of the trade, and even live on location from all of our campuses. Great interviews with faculty, staff, deans, and hear from South College students and alumni in their own words.

from certificates all the way to doctoral degrees catch up with live from South College for the lighter side of helping your dreams find direction.

It's all about nursing again today, but this time we are starting at the very beginning, literally at the beginning. It all starts with a test, the TEAS test, which is the entrance exam to begin your nursing journey.

TEAS stands for the test of essential academic skills and it's a four-part exam that examines your readiness for the rigors of nursing school. My guests today are giving you a gift and it's a big gift. They will be answering some of your questions about the TEAS exam but also giving you a lot of helpful hints and suggestions for you to prepare for this step.

I am pleased to welcome the Associate Dean of Nursing for our Knoxville campus, Dr. Lisa Homa, and also the Assistant Dean of Nursing, Nurse Practitioner, Shelly Shempert. Hi, ladies.

Lisa Homa & Shelly Shempert (02:03)

Hi, good morning, Kathleen. We are truly humbled and grateful to Kathleen Stockham for inviting me and Shelly Schumpert, my assistant dean, to join her podcast today. It's an honor to share practical tips and strategies for success on the TEAS exam with such a wide audience. Again, thank you, Kathleen, for creating space for these important conversations and for shining a light on the work that we feel so passionately about.

Kathleen Stockham (02:28)

Well, you're so welcome. We get a lot of questions about the TEAS exam on social media and of course, email to me for the podcast. So I thought it was important that we give them, like I said, a really big gift. from the experts and the pros on how to do it right. we do get a lot of questions on both social media and the podcast about the TEAS exam. And if we require it, which we do for many programs, but also

when to take it, how long is it, how much is it, and so much more. So I figured why not bring in the experts? So let's go. What is the purpose of the TEAS test?

Lisa Homa & Shelly Shempert (03:06)

So it serves as a predictor of readiness for nursing coursework by assessing core skills that underline success in subjects like pharmacology, pathophysiology, and clinical reason. It is designed to measure basic foundational skills in four areas, and I'd like to just describe them for you so that you get a sense. So the overall exam is a total of 170 questions. It's a three and a half hour exam with one 10 minute break.

And the areas consist of, three sections of the exam, but section two and three do not count against those students. Those are for research purposes and seeing how students test. So just know that. And the most amount of questions is in the science area. There are 54 questions. The science area covers human anatomy and physiology, life science, physical science, and a scientific reasoning.

Kathleen Stockham (04:00)

That's amazing. So you know what's funny is I'm hearing you talk about it. I'm already kind of feeling, you know, I feel the nerves coming in. I'm not even taking the test. So what do you suggest incoming students do to prepare for this test?

Lisa Homa & Shelly Shempert (04:14)

So Kathleen, if I could just tell them that these topics that are in the TEAS, they actually have some general education classes that they will be taking prior to taking this assessment before entering the actual nursing courses. And they will help also to prepare them especially for the science because they'll take anatomy and physiology, they'll take a math class, they'll take an English class, and this will help them to score

much higher and decrease some of that anxiety going in.

Kathleen Stockham (04:48)

Yeah, that's awesome. And I think there's so many other opportunities for the students to sort of branch out a little bit because the T's exam itself has four sections, reading, math, science, and English language usage. So if I am possibly, let's say better at math, then science, should I be worried?

Lisa Homa & Shelly Shempert (05:08)

Yes, no, I'm just kidding. No, no, you really should not be worried. If you're someone who has weaker areas, and we all do, frankly, we all do, a great suggestion is for students to start by strengthening your weaker areas. Those, if you can strengthen a little bit, those will balance out your scores and increase your chances of success. For us here at South College,

Every nursing program sets the standard of what they expect and we expect to score. It's not a pass or fail. It's strictly a level that we need. We ask our students to achieve and that's 40.7, which is a basic score that we expect our students to achieve.

