Chamberlain Students

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · May 28, 2016

Welcome! Your thread's been moved to our Chamberlain College forum.

caresmithccrn, ADN, BSN, RN · May 28, 2016

I'd do nursing history but I'm biased. I took it and loved it. There's a paper but it's just interviewing another nurse who you find influential in nursing. It was a really interesting class.

SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP · May 31, 2016

I'm taking Transcultural Nursing NR 391 right now and it's definitely an easy course. Only 1 discussion post per week (instead of the usual 2) and the course project is done in 3 "milestones", so it's a fairly simple class.

caresmithccrn, ADN, BSN, RN · May 31, 2016

Yeah nursing history is set up the same. Credit hours dictate workload. So really OP can't go wrong with either.

SummerMac · Jun 6, 2016

Hi!

Can you give me your opinion on your experience at Chamberlain?? I'm thinking really hard about the program, but unsure because of costs. I've heard pros and cons, so I'm really on the fence. I would appreciate being able to hear from people that actually attend/attended the school and not just the admission counselors.

Thanks!

SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP · Jun 6, 2016

Hi!
Can you give me your opinion on your experience at Chamberlain?? I'm thinking really hard about the program, but unsure because of costs. I've heard pros and cons, so I'm really on the fence. I would appreciate being able to hear from people that actually attend/attended the school and not just the admission counselors.
Thanks!

Do you want to know about the 4 year BSN program (as in, you are not currently an RN) or the RN-to-BSN online program (you are already a licensed nurse)? I can only speak to the RN-to-BSN program.

SummerMac · Jun 6, 2016

Thanks for your reply, SopranoKris, RN -- I am looking for the 3 year BSN information though! Happily, I haven't heard one negative thing about the RN-to-BSN program, and Chamberlain is actually one of the Cohorts my employer works with to get the nurses from ADN to BSN -- so I feel secure in using the school, since my employer endorses them, it's just that "biting the bullet" thing.

Thank you!

SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP · Jun 7, 2016

Chamberlain is pricey since it's a private, for-profit institution. If you're concerned about the cost, have you considering getting your ADN through a community college and then doing RN-to-BSN? Much less expensive that way. I went that route and I'm glad I did because I'm working as an RN while finishing the BSN and my employer is reimbursing me for my classes. A win-win situation :)

I don't know what the face-to-face campus courses are like, but the online courses are structured well. You do a comprehensive online orientation on how to navigate your courses before you start, so you're pretty well prepared by the time you take your class.

Good luck with your decision!

SummerMac · Jun 7, 2016

Thank you - SopranoKris, RN. It's been a tough decision, but I do think I'm going to apply. I spoke with a couple hiring managers and HR people here at my hospital I work at and they say they hire a lot of Chamberlain nurses and even have a Cohort with them. They did recommend I try to do an ADN program and then do my RN-to-BSN at Chamberlain to save money. However, it's going to take me another year (2 pre-reqs, one is pre-req of the other CHEM and MCB) to even be able to apply for the local Nursing Program, and then -- there's no guarantee I would get in.

Do you know if you have to pay for everything at once or is it just the beginning of the each semester?

SopranoKris, MSN, RN, NP · Jun 7, 2016

Thank you - SopranoKris, RN. It's been a tough decision, but I do think I'm going to apply. I spoke with a couple hiring managers and HR people here at my hospital I work at and they say they hire a lot of Chamberlain nurses and even have a Cohort with them. They did recommend I try to do an ADN program and then do my RN-to-BSN at Chamberlain to save money. However, it's going to take me another year (2 pre-reqs, one is pre-req of the other CHEM and MCB) to even be able to apply for the local Nursing Program, and then -- there's no guarantee I would get in.
Do you know if you have to pay for everything at once or is it just the beginning of the each semester?

You only pay for the credits you take that semester. You can do a payment plan for the semester to make it more affordable. However, I'd still recommend doing the ADN at a community college. You need the background in Microbiology & Chem to really understand Pharmacology, especially if you want to go on to further study. Most BSN programs will require Microbiology at some point. Yes, Chem is usually a pre-req for it, but there's a good reason why you need it. I know you want to be done quickly, but quicker isn't necessarily better.

You'd save money in the long run by doing the ADN and then the RN-to-BSN.

Editorial Team / Moderator · Jun 7, 2016

They did recommend I try to do an ADN program and then do my RN-to-BSN at Chamberlain to save money.

This is wise advice. Have you looked at the total cost of the program and how much you'll have to take out in student loans? Have you put those figures into a student loan payment calculator to see how much your monthly payment will be? Can you afford it? There is a nice loan calculator here: FinAid | Calculators | Loan Calculator

Chamberlain's estimated costs are here: http://chamberlain.edu/docs/default-source/financial-aid/tuition-and-fees-total-cost-calculations_july_2016.pdf

Let's say you spend $80K for that BSN. You can look forward to paying $900-ish/month if you pay that back over 10 years, and you'll be piling about $30,000 on to the total in interest. Let's say you have some transfer credit and "only" pay $57K (which is their minimum listed tuition/year x 3 years). You're still looking at almost $700/month and an extra $21K in interest over 10 years.

Does that seem doable to you? If so, great. If not, then community college is a better bet.