Kaplan FNP

Specialties NP

Published

Anyone enrolled in this program? Can you give us some information about your experiences!

I would recommend against a for-profit, online only NP program. They care first about shareholders and a profit rather than students. Also employers will know you trained online vs. going to an online program that is operated by a well known, brick and mortar institution.

Not to mention the price isn't that great. There are plenty of state schools that are both cheaper and better respected.

Programs like that hurt the field as a whole.

These programs, and others like it, are definately what bring down the NP prestige, as well as the nursing profession as a whole. Right now, there is an advertisement on the right side of my screen for an RN-BSN program. The ad talks about it being "only 14 months" and that there are "NO on site clinicals." Nothing about quality, etc. It's sort of like to philosphy behind Neiman Marcus vs Walmart. Look at a Walmart ad: you hear about price, convenience, etc. Nothing about quality because the audience of Walmart is typically lower class and less educated. For Neiman, they cater to higher educated, higher income people. Their advertisements are about service, quality of products, and the great brands - cost and convenience are an after thought. Now compare Nursing vs Medical advertising philosophies. It's very similar: Medical/PA Schools advertise their ranking, their research oppurtunites, their amazing faculty. They focus on quality of education. Meanwhile, most NP program advertisement are similar to the one I mentioned earlier: How fast and cheap it is. You do not find pre-medical students asking which program they can finish super fast and cheap - they ask about quality and fit. Nurses need to start demanding the same, so that these lagging for-profit degree mills begin to shut down.

I'm curious about how employers view graduates from online NP programs. Who hires them?

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