Kathleen Stockham (05:45)

All right, getting to the preparations piece, what are your suggestions for students on preparations maybe the few days before the test and maybe before the 3.5 hour exam? I want to underline 3.5 hours need to be dedicated to this exam. What are your suggestions on preparations?

Lisa Homa & Shelly Shempert (06:06)

So there's different ways you can look at it. Like I said, you'll be in some of those general education classes that will help. That is part of prepping for it.

So we advise six weeks and we have kind of a roadmap that will help you with that. But basically best advice I could give is start with short consistent study sessions. Don't cram for it. This isn't this isn't one of those assessments that you can cram for.

In fact, nursing requires stamina. So we start all the way back then when we go into it. There are practice exams that you can get online. And first and foremost, don't panic if one section feels harder than another. It's the balance that matters, not the perfection. Remember, you're not alone.

We have lots of resources. have tutors. I'm going to go into a little more, like I said, about that roadmap to success for your teams.

Kathleen Stockham (07:05)

in episode eight, I interviewed accelerated BSN alumni with an accelerated BSN current student and there was an amazing exchange about preparing for the predictor, which is something that I know that we do, that the students take these predictor tests to kind of give them a sense of where they are before they sit down for their NCLEX exam.

And the former student and the current student were talking about making note cards and test preparation and things like that to prepare for the NCLEX, which is the licensure exam. So do you recommend that these students prepare for the T's in the same way? Do sample questions create note cards or is there really no need to do that in your opinion?

Lisa Homa & Shelly Shempert (07:51)

I absolutely recommend that. there are so many tools that you can use, ATI, which is the platform that we use for testing for the TEAS. They actually have a section on there for TEAS prep that you can go in and it includes.

index cards, know, the cards, quizzes, practice samples, test taking strategies. One of the most important things we all, nobody likes a test. It puts us all up there.

And I know none of us do

and nursing is known for all of our testing. And so to start out right from the beginning and looking at those strategies and there's plenty of like I said platforms out there to get those absolutely free Google it. They're out there.

Take the time and look at yourself and see, am I having a hard time understanding the question? Or is it the topics? Is it the anatomy and physiology? Which I said a lot of that is going to be learned and put into application as you go through that process.

Kathleen Stockham (08:58)

Yeah, it's funny because as I'm listening to you talk about this, I'm starting to kind of get hives thinking about when I was in school because I could write papers all day, assign me a paper or a big huge term paper, no problem, can knock it out. You sit me down in front of a test and all of a sudden all that knowledge and information goes out the window. So Dr. Homa, when will I know if I passed? Will I know my score right away or do I have to wait?

Lisa Homa & Shelly Shempert (09:26)

Great question, Kathleen. So students receive their score immediately upon finishing the exam. It appears on their screen once they submit their test. With their test results comes a detailed report that is available to them through the ATI account that they establish. So there's two scenarios that our students will be in based on their score. So one, did I pass the TEAS? So what can they expect next?

So the first part of it is congratulations. That's a great thing. Your score will be added to your admissions file. Once reviewed, it'll move forward in the next steps of conditional acceptance into the nursing program. And then we expect students to check their South College email closely for important instructions and deadlines that will be sent only to their South College email. So what happens if you didn't get the outcome that you were hoping? Well, do not panic.

I know students, many of our students panic and many students also require another attempt to pass the TEAS and you know what, that's okay. So South College is so gracious, they do pay for the first attempt of the TEAS taking, but additional exams, if the student is unsuccessful on successive attempts, the student is responsible to pay for the exam fee for those, for the retakes.

Students, there is a required pause between attempts. So if I failed my TEAS today, I have to wait two weeks in full before they will allow me to retake the TEAS. And then again, during that time, we ask our students to look over their weak areas again, which will be reflected on the report they receive, go through their practice tests again, and then sign up for the next available TEAS exam date and a link that we will provide students that'll come in that email.

And then again, once you retest and achieve that benchmark, your application will move forward.

