Let's make a list of all online FNP programs

Riburn3, BSN, MSN, APRN, NP · Sep 21, 2014

I'll also add Texas Tech, New Mexico State University, and the University of Texas at El Paso to the list of online schools. NMSU and TTU are tier one schools. All 3 are well respected regional schools.

nursebunney, BSN, RN · Sep 26, 2014

Thank you for your Ihflananurse, the only For-Profits I listed are Chamberlain and Kaplan. This whole process of trying to figure out which school(s) to apply to is overwhelming, at best. There are certainly schools that out right won't work for me and there are those that put me on the fence. Regarding Chamberlain, I liked what the advisor had to say and the program seems it would work for me- and it is a For-Profit. This is not to say I'll apply for admittance to Chamberlain, but it does mean the program has something that would work for me. Bottom line- will the program provide me the education that will allow me to fulfill my dream of becoming a nurse practitioner.

nursebunney, BSN, RN · Sep 26, 2014

Thank you hflananurse for your input, the only For-Profits I listed are Chamberlain and Kaplan. This whole process of trying to figure out which school(s) to apply to is overwhelming, at best. There are certainly schools that out right won't work for me and there are those that put me on the fence. Regarding Chamberlain, I liked what the advisor had to say and the program seems it would work for me- and it is a For-Profit. This is not to say I'll apply for admittance to Chamberlain, but it does mean the program has something that would work for me. Bottom line- will the program provide me the education that will allow me to fulfill my dream of becoming a nurse practitioner.

lhflanurseNP, APRN · Sep 26, 2014

nursebunney, many of us do not have the luxury of choosing a non-for-profit school. The key is that the school we do choose is accredited and can provide us with the tools to achieve our goals. One thing I have come to realize is that any program that allows students to "whiz" through and put in a bare 400 hours of clinical rotations is most likely not going to help that nurse pass the certification board. Online programs are not easy...they take a lot more work than traditional programs. While "for-profit" schools are designed to meet a need while making money for the investors, some of these programs are less expensive. When I was looking at schools, there were several criteria that I looked at. One was flexibility...I do not have the luxury of driving 1.5 hours one way to a school. Another was availability...there are no 100% online programs where I live through state or private schools. And of course, expense is another...I could not afford to be in the debt levels some schools put you in (especially in this economy) and am paying for school on my own. The school I am in was not even on my radar initially, but I was encouraged to check it out by other nurses who had gone through the school for their MSN in education. Ultimately, what one puts into school, regardless of the program, is what you will get out of it. People argue that not-for-profit schools take everyone, and that may be so, but not everyone graduates. The same can be said for private schools too. I have known many doctors who have gone to private colleges and have heard that half of the class never makes it through graduation. Just my thoughts. Would I have chosen a different path? It would still depend on the 3 factors that I mentioned above. I am sorry if this post offends specific individuals, but sometimes one must look at reality as well and I do not mean to open a whole other can of worms. This is just my opinion.

nursebunney, BSN, RN · Sep 26, 2014

Inflanurse,

Sounds as if we have a similar thought process regarding these programs. Additionally, we both need to pick a program that suits us financially. I have to pay for my own education as well. I do not have reimburesement from my employer, I'm a single mom and I'm not a spring-chickem- I'm 47. I gained my BSN (only a few years ago) through University of Phoenix. In retrospect, I should have looked into other schools but I did not. However, it was not a walk-in-the-park, especially since it had been 22 years since receving my ADN. The amount of writing...wow! (One of the reasons I'm finding it difficult to wrap my head around an FNP program. I can only imagine the time I'll be putting in each week). I'm sure there will be a prospective employer one of these days that questions my having attended UOP and the FNP program I eventually attend. But, as long as I've passed the licensing exams does it make that much of a difference? I guess time will tell. BTW, which program are you attending? What are your thoughts? I'm going a bit crazy trying to figure out where I should apply. Thus far, I'm thinking Frontier, Graceland, Eastern Carolina, Maryville, Simmons, and Chamberlain.

BlueRN95 · Jan 31, 2015

Good luck! I did a ton of research on online programs in case I wasn't able to get into my local program (Columbia) and by far the top 3 seem to be Georgetown, Simmons, and Duke. All of them have big names, especially in healthcare, and no one would ever see any of them as diploma mills. Reviews from students state that they are tough, in depth, and have a lot of oversight in clinicals and on campus sessions. It's evident even on this website, as you'll find that the students/graduates of these programs come across as very eloquent and knowledgable in their posts. These are the programs that should be the models for other online programs - a far cry from what students receive from low tier schools, especially for profits.
I'd check out all three, because they are also all fairly competitive for admissions. Let us know how everything turns out!

I just found out that I got accepted to Georgetown's MSN/FNP program!

countrygirl1234 · Jun 21, 2017

Hey everyone! Which programs did you end up going with and do you recommend it? :)