Does School Really Matter?

Specialties NP

Published

  1. More Important: Certification or School

23 members have participated

Hello,

I am thinking about attending a school for FNP that might possibly be considered a online school that might possibly be considered a "dipolma mill" to some. My question is in your experience as a praticing NP did the question of which school you attended arise in interviews? Or is certification a equalizer? Just to be clear does the school attented for NP really matter to an employer if you ARE certified?

Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.
Is Frontier actually considered a "diploma mill". It seems like an easier option to get a degree from Frontier but they are always in the top rankings for their FNP and Midwife programs. And I hear the praise about Frontier all them time. It's like they have a great reputation but a diploma mill vibe all in one lol.

I actually don't get that vibe with Frontier. That institution has a place in nursing's history as the first ever training school for nurse-midwives as well as the first family nurse practitioner program in the US. The school's almost iconic logo pays homage to a tradition of community-based practice: a nurse-midwife perched on a horse, the only means of transportation at the time the school was founded to access the poorest patients in the South. They have long since embraced the distance education route so that is probably what is giving you an impression that the school is not very competitive to get into. However, the institution only offers CNM, FNP, and WHNP programs (not even a BSN!) and that to me solidifies a school's mission of service to women and children. I think they figure well in the US News rankings because of that.

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Specializes in Family Practice, Urgent Care.

I agree. I've never had an employer care where my BSN was from (private university). I'm working on my FNP now which is online mostly...its accredited, I'll pass my boards, and I'll be competent. I'll take the same cert exam as the B&M schools. I'll also have the same number of clinical hours as them.

With that said, I've worked with RN's from top universities that I wouldn't want taking care of anyone I know...and we took the same NCLEX, so....its all individual in my opinion.

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Specializes in Correctional Nursing; MSN student.

So where does fall in line in your opinion? Competitive admissions for sure. I need to choose between Drexel and St Louis Univ. Both are for psych nursing, both online. Pros and cons to both but SLU will better fit my life right now. Would love feedback. Anyone familiar with either?

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Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.
So where does Drexel fall in line in your opinion? Competitive admissions for sure. I need to choose between Drexel and St Louis Univ. Both are for psych nursing, both online. Pros and cons to both but SLU will better fit my life right now. Would love feedback. Anyone familiar with either?

Not familiar with either.

Just wanted to say that love it or hate it, US News and World Report appears to have tapped into the online education market because the latest edition now has rankings of online nursing degree programs: http://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/nursing.

It looks like figures well in their rankings...for all that's worth.

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Specializes in Correctional Nursing; MSN student.

Yes, I've seen this and I think it does carry some weight. is highly ranked. Thanks for sharing.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.

I'm from the Philadelphia area and is a VERY well known school here. It is not a fly by night school or a joke. Drexel is a high ranking major University.

I am doing their PNP this fall.

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Specializes in Correctional Nursing; MSN student.

I would love to attend . All I hear is good things. I was so happy to be admitted. Good luck IrishIzRN.

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Specializes in Internal Medicine.

This is a difficult question as it's largely dependent on location and situation.

For example, if you are planning to work in a large urban area with numerous regional and top national programs in your area, an online degree mill diploma might not make you look as attractive as someone that went to a known area school. That said, if you apply for an NP job in a rural area that is desperate for anyone (pretty common), they could care less where you got your degree from.

Another thing to consider is your connections. If you are going into NP school a year out of undergrad with no real floor experience, a quality school with more hands on experience and clinical placement is critical. However, if you're a seasoned nurse with lots of connections with NPs and physicians, and you're essentially assured a job after graduation, it probably doesn't matter if you get your degree from Wal-mart.

Lot's of factors to consider. Do your research into job market for NP's in your area before you apply. Look at schools in the region and ask people in the field their preception of the school if there are numerous choices.

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If there's a need for NPs in the area, then it won't matter - they'll hire anyone if they're desperate. Otherwise, it can matter a great deal. Many physicians (and the public) are turned off by online NP programs. How many physicians do you know who attended medical school online?

When searching for an online program, look at the acceptance rate (red flag if the acceptance rate is high)...do they require a decent score on the GRE (red flag if no GRE is required)...do you have to find your own preceptors (red flag if you must find your own preceptors). Many factors to consider. It shouldn't be easy or convenient to attend NP school, just as it isn't convenient to attend medical or PA school.

The bottom line is...we have patients lives in our hands, so get the best training possible!

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Specializes in Pediatrics, High-Risk L&D, Antepartum, L.
If there's a need for NPs in the area then it won't matter - they'll hire anyone if they're desperate. Otherwise, it can matter a great deal. Many physicians (and the public) are turned off by online NP programs. How many physicians do you know who attended medical school online? When searching for an online program, look at the acceptance rate (red flag if the acceptance rate is high)...do they require a decent score on the GRE (red flag if no GRE is required)...do you have to find your own preceptors (red flag if you must find your own preceptors). Many factors to consider. It shouldn't be easy or convenient to attend NP school, just as it isn't convenient to attend medical or PA school. The bottom line is...we have patients lives in our hands, so get the best training possible![/quote']

More and more schools are requiring students to find their own preceptor...not sure if that's really a red flag.

I also know reputable schools that don't require a GRE.

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If there's a need for NPs in the area, then it won't matter - they'll hire anyone if they're desperate. Otherwise, it can matter a great deal. Many physicians (and the public) are turned off by online NP programs. How many physicians do you know who attended medical school online?

When searching for an online program, look at the acceptance rate (red flag if the acceptance rate is high)...do they require a decent score on the GRE (red flag if no GRE is required)...do you have to find your own preceptors (red flag if you must find your own preceptors). Many factors to consider. It shouldn't be easy or convenient to attend NP school, just as it isn't convenient to attend medical or PA school.

The bottom line is...we have patients lives in our hands, so get the best training possible!

Exactly avoid any school that is for-profit and avoid any school that requires you to find your own preceptors. I truly think more employers are catching on to how easy it is to become an NP at some schools and will start only hiring people from the top tier schools and those with great reputations. Walden is just pumping out too many poorly trained NPs and they are spoiling it for everyone else. It only takes one bad apple to spoil a schools reputation for an employer, and with Waldens complete lack of admissions standards and 95% acceptance rate they are creating many, many bad apples.

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Specializes in Adult Internal Medicine.
More and more schools are requiring students to find their own preceptor...not sure if that's really a red flag.

It's a red flag for the profession; prospective students, current students, and practicing NPs alike should seriously question this trend in NP education.

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