Kathleen Stockham (11:14)

Wow, so I want to make sure everybody got that. So South College actually pays on your behalf to take the initial TEAS test. I think that's really important. We get a lot of questions about that and how much is it and when do I pay. So that's amazing and that's a really, really nice perk when you apply at South College. I love that. So want to move into a slightly different direction on the questioning. So nursing school is hard.

And I know it's hard because I watch my own child go through it and nursing is difficult. You have to be very organized and on top of everything. Thankfully, she did finish. But does the TEAS exam indicate whether I will make it or do well in nursing or not? mean, is it kind of a way to...

peek into the future to say, yeah, I did really well in the TEAS, nursing school is gonna be a breeze, which it won't be because it's hard, but, or if I don't do well, does this mean nursing's not for me? Tell me what you think.

Lisa Homa & Shelly Shempert (12:16)

You know, that's a very important question. Ask a lot. The short answer to that is no. The TEAS alone does not determine whether you'll be successful as a nurse. What the TEAS does measure is your academic readiness. Things like the math and the science, the reading, the language skills. But nursing is about much more than that. Success in nursing school comes from qualities like resilience, critical thinking, compassion.

and the ability to learn from those challenges. I've seen students that they come in with an average T score and they grow into absolutely outstanding nurses because they were dedicated, they were coachable, and they were willing to put in the work. The TEAS is simply a checkpoint to make sure you have a foundation.

But your journey, the effort, your support systems, that'll carry you through all of nursing school and right into practice.

Kathleen Stockham (13:17)

love that Dr. Homa, you have anything to add to that?

Lisa Homa & Shelly Shempert (13:20)

No, no, I don't. I couldn't have answered it any better than Shelly answered it.

Kathleen Stockham (13:24)

There

you go. It's an easy one. So what about what they need to prepare the day of? Can they bring and what could they bring with them? Pencil, pens, scratch paper, cell phones. What's allowed? What's not allowed?

Lisa Homa & Shelly Shempert (13:38)

Yes, so they will need a government issued photo ID so that could be either a driver's license a passport photo They'll need their ATI username and password and this should be set up the day before the exam How many of us are asked to?

to remember passwords. I have so many passwords to make sure they bring it with them. The other really important thing is they need a fully charged laptop and a power cord because the exam is long again, three and a half hours. I don't know how many of your computers can stay charged that long, but they will definitely need a cord. And then they'll need if they're going to test remotely, which we do for some students in special circumstances, they will need reliable internet, a good connection. And then the proctors once they get here, our proctor

will provide them with scratch paper and a pencil.

Kathleen Stockham (14:22)

so that means no cell phones, no Apple watches. What are they not allowed to have?

Lisa Homa & Shelly Shempert (14:28)

Absolutely, no cell phones, no watches. Environment is sometimes cool, so we will have to, if they have a sweatshirt or something like that on, we will have to make sure they don't have anything else, like in their pockets and extra papers and stuff like that. They can't have that.

Kathleen Stockham (14:48)

What? No answers written on the leg? Come on.

Lisa Homa & Shelly Shempert (14:51)

my gosh, I know, right? Nothing stuck to

your computer, nothing like that.

Kathleen Stockham (14:55)

⁓ okay. Well, then I will not mention that I did do that one time in college. Okay. So if my mom's listening, sorry. ⁓ So question for both of you. Dr. Homa, do you remember your entrance exam and what kind of day was that like?

Lisa Homa & Shelly Shempert (15:01)

how funny. ⁓

I do, but it was a hundred years ago. So I'm a very anxious test taker and have had a history of being in a bathroom, very nauseous, thinking that I'm going to vomit. So if you are a student like that out there who is an anxious test taker, you are in very good company. I just remember that and then going into a mode and taking my exam, hoping that I had what it took to enter into nursing.

Kathleen Stockham (15:41)

I love that. right, Shelly, what about you? Do you remember your entrance exam?

Lisa Homa & Shelly Shempert (15:45)

my gosh, though it was a very long time ago, I, yes, remember it very well. When I took it...

