Ohio University RN-to-BSN Program

Nursing Students Ohio University

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Since it seems that there's quite a bit of interest, I'm attempting to start a new thread devoted exclusively to the OU on-line RN-BSN program that will hopefully build on the comments on assorted previous threads.

I'd like to ask nevergonnagiveup, mtsteelhorse and babynurse73 - all of whom (I think) are either already in the program or have applied for admission - to post about their experiences. I just sent in my application and plan to post periodically about relevant issues. If we can populate the thread with good material, it could become a very useful resource for both those considering the OU program and students already in it. Once that happens, I'd hope we could prevail upon the forum moderators to make it a sticky thread.

As indicated, I've only recently applied to the program. So far, I'm happy with the support and information I've gotten. I've been contacted by an OU "enrollment specialist" who was somewhat helpful (I suspect that they have dual roles, one being to provide basic information to prospective students and the other to follow-up with the prospects and help to fill the roster for the program). This person e-mailed me, followed up with a phone call and was able to provide some useful, if basic, information about the program. I also sent a lengthy e-mail to OU with quite a number of specific, detailed questions. This too resulted in both an e-mail and telephone response, this time from an academic advisor in the OU School of Nursing. Again I received some useful and quite helpful information. All in all, my early experience has been pretty positive.

As indicated above, I plan to post about relevant issues that come up as I work my way through the admission and evaluation process. I'd very much like to hear from others about their experience with OU and I'm sure that there will be a lot of interest by others in our collective experience with the program.

Specializes in lots of specialties.

I have had quite a bit of gen ed. I knew I may need another english( junior level) and statistics.I didnt think I would need much.

My DAR report looked like I still needed to meet Nursing requirements from my ASN( I couldnt believe that)

Off the top of my head I know I have soc, eng 1 &2, Maths done, psych,communication, Microecon, etc. So Im hoping the final gives me credit for all this stuff. Im gonna take Nrse 300 and see how it goes. Ill add the rest in as I can. I work FT i have 2 kids and Im just trying to juggle. Like you I dont want it to totally consume my life but I want to finish ASAP. I know it wont be easy. but Im mentally preparing myself

I applied 2/4/2011. I did get my DAR and welcome packet today. . . . This is just a bit messed up for me. I am due to start May 8 so we shall see. I just wish it was a bit easier to navigate. My job does the outreach program so we shall see

Yikes! If this is the timeline to hearing anything from OU (2/4 to 3/24 is roughly 7 weeks), I won't get a response until about the second week of April. That's a long wait with not much buffer time to an 8 Mar semester start. I can only hope that that DAR won't have any unpleasant surprises.

You have to take the Statistics class before you can enroll in Research

You can not enroll in the Capstone until you have met ALL the other requirements for the degree

You can not register for Junior Level comp until you have 90 credit hours

Everything is online including support courses except Sociology...you can take it at Sinclair Community college(cheapest tuition in the state ) but if anyone is interested in their online email me privately [email protected] I have some tips on this

PATIENCE when you first dive in..they have thousands of students from what I am told and you don't really find out what they accept or require until you are in the middle of the NRSE 300 class

Paper writing,bulletin board posts in all but the Strategic Management(my favorite so far) class

I am "doubling" up on my classes but it is NOT recommended by them. I am getting all A's and working fulltime...yet my kids are older..

I would be happy to answer any questions if anyone has something specific email me...My word of course is not Gospel according to OU...just my experience thus far. I started in Oct 2010 and will graduate in June 2010. I am a diploma grad with college credits outside my diploma program. I am also going to end u with a dual degree(one from the other college my non nursing course work comes from) .

Please SCRUTINIZE your DARS report and check for errors. It is to your best interest to do so... just a BIG FYI.

THEY MUST give you credit for D- and above(State law) from other institutions

It is my experience that the program is EASY if you do exactly what they tell you =A.

it is also my experience that they are overwhelmed in advising you and you must take the bull by the horn and not expect anyone to advocate for you(i.e in accurracy of what they give you credit for)

It gets easier with OU as you become familiar with their system. I have found EVERYTIME I reevaluate my progress(I have been through three 5 week sessions) I find something that was missed in transferring my previous work that actually makes the amount of work I need even less! I do admit my previous coursework may be confusing because I am working on another degree and according to this other very prestigious university they had to use all of their 20 years of advising experience in evaluating my prior work!

There are some quizzes with these courses. They move very quickly so they are not for someone that thinks they can goof off a week here or there. There is CONSTANT work due.

