Are online ANP degrees destroying our credibility?

Nursing Students NP Students

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I was talking to a private practice doctor about an opening in his practice. Currently, I am employed by the hospital. He told me that they will only consider PA's due to having more of a hard science based training and longer residency. I have heard this before and brushed it off. Especially, considering that would only be of factor for new grads possibly. I brought this up and he gave me a second rejection with a whole new excuse. His practice as a whole were considering hiring NPs until a PA brought up you can get your degree online. He stated they can not take our education seriously with such low standards. UUUURRRGGGHH. I didn't really know what to say. Mostly due to not expecting that response. Either way he is not someone I would want to work for with that attitude. I want to know what other people's thoughts are regarding the online programs? Will it hurt our profession and the quality of our reputation?

Penn State, Pitt, Duquesne, offer online degrees, master's nursing degrees at that. So where is all this evidence that on-line degrees are so inferior? I think each student is individual and they walk away from their education with as much strength as they put in it. Our Valedictorian in nursing school walked up on the podium during her graduation speech not knowing what "right upper quadrant" meant or what the spleen's purpose was; all because she crammed the night before for the test and spewed answers like a programmed idiot. I think it all depends on how competent a person wants to be at their career and how much they respect their education.

it is silly to condemn a school purely for being online. I go to drexel and allll or our exams are proctored. My coworker goes to a brick and mortar school and all his exams are open book.

I think this speaks more to the variability in nursing curriculum that exists across the country. I would not compare , a private research university, with the new trend of online only schools that have proliferated recently. I don't want to name a particular school but I think we can all identify the television ads. I think those schools have a perception in medicine as being less rigorous than their brick and mortar/online peers whether this is true or not.

Penn State, Pitt, Duquesne, offer online degrees, master's nursing degrees at that. So where is all this evidence that on-line degrees are so inferior? I think each student is individual and they walk away from their education with as much strength as they put in it. Our Valedictorian in nursing school walked up on the podium during her graduation speech not knowing what "right upper quadrant" meant or what the spleen's purpose was; all because she crammed the night before for the test and spewed answers like a programmed idiot. I think it all depends on how competent a person wants to be at their career and how much they respect their education.

I agree with your post. I do not know of any research that validates a difference in outcomes between online grads and their brick and mortar peers. I think online education is fine. I am more concerned that as more of the profit only- online schools develop NP programs, there will be a perception that the NP standards are lowered. This may not be reality but it can be human nature to compare and have biases. Medicine can be very elitist.

I think all of the schools you name are fine in that they all have established reputations. Pitt and Penn both have medical schools and name alone can open doors.

I think a lot of people here have issues with reading comprehension. Most of us on here have agreed that online schools do not hurt the profession. Online programs from REPUTABLE, RESPECTED, RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS!

Online degrees from specific for profit programs DO HURT the profession. They are seen as less rigorous and take almost anyone who applies. It's bad for prestige, it's bad for job saturation, etc.

Specializes in ER, ICU, Family Practice.

FuturecoastNP you are very vocal about the standards of Nurse Practitioner education in the US and it's implications on patient care and health delivery. You will no doubt be a fierce advocate for the profession once you complete your schooling and become a nurse practitioner.

IMHO, the biggest gripe I have with Online NP Programs are directly related to those schools that do not proctor their exams. A friend of mine told me her son is being paid by another student to take an Online course. I have been approached my graduate student of one of the biggest Online School to write papers for her for a fee. This happens all the time. Without exams being proctored, how do we know if an NP student is really the one taking the exam?

The bottom line is the marketplace will ultimately dictate the where Online Graduate Education is positioned. In my State, there are a large number of State University NP programs and graduate more NPs than the market can absorb. Graduating NPs from Brick and Mortar schools are having a hard time getting jobs and I would wager that the Online Grauates within the State will fall way down on the pecking order. I spoke to one Nursing Recruiter and she told me that she throws the resume in the garbage of all Online Students, especially those from specific diploma mills. In my State, there is no impetus to hire Online Graduates, since the Brick and Mortar Schools are producing more than sufficient number of NPs.

Specializes in psychiatric.

"I think a lot of people here have issues with reading comprehension. Most of us on here have agreed that online schools do not hurt the profession. Online programs from REPUTABLE, RESPECTED, RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS!" futureeastcoastNP

I think you make far too many insulting statements about your peers, and I have read all of your posts. It is also rude to use all caps as it denotes yelling.

I am a mature (age wise) NP student and I agree with the many grains of truth in your position regarding online for-profit schools. That being said, I hope you are a member of Sigma Theta Tau and other nursing organizations that have the ability to lobby and enact change for the better in our profession, as you are very passionate about this particular subject. This involvement does take a great deal of effort.......I do know that if you were in any of my organizations and went about interacting face to face the way you do here, you would quickly be sidelined and/or confronted about your lack of professionalism. There is no need to behave rudely in an online board just because it allows you the benefit of anonymity.

Specializes in Labor and Delivery/Post Partum.

I worked at Madigan Army Hospital here in Tacoma, WA. It is an extremely large facility. They do have NPs. The CNMs and CRNA. You can go to go.army.com They will hire them as active duty. If you go to USAjobs and will see the job listings for civilian. Active duty is a 66P in the Army for an FNP. Sorry don't have time to look up all the MOS.

Doesn't passing the NCLEX earn you some degree of respect/credibility in the field regardless of where you obtained your degree?

You know, this is very, very scary and disheartening given the very crisis our country is facing with primary care providers. How can managers throw away resumes of NP graduates when they are in high demand??? From what I am reading, NPs remain in high demand and we are still lacking in sufficient numbers to meet the growing need of patients who lack primary care professionals. Who si saying that we are too high in number and are no longer needed???? Where is this coming from???

Online programs are very, challenging and difficult to say the least. I feel that some of them are really in it for the money unfortunately because they know how convenient it is for adult learners. When they can get it right, then it is indeed the gold standard I truly believe. But brick and mortar institutions for NPs know that we are there physically and hold them responsible for our learning and we can see them face-face.....no funny stuff. My experience with Maryville University is negative. The instuctors are constantly condescending. I have nothing good to say about that place at all...except BAD EXPERIENCE !!!!! Even if it means starting all over again, I may have to go to a brick and mortar university because this is just ludicrous !!!!!!!!! These people/nursing instructors give humanity and the profession of advanced practice nursing a bad name !!!!!!!!!!!!!

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