Tennessee College of Applied Technology - Murfreesboro — Attraction in Murfreesboro

I recently completed the nursing program at TCAT Murfreesboro, and while I haven’t taken my NCLEX yet, I wanted to share my personal experience for anyone thinking about joining the program.

To be honest, this program is no walk in the park. It’s intense. We had 2 to 3 tests every week, most of them around 100 questions. It takes a lot of discipline and consistency to stay on track, but if you’re willing to put in the work, you’ll graduate with a strong foundation in nursing.

Ms. DeBerry, the head of the nursing department, was one of the most supportive people throughout the journey—and she’s incredibly honest. I often had to double-check my average with her, and let me just say: if she tells you you’re in trouble, start digging. She won’t sugarcoat your progress, good or bad. But that honesty is something I respected deeply. Her office was always open, and she made sure we had a wide range of clinical experiences that prepared us for the real world.

Now, speaking from my own point of view—as an African living in America—I personally felt discriminated against on several occasions during clinicals. These instructors were not part of the school’s full-time staff, but the experiences still left a mark on me. Others may have had a different experience, but that was my personal reality.

That said, all the instructors on campus were amazing. Mrs. Clark, in particular, stood out. She taught most of our classes and truly was the heart of the program. She’s not just knowledgeable and professional—she’s incredibly thoughtful and fair. She sets high expectations, but she also gives you the tools and support to meet them. She genuinely wants her students to succeed, and that makes all the difference.

Chadwick was another standout. She’s humble and down-to-earth, and she has a gift for breaking complex material down into simple, clear explanations. But don’t mistake her kindness for weakness—she’s a stickler for time and structure. She will match your energy. If you come prepared and show effort, she’ll meet you with the same. If you slack off, she won’t carry you. And that’s exactly the kind of instructor you want when you're preparing for a career in nursing.

Mrs. Jacobs was incredibly knowledgeable and always kept the class focused and on track. I loved that she didn’t allow any one person to take over the classroom with irrelevant questions—she made sure our time was used wisely and that the material stuck.

Another highlight for me was the school’s president, Mr. Wade. I didn’t have many direct interactions with him, but whenever I saw him, he came across as very humble and approachable. That kind of leadership sets a positive tone from the top.

From what I’ve seen, TCAT Murfreesboro has a strong reputation with employers. A lot of local healthcare facilities actively seek out graduates from this program, which speaks volumes about the quality of training we received.

At the end of the day, the program was tough. My journey wasn’t perfect. But I’m proud of how far I’ve come, and I’m grateful for the foundation this program gave me. I'm one step closer to...

December 10th, 2017 Attended this school when it moved to Smyrna. Coordinators and Instructors could not agree on anything. Financial Aid was disorganized and kept giving students false and misleading information. I put my trust in this school multiple times and they screwed me over every time. Would not recommend this school for anyone. Too disorganized and too many people not wanting to do their job. There are only a handful of instructors willing to help and even then it is very limited.

July 16th, 2018 Still here at Tennessee college of Applied Technology in Smyrna apart of the Industrial Electrical Maintenance program and it has been the biggest mistake and disappointment. With instructor coming in and out of the program and the lack of experience between all of them this is definitely a program I wouldn't recommend for anyone coming out of High School or even out of the Military. Your money would definitely be better spent somewhere else. With the lack of instruction and continuous run around from admin it is nearly impossible to get anything accomplished while here at school. Among a myriad of other issues is the issue of the equipment or rather the lack there of. We have lots of great trainers but, it doesn't help the students if they're not properly equipped with the correct material needed for the program. Another issue is the current curriculum and the way the instructor manages it. (He doesn't). No grades were put into the system until late April. I've been apart of this program since January of 2017 and none of my grades were put into their system until 16 months later. The lack of experience ranges too widely to list but between hvac, welding, machine tool/die, and robotics we've all had to go outside of this program to obtain knowledge about it when it was supposed to be covered in this program. This Industrial Electrical Maintenance Program is a failed program that has not fulfilled the needs of many students and has produced failed results...

TCAT Murfreesboro is attempting to scam students into paying for and attending an unannounced and unnecessary trimester of school ( four extra months). I am a currently enrolled student at TCAT Murfreesboro in the electrical and plumbing technologies program. From the beginning of my time at the school I have been told that the program would be 12 months long. The official website states that the program is 12 months in length and Student Services has told me the program is 12 months in length. The school is now claiming that the program is 16 months in length because of a mistake that they made on their website. Additionally, the school requested for an extra trimester of financial aid without informing us students until it was to late to cancel it, meaning any student using financial aid will be forced to pay for and attend this final trimester or be forced to pay back financial aid. The cherry atop this pile of trash is the completely incompetent Student Services and the school president Patrick Wade. They have both apparently lied to me and every other student about the true length of the program, our instructor didn't even know. The schools Student Services have been nothing but a nuisance, every interaction with them has been unpleasant. I do not recommend anyone go to TCAT Murfreesboro they do not care about students or teachers, only how much money they can make...