The test was paper and pencil version. We had no computers, no online practice resources like we have now. I remember feeling extremely nervous, excited, wondering if this was gonna be the day that would shape my future. And sitting here now, looking back.

it absolutely did shape it. I have had a long journey, 25 something close to 30 years in healthcare. And, you know, I guess the main thing is it wasn't about having a perfect score. It was about taking that first step.

making that decision and walking in and going the direction of nursing. The day taught me that sometimes you just have to show up, trust yourself, believe in yourself. It was the beginning of a journey that led me to where I am today.

Kathleen Stockham (16:53)

you when I was in graduate school? Why? I mean, there are days I can remember walking to a test, I knew the information backwards and forwards, I was ready that there's no better feeling knowing that you nailed the test. And then of course, on the converse of that, there is no more awful feeling than sitting in front of a test, you have no idea what's going on. It's like a foreign language, you do not know how to answer it. And

It's literally the worst feeling. So thank you for what you said. I love that. You definitely for everybody, you should believe in yourself and never settle for anything less than your best. I love that. Love that.

Lisa Homa & Shelly Shempert (17:30)

And you

know Kathleen, it's always about that first step. It's taking that step. It's making the decision. Because once you're in there, we've got you.

Kathleen Stockham (17:38)

Yeah, yeah. Do you have any like parting advice for you know any potential student who are just really scared and afraid like any parting shot?

Lisa Homa & Shelly Shempert (17:50)

I guess to say that, and you just said it also, preparation is always important. Going in blind can be very scary. I hope this helps. And again, there's a lot of things out there. But I think that understanding that once you make that commitment and take that step,

knowing it's going to be challenging. This is not easy. Everything worthwhile. You're going to have to work a little for here. But I tell you what, nursing is one of the most rewarding paths you can choose. Give yourself some grace. Rely on your community, your team to help you through every step of this.

Kathleen Stockham (18:32)

Yeah, I love that. Can you mention, I know we talked about this in our preparation discussion about maybe getting a little help from AI. Can you elaborate a little bit more on that for our listeners?

Lisa Homa & Shelly Shempert (18:44)

Well, I tell you what, to be one of the oldest around here, have probably used it more than anyone because it...

gives me the resources that I need. can give it just what I and it guides me in the path to especially I mean even talking about this it has prepared this roadmap so that there are links to all of these resources that are free. In nursing we are constantly doing research looking things up and it has just opened up a new world that is at my fingertips.

constantly and I love it.

Kathleen Stockham (19:30)

that's amazing. All right, so switch gears a little bit. So Dr. Homa, you're a busy person and I know this because I try to track you down for questions and other things and you're always busy. So what do you do in your spare time when you have any?

Lisa Homa & Shelly Shempert (19:47)

Well, that's a tough question. What's spare time? Yeah, I was gonna say what's spare time? So I thought it would be a great idea after we got through all of our accreditation surveys to go back to school. So my spare time, I'm in an MBA program in business analytics. But I moved here from Pennsylvania two and a half years ago, and I turned in my snow shovels for a kayak. ⁓

On my downtime, I do do a little bit of that and I'm learning an awful lot on meditation and how to grow and develop as a leader.

Kathleen Stockham (20:23)

And business analytics, good for you. I'm really addicted to analytics, being in the digital space as long as I have. It's a core competency and something that...

You have to have to really understand KPI and the beauty of understanding analytics is the numbers really tell you a story. If you're looking for it, you can find it. And that's the kind of cool part about it, because you almost feel a little bit like a detective as you're kind of digging through numbers, trying to find, a story, a trend, a pattern, any of those things. I wish you a lot of luck. That's amazing. All right, Shelley. So same question for you. What do you do in your

spare time. And I'm sure it's looking at AI, right?

Lisa Homa & Shelly Shempert (21:07)

Well,

you know what, actually I do use that quite frequently for many things. AI has helped me design my flower gardens and I like to garden. I practice yoga. I am a grandmother and am with my grandbabies as often as I can be.

Kathleen Stockham (21:26)

Nice. I love that. All right, Dr. Homa, I ask everybody this question on all of my broadcasts. What kind of student were you in school? Although I think I know.

