Online BSN - Is it taken seriously?

Nurses General Nursing

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I am specifically posting this in the Nursing forum to get advice from actively practicing nurses, so please don't move!

I have heard some recommend online ADN-BSN programs from those "university of phoenix" type schools. This seems like a convenient option, however are BSN degrees from those schools taken seriously? Granted, it would be building on a brick and mortar ADN.

I wouldn't want to waste time and money when the time came for a degree that wasn't worth the paper it was printed on, if you know what I mean. That being said, if it is an acceptable form of BSN, it seems like a great option for the working ADN to continue their education.

What do all of you who work in the field and/or hire nurses think?

I'm another one who dislikes group work, and not because I don't work well with others. You need to do well in school and make it through. If a few of us didn't take the lead, I would most assuredly have failed nursing school. The sad fact is, some people either don't care, or don't have the aptitude to actually understand the task, yet you're stuck with them in a group situation. Everyone knows these types. As a result, a few students do most of the work and everyone receives the credit.
I completed the traditional classroom MBA program at a top 40 US B-school that required a significant number of group projects. I hated them because you inevitably got paired with some slackers and you did twice (or more) the amount of work they did, yet got the same grade. The point is, this happens whether it's a traditional classroom or a virtual setting. Actually, life is exactly the same - Pareto's principle writ large - where 80% of the work gets done by 20% of the personnel. In my company, your reward for doing a good job is to get more work. After all, someone's got to pull the wagon for the others to ride on . . .
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Specializes in MICU - CCRN, IR, Vascular Surgery.

I think that the only way someone would really know that it was online instead of face to face is if your address was like California, with a current California job and work experience and your school was like New York University or something at the same time.

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Specializes in Psych.
Are you taking in consideration lost wages for attending a brick and mortar school? You can potentially work full time while getting your degree online where as doing the same in a traditional school would next to impossible (depending on your job and hours of course).

I guess I wasn't completely clear. Here it is again: "It's accepted where I live, but you can do much better price-wise with one of the many state schools that also offer online classes. In my case, I can get my RN-BSN for a little over 5K, whereas UOP wanted to charge me around 20K."

My state schools' RN-BSN is offered online, as are all the other state RN-BSN programs I have looked at. I won't lose any wages to do online classes through a state school. UoP has an uphill battle trying to persuade me that their online courses are worth 2-3x the price of any other school.

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Specializes in FNP, ONP.

Only read the first few posts, forgive me if this has evolved into a new meta-discussion.

My answer depends on your motivation for obtaining the BSN. If it is merely to hang on to the position you already have because your employer demands it, no it should not matter a great deal so long as it is at least a respectable school And when I say respectable, I mean to rule out the obvious for profit non-contenders that advertise on this site frequently. However, yes, you can earn a BSN degree online from University of Ohio or Florida, or Colorado (I just named three states off the top of my head, probably thought of them first due to polling data I have been reading, lol) and be just fine.

However, if your reason for wanting to attend a BSN program is to reach higher, and to attend graduate school, then yes, the caliber of your BSN program matters significantly, and you must bit a great deal more particular about where you take your degree.

Good luck!

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Specializes in Emergency Room.
Gee, the people who went 4 years straight, probably have debt from over-priced tuition and who sat through class after class to get their BSN will do anything to feel superior to us ASN nurses, even when we get our BSN, but in the more convenient and less expensive way. NEWSFLASH- BSN is BSN. And an RN is an RN. We take the same classes and the same NCLEX-RN. Proud to be an RN who started ADN and who used online BSN. Don't like it? Too bad. Go pay your loans.

/rant

Just so tired of being put down for doing things that are actually positive. Don't have a BSN. You're crap. Didn't go to a physical class at a 4 year school? You're crap.

Get off your high horses people.

Wow. I didn't get the impression you were being looked down upon...but anyway the trend is online for both bsn,msn and now dnp. Loyola University is a very highly respected school here in Illinois and they have online programs.I am currently in a state school and it is cheaper and I am using my employers reimbursement to pay for it. I think more people worry about the graduate school they choose having a good reputation, I have never seen the BSN being an issue of where you get it from.

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Specializes in Neuro ICU and Med Surg.
Gee, the people who went 4 years straight, probably have debt from over-priced tuition and who sat through class after class to get their BSN will do anything to feel superior to us ASN nurses, even when we get our BSN, but in the more convenient and less expensive way. NEWSFLASH- BSN is BSN. And an RN is an RN. We take the same classes and the same NCLEX-RN. Proud to be an RN who started ADN and who used online BSN. Don't like it? Too bad. Go pay your loans.

/rant

Just so tired of being put down for doing things that are actually positive. Don't have a BSN. You're crap. Didn't go to a physical class at a 4 year school? You're crap.

Get off your high horses people.

I didn't take llg's comment that way. I also am going back for my BSN and perfer face to face classes. But that is just me.

All she said is that she liked face to face classes. Nothing wrong with that.

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Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.

Bsn better than ADN. ADN better than LPN. LPN better then CNA. Now brick and mortar are better than online. When will be we happy?

For what it is worth, I'm going to be enrolling in Grand Canyon RN-BSN next spring. They do have a brick and mortar school along with an online version. I work with two nurses that graduated and were happy with their experience. Another co worker is going the online route with a local university. Her program seems to be working for her. She is trying to figure out how she will take off 3 weeks to do her community health rotation 6 hrs away from home.

My original degree was Regents and I'm comfortable with an online format. I took my certification class online. I'm motivated to self study and it works better for me.

I certainly don't look down on those that choose to take a different route.

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Quote from tokmom: "Another co worker is going the online route with a local university. Her program seems to be working for her. She is trying to figure out how she will take off 3 weeks to do her community health rotation 6 hrs away from home. "

I thought RN-BSN programs didn't have clinicals? Please clue me in.

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WGU's has an 80 hour community health practicum. You sent it up, so you pick when/where you are available. Just FYI, the majority of NP programs I have looked at are online classes with clinicals on site. I am referring to Rush University, Loyola University, University of St. Francis, University of Southern Indiana, Georgetown University. Big names and well respected in the nursing community.

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My state doesn't recognize any online nursing education, including Excelsior, which really sucks because that was my original plan--get my LPN, bridge online while working, and get my RN before I could even start the RN program at the large local university. However, while I was in my LPN year, the state changed and said it wouldn't recognize it. You can graduate with honors from the online programs but can't sit for your boards.

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Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.
Quote from tokmom: "Another co worker is going the online route with a local university. Her program seems to be working for her. She is trying to figure out how she will take off 3 weeks to do her community health rotation 6 hrs away from home. "

I thought RN-BSN programs didn't have clinicals? Please clue me in.

I think most don't, but she does for community health.

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Specializes in Certified Med/Surg tele, and other stuff.
My state doesn't recognize any online nursing education, including Excelsior, which really sucks because that was my original plan--get my LPN, bridge online while working, and get my RN before I could even start the RN program at the large local university. However, while I was in my LPN year, the state changed and said it wouldn't recognize it. You can graduate with honors from the online programs but can't sit for your boards.

What state are you from? When did they stop recognizing and why?

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