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Discussion

Does it matter as a nursing instructor, where one receives their MSN?

As of right now I am looking at Walden University and Drexel University. Both offer MSN with a focus in nurse education. Both offer great education, (I have some friends in both programs and each of them like the programs,) each give you a practicum to do student teaching, and both are online and allow you to work full time and go to school. The only difference is the price tag that comes with each program. Walden costs $18,000 and that includes your books. You take one class every 8 weeks and the school mails your books to you. In 18 months you receive your MSN. To me this seems about as low stress as it can get in receiving your MSN. Drexel costs $30,000, and that does not include your books, you take 2 classes a quarter and it may take 2-3 years depending upon how many classes you take. I read over the curriculum very carefully and it sounds like a great curriculum but $30,000?! I am just curious if working in the nurse education field, if where you receive your MSN holds a heavy weight? Or is nurse education in such a high demand for nursing instructors that as long as you hold a MSN it does not matter where you graduated. I also know that it matters what you do as a nurse. I work in critical care and am currently studying to pass my CCRN exam. I am also apart of the safety comittee at the hospital and am taking many classes to spruce up my education level. I also precept on my unit and am beginning to do charge nurse.I try to stay involve so I will become a well rounded knowledgable educator. I guess I just want to make sure I receive the best education in grad school that will benefit me and my students after I graduate.

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    There's no single, global answer to your question. Schools that are hard up for faculty will hire anyone with the minimum qualifications. Schools that have a larger pool of applicants can be choosier. You just never know when you're going to be in a situation where you may get passed over for someone who attended a better known, more prestigious school. In general, though, it appears that where you went to school matters most early on, when you're just starting out. The longer you've been working in a particular role and the more of a "track record" you have of your own experience and accomplishments, the less your school matters.

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    Re Walden

    I am currently attending Walden. I am in their ADN to MSN education track. I have 4 1/2 classes to go.Currently, I am working at a community college as the bed lab coordinator. This job has been very useful, and probably has served me better than my Walden classes. But honestly, probably any real word experience is better than what you learn is school. Here a few things you should know about Walden.

    1. If for any reason you want to take a break (even for 8 weeks), you have to fill out a student petition and ask permission.

    2. Walden is not difficult. At times I worry if I am learning enough. In the end, I think you get out of it what you put into it. I get the feeling everyone in these classes passes with high marks. That can be a good thing for some, but it does leave you wondering. Surely you can get by without doing the reading, but you would just be hurting yourself.

    3. Lots of time, your feedback from faculty is minimal. I have turned in lots of paper only to get "nice" as a comment. Sometimes I would like more direction. I wonder if my work was even read. I have been left with the feeling that faculty is just taking the Walden check.

    4. Getting through to academic advising can be a huge pain. You will often get conflicting information.

    Like some of my classmates, I worry about getting a job after Walden. Will anyone respect this degree? Luckily, the dean of health at this college is now going to Walden for her doctorate. I think that will help me.

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    • Author

    I guess my thing is, am I saving myself money by going to Walden or is it only going to hurt myself in the end? I want to be able to find a job after graduating and if I get passed over because I hold a degree from Walden then that money I just saved is not doing me any good. I had a nursing professor who graduated from University of Phoenix with her MSN and she was the best nursing instructor in the entire school because she really knew how to teach and challenge her students. She also had years of experience as an ICU nurse and PACU nurse. So I do believe where you work and what achievments one makes will play a big role. I guess I just want to know that I am making the right choice for school.

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    Do you know where you want to work when you graduate? I wanted to attend University of Phoenix online and knew where I wanted to teach when I was done. So I asked around at the college I want to teach for and found out not only do they accept UOP graduates, but they currently have a handful of them on staff. So I am currently attending UOP, confident I will be hired at my school of choice when I am done.

    If you can, ask around where you hope to work and find out if they have a preference.

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