Lisa Homa & Shelly Shempert (21:36)

well, my, okay. In full transparency, my first two programs, I was a survivor. I did, I always had to work full time. So I had very humble beginnings. didn't really have a lot of options and, things handed to me. So I was, I've always had to work full time while I'm in school. But my last two programs, I have to say, I've really figured it out. So my very last program, was a four-oh.

I'm very strong, ahead of my class. I think I was number one, but it took me four tries to get there. And in my MBA, I'm a little bit of a disaster so far, but I'm learning. Business is a new language for me, and I'm learning to expand my skills quite a bit.

Kathleen Stockham (22:16)

Good. I love that. All right, Shelly, same question for you. What kind of student were you in school?

Lisa Homa & Shelly Shempert (22:22)

I was probably all over the place. I have quite a few things I've done in my past, but we'll stick with the health care and the nursing. But I did the path of I got my associate's degree. I worked for a while, went back and got my BSN, worked for a while with that.

while I was going to school to be a nurse practitioner. So in fact, I didn't say this earlier, but I practice still along with, but my full time is professor here.

I was the initially, like I said, all over the place. And then I became extremely focused. I, as Lisa just said, figured it out. I had to put the time in. And then I realized that I really enjoyed learning. That sounds crazy. But I enjoyed learning, learning new things. Maybe that's why I like AI so much. Everything's at my fingertips. I can ask this crazy question and it gives me this wonderful answer. Lifelong learner.

Kathleen Stockham (23:21)

Yeah, I love that. That's a great answer. So there it is, folks. I think after this episode, you will have some newly enrolled students better prepared for this entrance exam. If you are thinking about nursing and feel maybe a little concerned about the teeth test and the exams coming up in front of you, just use all of the suggestions you've just heard here and nail that exam. And by the way, if you're listening.

Lisa Homa & Shelly Shempert (23:23)

Thank you.

Kathleen Stockham (23:48)

Be careful, Dr. Homa is probably going to throw some analytics at you and Shelley is definitely going to make you stand in line to use the AI machine. kidding. ⁓ I want to thank my two guests for being here, Associate Dean of Nursing for Knoxville, Dr. Lisa Homa and Nurse Practitioner, Shelley Schimpert. Thank you, ladies.

Lisa Homa & Shelly Shempert (24:10)

Thank you Kathleen for the opportunity. are grateful to be here with you today.

Kathleen Stockham (24:15)

no, it's my pleasure. Coming up after the break, we'll keep our scrubs on and we'll be taking a quick trip to Atlanta to check in with one of our busiest campuses for nursing and the Associate Dean of Nursing for Atlanta that will be joining us that is keeping that program rolling along. Stick around, we'll be right back.

[South College Radio Ad Spot]

Kathleen Stockham (26:10)

Welcome back. Well, we talk about Atlanta a lot on this podcast and you guys know if you're a frequent listener that I have met so many Atlanta nursing students at the ASN, BSN and LPN level that it only makes sense that we check in with the associate dean and her staff making it all happen and

As a surprise, I also have the assistant dean. My next two guests are Dean Dr. Abby Eloy and Assistant Dean for Nursing, Dr. Roshni Alexander in Atlanta. Hi, guys.

Dr. Abi Eloy (26:44)

Hi, thank you for welcoming us on. Thank you.

Kathleen Stockham (26:50)

Thank you for being here. All right, ladies, let's get into it. Exciting to have you now here to talk about nursing in Atlanta. So how's it going?

Dr. Abi Eloy (26:59)

It's going wonderful. We consider ourselves the dynamic duo as associate dean and assistant dean. We have a lot of fun together really trying to be innovative and communicative with our students and keeping the Atlanta fun and vibe alive. So we're having a wonderful time on campus. Dr. Alexander and I started our role back in May. So we're fresh on the scene and we're excited for the new vision that we have for our nursing students.

