Does School Really Matter?

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.

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?

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

I'm from the Philadelphia area and Drexel 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.

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

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

While I agree in an ideal world that the school would provide preceptors for each and every student, I do not believe this is attainable in the existing environment. There are a few who tend to beat this drum alot, but I haven't seen a solution suggested that takes into account the fact that in today's world we want to promote the education of students in remote, rural locations where no program has a presence that would allow them to build a network of preceptors in.

I agree there are deficiencies in the current model, a lack of oversight in some/many/most programs of the selected preceptors is a big concern. Is the student getting the necessary knowledge requisite to be a competent provider upon graduation from these clinical situations is a valid question. However, to say that finding their own preceptor is a red flag when it is probably the norm for most programs, at least the norm for online programs, many of which are good, strong, programs that produce good entry level NPs, I think is going a bit far. Does the program have in place the structure to manage the clinical portion of the program remotely? If so, and I have to believe many do, I know mine does, then there is no issue with having the student help in identifying potential preceptors for the program to negotiate with. If not, then the program has a large deficiency, that would (I assume) show up in the quality of the NPs it prepares.

I'd be interested to hear your suggestions on how to change NP education so that schools are selecting all preceptors AND students are able to be educated in rural, remote locations where the schools have no presence.