East Texas Baptist University Nursing School Review

East Texas Baptist University (ETBU) is located in the community of Marshall, a historic town of 25,000, which is just outside of Longview, TX and Shreveport, LA. Located in a recreational and tourist region, ETBU is also near the Caddo Lake State Park and Caddo Lake National Wildlife Refuge, with public areas for fishing, hiking, picnicking and camping. The area features many other outdoor recreational activities, festivals, and events.

The university has been part of the Baptist General Convention of Texas since 1912. ETBU has over 40 programs of study, and currently enrolls 1200 students. The student to faculty ratio is 16 to 1, and the average class size is 20 students. Of the full-time faculty, over 85% have earned doctorate or terminal degrees.

ETBU has its own living mascot, a 500 lb Siberian Tiger named Sarge that lives at a big cat sanctuary at the Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge.

Nursing Programs

Pre-Nursing

Freshmen students wishing to study nursing at ETBU are enrolled in the Pre-Nursing program. For two years, they will take 60 credit hours of general education courses, in preparation for the professional nursing program.

Students may take their general education classes at another college or university and transfer credit to ETBU. Due to variations in curriculum from school to school, students are not guaranteed that all courses will transfer. The transfer of credit for nursing courses will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Professional Nursing Program

Students may apply to the Professional Nursing Program during the second semester of their sophomore year.

To be able to apply, students must already have been accepted into ETBU. They must complete the application for the School of Nursing, complete a one page narrative on why they want to be a professional nurse, and submit a two inch square headshot photo. They must also submit a recommendation from a former teacher either in high school or college, and a personal recommendation. In addition, they will need to submit an ETBU health information form, their CPR and immunization record, and consent to a criminal background check.

Students will also need to take the TEAS preadmission assessment exam and earn a qualifying score, and have a GPA of at least 2.8 in their Pre-Nursing courses, with grades of at least a C in their behavioral and natural sciences, English, statistics, and Introduction to Nursing classes.

Once students successfully complete this program, they will be awarded a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. They will also be prepared to take the National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN), to become licensed as a Registered Nurse (RN). ETBU has a 100% pass rate on the NCLEX-RN. More than 90% of all ETBU RN program students find employment before graduation.

The nursing program at ETBU has been approved by the Texas Board of Nursing, and is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Butterfield Memorial Foundation

ETBU was recently awarded a grant from the Butterfield Memorial Foundation, to fund scholarships for students in the School of Nursing. The grant will benefit students enrolled in the upper level nursing classes, and scholarships will help encourage students to complete the program and graduate.

The Butterfield Memorial Foundation chose ETBU for this grant because of the success of the program in retention, graduation, and licensing, and also because of student demographics and the integration of Christian faith into the nursing curriculum.

Contact:
East Texas Baptist University
One Tiger Drive
,
Marshall
, TX 75670