Chamberlain University FNP Student

[Guest1030824]

Hi, any nurses here go to Chamberlain for FNP? If so, what was your experience? Did you feel prepared for the clinicals and when you graduated?

[Guest1144461]

Why do people still go to for-profit school with obvious dubious reputations, just why? There are a million programs out there yet people choose to go to the objectively worst ones.

[Guest1030824]

Hi, you seem to be very angry about this. What happened that made you this upset about this school?  Can you please provide a detailed reason behind your statement?

I chose this online NP Program because of its flexibility. I like that the MSN core classes are all online; these classes are mostly research etc  Of course, the clinical part is not online which gives the NP student hands-on experience. 

 I am looking for a Chamberlain student who has gone through clinical and how their experience has been. So far I have taken a majority of the MSN classes and I have not had any bad experiences.  In the end, what matters is how competent the NP is regardless of what school they went to. That is just my opinion.

[Guest1144461]

On 9/24/2022 at 7:00 AM, CinLeo42 said:

Hi, you seem to be very angry about this. What happened that made you this upset about this school?  Can you please provide a detailed reason behind your statement?

I chose this online NP Program because of its flexibility. I like that the MSN core classes are all online; these classes are mostly research etc  Of course, the clinical part is not online which gives the NP student hands-on experience. 

 I am looking for a Chamberlain student who has gone through clinical and how their experience has been. So far I have taken a majority of the MSN classes and I have not had any bad experiences.  In the end, what matters is how competent the NP is regardless of what school they went to. That is just my opinion.

I have had friends who have gone through Chamberlain and schools like it. I never attended because I knew from a mile away that I wasn’t going to waste my money.  Chamberlain and schools like it are all the same. I have precepted students from schools like it as well, all subpar. I blame the education that put them in that situation. 

Flexible  and online classes are about convenience, not competency. Any other healthcare profession do it this way? Don’t know about you but I don’t want my healthcare provider to have gone to a school that accepts anyone with a pulse, makes you find your preceptors with little to no oversight, has half *** online classes with largely copy-pasted slides and records and a poor reputation in the education community.

But hey that’s just me.

[Guest1030824]

OK, I respect your opinion. So you are saying that hybrid NP programs are all bad and do not meet up with the standards of in-person programs? Just want to clarify. Also, all NPs take the same test to get their licensure in the end..right? I would assume NPs who have graduated from an online program would need to be competent enough to pass the state exam. In addition, they would also need to be competent in their chosen workplace as well to be successful. If an online NP is not competent in their assessment skills I think they would probably not do so well in the workplace setting. In my opinion, workplace success is what differentiates the good/bad NPs regardless of the school they intended. I have spoken with some MDs in the hospital setting from different specialties, which is what they told me. Again, I respect your opinion and I do try and look at it from both sides. Whether an NP went to an online or offline program, I would choose an NP who provides me with the best competent care based off of positive outcomes. 

[Guest1144461]

3 hours ago, CinLeo42 said:

OK, I respect your opinion. So you are saying that hybrid NP programs are all bad and do not meet up with the standards of in-person programs? Just want to clarify. Also, all NPs take the same test to get their licensure in the end..right? I would assume NPs who have graduated from an online program would need to be competent enough to pass the state exam. In addition, they would also need to be competent in their chosen workplace as well to be successful. If an online NP is not competent in their assessment skills I think they would probably not do so well in the workplace setting. In my opinion, workplace success is what differentiates the good/bad NPs regardless of the school they intended. I have spoken with some MDs in the hospital setting from different specialties, which is what they told me. Again, I respect your opinion and I do try and look at it from both sides. Whether an NP went to an online or offline program, I would choose an NP who provides me with the best competent care based off of positive outcomes. 

I would not consider Chamberlain hybrid. Hybrid is going to class 1-2 days a week instead of 4. Or at the very least meeting in person for a week once a quarter/semester. Chamberlain is a cash grab when it boils down to it.

Boards don’t mean anything and I have said for a while they aren’t adequate. I felt like they were easier than the NCLEX. Studying for one short test is not the same thing as being a competent provider. 

The MDs are not wrong, but they do not know NP training and when compared to theirs they would be shocked to know the standards of Chamberlain and NP training in general. They assume it is similar to an MDs, and when you explain the differences they are almost always dumbfounded.

Biggest thing you can do to help your future as a NP is attend a reputable school and do a post grad fellowship. 500 hours of clinical experience you have to find at a online for profit school is not gonna cut it.

I’m glad you asked the question and hope you can reconsider, please go to a reputable brick and mortar school at the least. Maybe it’s not as convenient but as someone who has done this a while you will thank me later.