You will need Sociology (you did not mention that). THey do not offer it online but Sinclair Community college does.Be sure you take the right course because it took me about 3 weeks to figure that out on my own.OU requires 112(3 quarter hrs) (@ sinclair)but it has a prereq of 111(3 quarter hours) at Sinclair. However SOC 120 is both of those classes and 5 credit hours!!!!! This took an act of Congress to figure out! I decided to take the 5 credit hour one because if you ever go to grad school you may end up taking Intro soc OVER....ugggg.Also I needed more free elective hours so it helped. I am finishing this program by:

using my lower divison from a diploma program with NO college credits,

prior course work for the university requirement for an ADN progrm(I took before I pulled out and went to a diploma program out of state)

Course work for BSN completion at this same college

Filling in some blanks at Sinclair Community college online(cheapest tuition in Ohio) I am taking sociology,history all online

Other blanks again at the prior 4 yr college(I will end up with an AA prior to graduating from OU with an emphasis in health information technology)

All 12 courses at OU plus I took intro to ethics there...I did well but what a pain...all tests and they are tricky!!!!!!!! The non nursing classes are 10 weeks online

THey offer the nutrition class in the winter intersession(as well as other times but if you have a tight schedule..like I do.. you welcome the opportunity to get a class over in just 3 weeks!) the class is about $1500 though I believe :(

Junior level comp is a TRICKY requirement to fufill and makes NO sense to me... You can not even register until you have 90 hours and you write TONS of papers before you even get in that class! You MUST learn APA format...OWL Purdue is a great reference. PERRLA online is a cheap program that for about $20 will help you set up your title page and running headers but that is about ALL it is good for. You do not even have to use this format often(i.e title page) I have completed 5 courses and believe I may have been required at the most 3 papers in this format. None of the papers are extremely long. If you work for a big hospital it helps because you have access to tons of information you basically have to spit back to them after minimal research! I think you get out of it what you want. I find it very interesting and easy,but not so easy that you will not be able to use this for a springboard for a wonderful career. Ou is a great school!

By law OU has to transfer in anything D- or better. I just found this out. I had just stoped going to a class(this was in the 80's I have matured) because I was moving out of state and going to a diploma program. I have a 3.9 at OU..I have changed...but useful information to those of you that were told by OU they will only take a C or better....You need to challange that .This was advise I received from another 4 year college(where I got the D in English 112)

There is NO clinical requirement. They have an A and B sequence. New classes start every 5 weeks except for Christmas break which is about 5 weeks! There is a winter intersession but there are no nursing classes offered then. They recommend you only take one class at a time if you work full time. I took the intial NRSE 300 and then "doubled up". (i.e I am doing both the A/B rotation).I actually got special permission to add another online (non nursing class) and did extremely well in all three and work full time. Yes I spent a LOT of time on course work. I would rather be miserable over a shorter period of time instead of dragging it out one by one! By the way Health Appraisal(B rotation) that started last week and again in October on the A rotation is a class you can test out of. You pay the same as taking the class and you earn a letter grade that figures into your GPA. I understand you can choose to take the class if you are not happy with your score(grade)

No foreign language requirement

I actually think (someone correct me if I am wrong) that you will not get a good picture(in writing) for what they will require of you until you are actually taking NRSE 300. I feel like they have to prioritize and if that means recruiting,getting you accepted and started and then utilizing resources on students that they actually KNOW are in the program that is how they fly!

OU is an in demand program. The program is not something you do overnight.. therefore you must be patient.

You will not find the timeline any faster than what they quoted but I can assure you they are working on it. Be patient...good things come to those that wait!

I was there...it is a sllllllllllllllllooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww process.

First...if this is your first online class experience there is (I believe) some information about this type of experience. IF not there is plenty of info on the net(tips like having a dedicated spot to study etc)

Second you are NOT super woman so if house work has to be less than your usual expectation no one is going to die from that or having a faster prep meal

I set my computer up(laptop) on my dining room table. RIght in the thick of everything. From there I can still be a somewhat domestic goddess and actually spend more quality time with my daughter(while she studies there as well).

Plan..plan..plan..

I bought a school planner

Put all the contacts in for your instructors and teaching assistants

Every week dillegently write down all the expectations for the week in the planner because you could have a quiz one week and not the next

Generally each course has a bulletin board post due on Friday(but you can and should post before) Then you respond to 2 of your peers

Be careful with these posts...you must use in text citations if you use any sources. I find getting the posting done first then moving on to other assignments is the best priority.

Of course you will have reading assignments and often short lectures to read before you post (otherwise you probably will not know the content to the depth of what they expect)

Every week you usually have a paper or an assignment you write and copy and paste into a document. All of these are APA format.

You should use a refeered source OTHER than your text in every paper.

Here is the tricky part...the instructions for the assignments especially the papers are in mutiple places

Always look at these locations

1. The module for that week under "assignments"

2. Announcements

3. Grading Rubric and follow it to a "t"

4.Question and answer board

5. The assignment document(if there is one for that assignment)

Because that is the hardest thing pulling all the information about what is required together in one place...OU has not figured that out yet.

Another tip....monitor the discussion boards for comments from your TA's

Everyone of them will participate in the board and often give tips of their expectation of the BB

You will need to email your Ta's at the beginning of the week about any questions that are specific to you on the assignments other wise there is a question and answer board for each course under each week that is extremely helpful

ORDER YOUR BOOKS ASAP...because that is the thing that I have seen students struggle with. If you dont have it the first week and have not attempted to locate them the course maybe be half over before you obtain one.

VITALSOURCE online books are cheaper...

I rented an online book from Barnes and Noble for the Ethics book

I meant to say there is a paper(sometimes 2) that you write OR write and put in an assignment document(not all assignments have this type of document that lets you copy and paste into before submitting).

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