Wallace State Nursing hosts job fair for students

Hanceville, AL — 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.

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.

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.

Wallace State Nursing has twice been recognized as a Center of Excellence by the National League for Nursing. Along with its traditional associate degree pathway that includes the practical nursing certificate and the associate degree, the program also offers joint enrollment opportunities with UAB and Athens State University to concurrently earn both an associate degree and bachelor’s degree in nursing and mobility options for medical professionals with certain certifications. The first three semesters of the traditional option are offered as day and evening classes at the main campus in Hanceville and as a hybrid option at the Oneonta Academic Center.

Registration for Fall 2024 classes at Wallace State Community College is underway, with regular and Mini Term I classes beginning Aug. 19. For more information, visit www.wallacestate.edu, call 256.352.8000 or come by Lion Central in the lobby of the James C. Bailey Center Monday-Wednesday 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or Friday 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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About Wallace State

Wallace State Community College (Ala.), a member of the Alabama Community College System, is a comprehensive community college in north central Alabama offering more than 200 options in academic, health and technical programs of study leading to an associate degree, certificate or transfer, as well as workforce-credit training and adult education. An Achieving the Dream Leader College, nationally recognized by the Aspen Institute as a finalist for the 2025 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, ranked by Southern Business and Development among the Top 3 institutions in the South for workforce development, named a Center of Excellence by the National League for Nursing and the National Security Administration, rated the Top Online Community College in Alabama, a Military Friendly Institution and an All-Steinway School, Wallace State is an outstanding place for students to pursue their education and career goals. Classes are offered online and on campus, day, evening and on weekends, with numerous start dates each year. Visit Wallace State’s beautiful main campus located on 300-acres in Hanceville, Ala., our satellite location in downtown Oneonta, Ala., find us online at www.wallacestate.edu, or call 256.352.8000.