[djmatte, ADN, MSN, RN, NP]

I will say not all online programs are created equal. The for-profits stand out as the typical “do not attend”. But it isn’t limited to this.

You need to research what their test standards are. Do they have an exam score cut off to pass?  Do they actually proctor exams in a meaningful way that detracts cheating? My non-profit school was doing online proctored exams years before other schools were.  What are their board first time pass rate?  Do they have ANY in person time to interact with their staff and your fellow students? Mine has at least three in person sessions over three years lasting 1-2 weeks each as we worked to check things like community health projects and  in person clinical physical exam tests before we were allowed to start rotations. 
 

Clinical are their own source of questions.  What is their clinical experience truly like (not just limited to finding a preceptor). Do they verify locations as appropriate before you start? Do they conduct site visits while you train? Do they have minimum expectations on who you should or shouldn’t train with (a FNP probably shouldn’t be doing a significant part in a hospital for instance). 

 

I don’t relegate finding your own preceptor the mark of a bad school. It’s how they review your choice that makes the difference. Many brick and mortar schools even a few years ago still made you find your own. I had to find my own but my school kept significant databases of current preceptors across the US who worked with them in the past and meet their standards which made finding one exceptionally easy. But even school placement is only as good as the school standards of who you work with. They can be just as prone to take anyone in any area willing to work with a student. 

 

I’ve worked with one chamberlain grad who was an exceptional NP. I taught two from chamberlain. One was a good student with a good foundation. The other was consistently underprepared for anything we were doing. I never once saw a chamberlain faculty show up to check on the students progress or evaluate me as a preceptor. 

[Guest1030824]

OK, hybrid or not, what I mean is Chamberlain offers the flexibility to complete classes online and the clinical portion is hands-on. If the boards don't mean anything, then are you saying that all NPs who pass the boards are really not adequate because it is easier than the NCLEX? Can you clarify this? Yes, maybe the MDs do not completely understand the NP curriculum etc., but they were speaking from what they actually experienced. I'm sure other MDs may have had negative experiences. Not all bad or good experiences come strictly from Chamberlain grads.  I have done my research before choosing Chamberlain. It does have CCNE accreditation, options for live chats, two campuses near me that I can use for resources, preceptorship placement support, and a lot more. As far as finding preceptors, I'm glad I have the option of finding the preceptor I want to learn from. This option gives me the opportunity to find a competent NP. Brick-and-mortar schools and online schools have their advantages and disadvantages. Research shows that both options are adequate. The online NP Program fits my needs right now, and I am glad they have clinicals where I can get hands-on experience. Again, passing the boards and providing competent care is what matters. I appreciate your feedback and I have made my choice after researching the various options available. We can agree to disagree. :). 

[Guest1030824]

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[djmatte, ADN, MSN, RN, NP]

40 minutes ago, CinLeo42 said:

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Yikes. So by what I’m reading, no rigorous examination requirements or proctoring exams.  Someone who fails their license exam still walks away with an MSN (which still has value as an RN) from a course that didn’t expect high standards in their didactics.  And an overall pass rate of 90%(not clarifying how many attempts it takes their students). That’s actually a fairly poor number in that light.  But they do clinical standards testing in person which is a step up from a few years ago. I’ll remember those specifics when I opt for future precepts. 

[Guest1030824]

I am only stating my opinion about the exam at the end of the NP Program, but I am still going through the program so I will have the opportunity of experiencing the exam at the end. I will be sure to get more information on the exam as well. I know I will do well on the exam and the boards because I AM willing to put in the hard work. It is unfortunate how much misinformation is going around about online NP programs. So for now, we can agree to disagree. Thanks. 

[djmatte, ADN, MSN, RN, NP]

Just now, CinLeo42 said:

I am only stating my opinion about the exam at the end of the NP Program, but I am still going through the program so I will have the opportunity of experiencing the exam at the end. I will be sure to get more information on the exam as well. I know I will do well on the exam and the boards because I AM willing to put in the hard work. It is unfortunate how much misinformation is going around about online NP programs. So for now, we can agree to disagree. Thanks. 

This isn’t about disagreeing. I pointed out a litany of questions people need to ask discern the quality of their program. Not a critique about you or the work you put in.
 

But when the level of work required to finish a program is exceptionally low, then there will be more grads with low quality education and by that will perform worse in clinical. This strains the reputation of the school and reduces the likelihood future students will find clinical environments conducive to education. This could also hinder employment opportunities as more clinics pick up on the predominantly poor quality output they find from those graduates.