Are online NP programs good for the profession??

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I am applying to NP school soon and noticed a proliferation of online NP programs. Is this a good thing? I have nothing against online education, received my BSN via the online route, but wonder if this type of advanced education is taken seriously by other health care professionals. With multiple entries to practice, some already view nursing more a vocation than a profession, and with the advent of online NP programs I wonder if some will question the skill level of advanced practice nurses. Are there any online PA schools? I know online education is the wave of the future, but..........

Nebraska's entire PA program is in house. There may be some online components but the students spend better than 1500 hours in the classroom the first year.

I was confusing the UND and Nebraska schools. Thanks for clarifying.

So it does look like you cannot attend a PA school online.

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Oh, I miss Okinawa! Was there for 3 1/2 years. Is it still University of Maryland? If so - they've expanded their offerings since I was there 10 years ago!

No, I'm at Rush University.

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I will note, to offset my critique of on-line programs, that I have read on this forum about on-line programs that would appear to do both the didactic (live video conferencing, webcam monitored exams, etc) and the clinical (designated preceptors, or well-monitored preceptorships like zenman describes) extremely well, with ideas so innovative and studies so rigorously monitored so as to rival (or exceed) traditional programs, and to represent on-line professional clinical education truly as a positive move into the future.

The problem lies in that this level of rigor is not universally enforced via accreditation requirements universal to all NP programs. Wide variation in methodologies leads to the sad fact of all on-line programs being judged by the least common denominators.

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Just a note to inform. There ar many many online PA programs out there, and at least two online MD programs. Oceana being the first I remember. Cannot recall the second.

This is false. There are no "online" MD programs that are accredited in the United States. There are a couple of scam diploma mill programs but they are all in the carribean and you cant practice in the United States if you go to those schools.

Most MD programs have online content, but only in the first-second years, and they force you to attend some portion of small group/lectures. In the 3rd-4th years its an 8-5 type job where you are in the hospital/clinics during those hours.

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This is false. There are no "online" MD programs that are accredited in the United States. There are a couple of scam diploma mill programs but they are all in the carribean and you cant practice in the United States if you go to those schools.

Most MD programs have online content, but only in the first-second years, and they force you to attend some portion of small group/lectures. In the 3rd-4th years its an 8-5 type job where you are in the hospital/clinics during those hours.

So the didactic is online and the clinical is face-to-face?

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So the didactic is online and the clinical is face-to-face?

No. In most cases, everything is face-to-face. But many schools also put their lectures online for the first two years (ie. they videotape their lectures). However, you still have to attend many hours of mandatory classes each week (PBL, labs, etc).

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Specializes in ICU-Step Down, Cardiac/CHF, Telemetry, L&D.

I honestly don't see what the huge debate is about. It doesn't really matter that PA,PT, and MD programs are all on campus and most NP schools are online. In the end the only thing that matters in all of the programs is what you know. You can have on campus PA, PT, MD, NP students who make a 4.0 every semester and then get out and can't function. To me the online programs are harder because you have to be disciplined and you have to be able to keep up and the tests in my program are timed, you can't go back to a skipped question therefore, you have to know your stuff. Our program also has a 100% pass rate on boards. The online NP programs don't just select anyone into their programs, you still have to meet the same requirements as the on campus students. The online classes are not over crowded either, their is usually a class size of 15-20. but us When the students take boards they dont separate the online students from the on campus students on the exam application. The final passage rate is still reflective on the school. I don't know any school that would still have its accreditation if their online program was failing and the students couldn't pass boards. Those who don't have a first hand experience with an online NP program should really consider doing research on the subject, you might learn that some of your posts are wrong.

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Specializes in Emergency, Cardiac, PAT/SPU, Urgent Care.

Mercedes, with all due respect, most of us get what you are saying and are not putting down online programs; however, think about it - most of us on here are nurses or APNs, and we sometimes question how online programs are run and how they are monitored. Can you imagine what the general public/other health care disciplines think with regards to online programs? Unfortunately, I'm sure a lot of them associate online programs with those silly commercials on TV that proclaim, "Earn your college degree in less than a year via online learning."

Yes, most of us on here do get that online programs are accredited, just as rigorous as brick and mortar programs and that in-person clinical components are absolutely required; however, it is not that easily accepted or understood when you try to explain that to the rest of the world.

We're just trying to explain/reason why other disciplines view it has a bad thing.

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Specializes in Critical Care & ENT.

Online education is still "new" to many people. A lot of schools are now creating hybrid programs and moving some of their programs completely online. Some people may be a little skeptical about "online" programs. However, I think the most important aspect is if the person can graduate, pass their board and show competency when practicing. Most people don't even ask where I went to school. This may potentially be discussed more in academic environments and during interviews with possible employers.

Also, I think the online format is a bit more challenging because it demands the student to manage their time and put a lot into the program. It requires discipline. I'll be doing my MSN/FNP online and my clinicals in my local community. I plan on challenging myself with really good rotations/clinical sites.

good topic!

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Specializes in FNP.

My problem with it is - writing and reading. Aside from introductions, I've virtually zero interaction in my program. I realize I'm still early into it, but to read books and powerpoints and have no lecture, no video, no visuals, no discussion - I really feel that it's lacking. And, of course, those schools within driving distance either have already switched to doctorate, aren't accepting students, or are taking apps for 2 years in the future, when I'll be just about done. So - I'm stuck, and guess I just have to make the best of it! Still - for all the info that's out there regarding the learning needs of adult students - I'm disappointed.

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Specializes in FNP.

How much of the NP knowledge piece is learned 'on the job' and during clinicals, compared to school? Is it as it was with nursing school, where you thought you knew things... until you actually got that first job and found out how much you really didn't know? Just curious - if I have a good clinical piece - will that make or break it? Thanks!

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I agree with the above post. I am comparing on campus programs close to home, to online programs backed by a university far from home. The problem is I want to work full time and the on campus programs require you to attend classes and even one of the campuses here, the classes are online or by satelite! So what gives?! Plus it would be nice to not have to take the GRE. I have a 3.5 undergrad, and have been an ICU nurse for 2 years and working on my CCRN, I think I can handle grad school and I do not need a GRE to tell me how "smart" I am.:lol2: A couple of FNPs that work in my hospital did not like their "on campus" program and if they had it to do all over again they would have gone somewhere else. I read these threads and I hear great things about the online schools and how much they learned that I think that either way it doesnt matter. I have compared the curriculum of these 2 online programs that I am interested in to these 2 on campus schools and guess what?! Not only did I like the online curriculum more, but I found that they were more challenging!! As with nursing school I did not become a nurse until after I started working. And I think that it doesnt matter where you earn your degree, if you are a great provider people will come to you regardless of where or how you earned your degree. And once you become an APN and gain experience that will be reflected too. It is all in what you put into your education. Whats so great about technology is that if I like a program that is offered in Indiana, or California, I do not have to live there to earn my degree, all your need is a computer. When it comes down to it, we all have to pass the same test!

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