Kathleen Stockham (27:27)

I love that. Well, as I mentioned a moment ago, I've interviewed many Atlanta nursing students in the past year, and many times they've used the term elevate. When they're discussing their nursing experience, why do you guys think that they're using that term specifically, elevate?

Dr. Abi Eloy (27:46)

So elevate is a big term and we're happy that our students are using this to describe our program. But we do know that the Atlanta nursing ⁓ campus is our largest with all of our other South College nursing programs. So we're excited for that. We do know that a lot of forward pushing things that are happening in the nursing program truly start with Atlanta because of our vast numbers. So we know that students are talking about elevation and rising and doing things at that grander scale.

And so we're excited that elevate is a word that's used to describe us.

Kathleen Stockham (28:20)

Yeah, love that. Dr. Alexander, all right, kind of the same question. These students are using the term elevate, but as Dr. Eloy mentioned, you're both kind of new on the scene, fresh eyes, obviously a lot of fresh energy. Why do you think the students are gravitating towards this term?

Dr. Abi Eloy (28:37)

I believe on my end, just to kind of give a little bit of background, both Dr. Eloy and Avi, both are actually faculty members at one point. So we really understand South College, the culture, the needs of the students. So when both of us entered these nursing leadership roles, we had a better understanding of what the students need. So I think part of the reason why the students are using the word elevate is because we're bringing in a lot of extra resources for the students. So one is, I know with the institution we have

nursing academic specialists, which we treat them as like our tutoring team. On Atlanta campus, we're really trying to integrate extra resources for students so that beyond the classroom, they have everything that they need. So weekly, we have these meetings, we're making sure students are prepped for NCLEX and all of those kinds of things. So like I said, we're bringing outside resources for our students just to make sure that their education is quality and the best that it can be.

Kathleen Stockham (29:33)

Yeah, that's awesome. know, nursing needs are everywhere. So as you're looking across your student base, what do you see as the key need for most of the facilities in Atlanta and the surrounding areas? Is it just RNs, LPNs? Is it all of it? What do you think?

Dr. Abi Eloy (29:50)

So collectively, we can truly say RNs and LPNs are at a vast need in the greater Atlanta area and beyond. And so there's opportunity for our bachelors, our associates, and our certificate degrees within hospitals, long-term care facilities, and beyond. So the need is great, and we're excited that we get to have about 150 graduates each quarter to be able to serve the need in the Atlanta area.

Kathleen Stockham (30:18)

Yeah, that makes total sense and I think that's really good news. If you're a potential student in the Atlanta area and you're thinking about nursing, this I think is a nice encouragement. So on a personal level, I'm an Atlanta native. I was born and raised in Atlanta, so I'm very familiar with Northside, WellStar, Grady, Emory, and I was born at Piedmont Hospital. So that's all home to me. I know it's crazy. That was a long time ago, by the way.

Dr. Abi Eloy (30:39)

Wow

Yeah.

Kathleen Stockham (30:46)

But in terms

of these large hospital and medical systems and even outpatient clinics, what would you like them to know about South College nursing students?

Dr. Abi Eloy (30:55)

when they come out, these are students that are very eager to be out in the workforce. So we send them out there, where our hope is that they instill that same passion in when they go out there to work for these hospitals as well.

Kathleen Stockham (31:09)

Yeah, it's interesting. I've gotten this comment a few times from particularly from doctors and from certain facilities. And when I identify myself as the South College Chief Marketing Officer, I always get, I love South College students. They're always the most prepared. Dr. Eloy, what do you think about that statement?

Dr. Abi Eloy (31:28)

I'm honored to hear that statement. I believe that we prepare our students straight from their first quarter, even with prerequisites. We make sure that that nursing compassion, that nursing knowledge starts from the root all the way through the program. So we are that guiding hand as leaders and as faculty for our students. And preparedness not only starts within the classroom, but it starts with our nursing behavior, which we truly try to instill from the first quarter.

So that's a great statement and we do prepare. That's our job and it's great to hear that.

Kathleen Stockham (32:02)

that's awesome. So we've already mentioned and established that Atlanta's nursing program at all levels is gigantic. And there's no question it is large. So what are you working on for your Atlanta students right now?

Dr. Abi Eloy (32:16)

So there are many, many things that are in the pipelines for our Atlanta students. Starting from an organizational standpoint, we, from a leadership standpoint, are hiring many support members to support our students. As Dr. Alexander mentioned, we have our NAS, which is our academic support. We are growing them on our campus, on ground, so we have that on-ground tutoring, prepping for the NCLEX, which is the final licensure exam in order to receive

your license as a nurse. So we are truly honing in on the student experience while they're on ground, offering our hybrid program as well for students that may not be able to get on ground and having a lot of touch points with our students is what's keeping us moving. And just to add on to that too, in the clinical realm, we're trying to make sure that we foster very positive relationships within our community. So that means if we're working with a specific organization,

we're trying to work on developing like a pipeline. So if we have students and let's see if they can do clinicals things like that for your organization, then our hope is that they can work for this organization. we're constantly allowing our students to get job opportunities from our community partners.

Kathleen Stockham (33:27)

I love that. Alright, so Doctor Eloy question for you. What's your pathway in your nursing career and how did you get to South College?

Dr. Abi Eloy (33:36)

That's a really, that's a great question. I'll start from where I was born. I was born at Grady. So it is fun to hear. Yes, from another Atlanta native because most people aren't from Atlanta. So kudos to you and I, but I started my academic journey in Georgia at Berry College. I did a dual degree nursing program there where I did biochemistry and finished my BSN at Emory University. I went on to do my master's in nursing education.

at the University of West Georgia. And then my final four, my doctorate was at Georgia State. So all things in Atlanta. And as faculty, I've been able to make my nursing education profession here at South College and keeping it all within that Atlanta realm. So like you stated, just an Atlanta native and I've enjoyed my education that Georgia has given me and I'm very excited to be able to pass that on to future nurses.

Kathleen Stockham (34:31)

Yeah, you're really kind of like the world tour because you're in all these schools that are all, and including the University of West Georgia, go Wolves. Yeah, there you go. I love that. That's amazing. All right, Dr. Alexander, question. What's your pathway in nursing and how did you get to South College?

Dr. Abi Eloy (34:34)

Yeah, the Georgia tour, absolutely.

Woo woo!

Yeah, so when it comes to my college experience, so for my undergrad, I went to University of Georgia, so go dogs. no, no. Well, go dogs. So I went to nursing school at Mercer University. And then after that, I always had a passion for pediatrics. So I always, I knew where I wanted to work. So I always wanted to work at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. And I had a wonderful experience there and I worked

Kathleen Stockham (34:58)

No, no, not from this Georgia Tech person, sorry. No, no, no.

Dr. Abi Eloy (35:19)

there for quite some time. When it came to education, I actually initially didn't think that education was in my future. I always thought I would stay in the hospital setting. And then I had really great mentors around around me. And it started off with doing clinical instructing for other schools. And then after that, I realized I had a passion for education. And then I realized that's another avenue that I can take as a nurse. And then eventually I went and got my master's at University of North Georgia.

and South College had opportunities and they gave me a chance to be an educator, which I really am thankful for that because if South College didn't give me that opportunity, I wouldn't be here where I am right now. So I'm thankful for that. And of course, this past year, I completed my doctorate of nursing practice with South College itself. So I'm very thankful for South College, yes.

Kathleen Stockham (36:07)

You have the DNP.

⁓ fantastic. And tell me about your DNP experience. We recently migrated that to the CBE format, the competency-based education format. How was the DMP for you?

Dr. Abi Eloy (36:22)

It was wonderful. I had a lot of support and I remember when I was asked for feedback, I had really great student advisors and they would contact me weekly because I wouldn't even think about it and they would just call, give me a call and say, hey, how are things going? And I would say, it's so great that you called me because now that you're on the phone, I have this question and that question. And then the next week they would call me again. So like I said, communication was excellent and I definitely felt supported. So I felt like

Even as a faculty member, even though I was a student as well, I felt the support and I really think it's a great program.

Kathleen Stockham (36:56)

Thank you for the shameless plug for CBE. For our listeners, that is an awesome program. The Doctor of Nursing Practitioner. I have got the title right. From our CBE platform is amazing. All right, ladies, so we're going to make it a little more personal. So, Dr. Eloy, what do you do in your spare time?

Dr. Abi Eloy (37:14)

⁓ goodness, in my spare time, if I am not serving students here at South, I'm enjoying time with my family. Favorite activities are to spend time outdoors, so hiking, festivals, trying new restaurants. I do have a 10 month old, so he keeps us very busy and my husband and I just enjoy some good family time. So that's what's keeping me busy at this moment.

Kathleen Stockham (37:38)

I love

that and Waffle House and the varsity and $3 cafe. Can you tell I miss Atlanta? Okay, just for the record. All right, Dr. Alexander, same question for you. What do you do in your spare time?

Dr. Abi Eloy (37:41)

⁓ all of my favorites.

Yeah.

Yes, so similar to Dr. Eloy, I have two little boys, so a four-year-old and two-year-old, and they keep me and my husband very busy. But whenever we have free time or free weekends, we have family in Chattanooga. So we go to Tennessee whenever we can. And we're like a travel family. Our kids are very used to being in the car, doing road trips and things like that. So that's our time to get away and kind of reset ourselves.

Kathleen Stockham (38:18)

Yeah, that's awesome. I remember those days when my kids were little. That was the best opportunity to get them to sleep. Yes, it's the best. It's the most quality time ever. All right, ladies. So last question I ask all of my guests. Dr. Eloy, what kind of student were you in school?

Dr. Abi Eloy (38:24)

Yes, it's best to drive when they're sleeping.

Yeah.

You know, I would love to say I was a straight A student and never had any issues, but truly I was your average student in school. Nursing school was hard for me, just like it is for our current student body. Oftentimes we hear how demanding it is and how many requirements, but that is part of my story as a reason to just keep pushing forward. So short answer is I was an amazing student, but real answer is truly that it was a little bit of a journey, a tough journey, but we've made it.

And I hope that that's encouraging to all students that are listening.

Kathleen Stockham (39:09)

I think so. Dr. Alexander, same question. What kind of student were you in school?

Dr. Abi Eloy (39:13)

I would say the same. was the average student, but I will say, you when the students talk to me in class or whenever I used to teach them and do lecture, they would say, Dr. Alexander, I bet you were obsessed with school and you love school. And I told them, I was like, actually guys, I didn't, I didn't like going to lecture. I didn't like going to classes. And I felt the way that you guys did. And I said, but you know why that experience benefited me is I want to make sure that the experience you guys have in class is worthwhile. So when we do lectures and things,

I don't want you guys to get bored. want to make sure you guys are entertained. So I feel like my experiences were very beneficial because that makes me focus even more on making sure that our students are engaged in class and get everything that they have so that they have the best experience.

Kathleen Stockham (39:55)

That's amazing. All right, well, there it is. See, this is why we have a top nursing program in Atlanta and of course, at all of our campuses. You just heard from two key reasons why Atlanta is awesome. And make sure you bring Dr. Eloy something from the varsity, just saying. I want to thank Dr. Abby Eloy, Associate Dean of Nursing and Assistant Dean for Nursing, Dr. Roshni Alexander from South College Atlanta Nursing. Thanks for joining me.

Dr. Abi Eloy (40:12)

Thank you. Thank you.

Kathleen Stockham (40:27)

Thank you ladies. That was awesome. Well, that's gonna do it for us today with 10 campuses in seven states plus online and CBE There's a pathway for you at South College Hope you enjoyed this latest episode of live from South College The live from South College podcast is a production from South College marketing Thanks for joining me If you love it, give it some stars and you can always send us feedback by emailing us at southcollegepodcast at south.edu

Have an awesome day and let your dreams find direction. See you next time.