Fear of online NP programs..words of wisdom?

Lauri8218 · Dec 18, 2008

I know a good number of BSNs who have enrolled in an online NP program, and were NOT able to get a clinical site and preceptor. No NP in their location was willing to agree to be their preceptor. The online program did little to assist them in finding a preceptor or clinical site. In some cases, the school told them that they should have made plans with a preceptor or clinical site before enrolling in their online NP program. Some of them switched degree programs and just could not continue with pursuing their MSN in adult NP.

A few of those BSNs, who could not find a clinical site and preceptor in their location, ended up traveling to another city to be precepted by an NP willing to take them on. It was financially tough for them because they had to live in a hotel, and attend clinicals in order to get the 500 supervised clinical hours.

Its a great idea that you're looking for clinical sites and preceptors to take you as a student before enrolling in an online NP program.

inthesky · Dec 19, 2008

I definitely wish my state had a brick and mortar option and moving is not an option for me right now. All mental health state agencies in my area are staffed with mostly psych NPs. I'm not even sure how one would go about lining up a preceptorship before acceptance to a program and before a year worth of prerequisite classes! The amount of money these colleges charge for such do-it-yourself programs is almost scam-ish. Were any of these high-rated programs?

anyway, thanks so much for your feedback =)

Dr. Tammy, FNP/GNP-C · Dec 19, 2008

The amount of money these colleges charge for such do-it-yourself programs is almost scam-ish. Were any of these high-rated programs?
anyway, thanks so much for your feedback =)

What?!?! Are you kidding me? Just look at what some of the traditional brick and mortar schools are charging for their grad NP tuition and tell me this aint a scam:

Angelo State University

$731/Unit

http://www.angelo.edu/cstudent/tuition_and_fees.html

Gonzaga University

$710/Unit

http://www.gonzaga.edu/Campus-Resources/Offices-and-Services-A-Z/Student-Financial-Services/Student-Accounts/Tuition-and-Fees/Default.asp

Lewis University

$710/Unit

http://www.lewisu.edu/welcome/offices/business/bursar/tuitionrates.htm

Northern Arizona University

$761.00

928-523-2109

Samuel Merrit

$921.00/Credit

http://www.samuelmerritt.edu/tuition

Seton Hall University

$875/credit

http://www.shu.edu/applying/graduate/tuition-costs.cfm

University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey

$663.00

http://sn.umdnj.edu/academics/costs-grad.htm

Incidentally I pay $266/unit at USI, inclusive of all fees. Ball State and ISU charge similar, all of which are well under $325 a unit--all of which are distance education. Now tell me which is the real scam.

inthesky · Dec 20, 2008

I am really not trying to disparage online programs. I want this to work, I'm just not entirely sold on it. I wonder how much it costs to run an online vs. in-person program. USI seems to be a minority on its kind price tag (I looked into them, but they do not have an online psych NP program). Arizona State University charges about $3600 for 7+ credits of usual general in-person grad programs and $5200 for nursing DNP online.. where is this extra money going? (I'm getting off-topic =P)

Tammy, I've read quite a few of your posts and I do feel encouraged that you and some others have had a really good experience with online NP because I hope it works out for me as well. I'm just afraid of sitting behind my computer without resources to turn to.

Dr. Tammy, FNP/GNP-C · Dec 20, 2008

It's important not to generalize or make representations that are not true. For example, in the context you presented regarding tuition is true for both distance as well as traditional pathways. The "do it yourself" statement is also not true in the context of being without many forms of support from faculty, staff and adjuncts.

It's important to remember that education via distance or through traditional routes are both expensive. As far as overhead to run distance versus class-based coursework for the schools, I think its pretty much a wash. At USI the professors are still giving lectures every day, which are televised live for those of us who don't go to class and grading papers and projects (anywhere from 10-20 per course @ 8-20 pages per deal x 90 students and are keeping office hours. Although maintaining the sites and paying fees adds a bit, the schools are able to reach into markets they would ordinarily not have.

As far as USI being pretty cheap on the wallet, you are correct. They still have the least expensive tuition in the United States. This coupled with the quality of instruction offered is why they are booked up until 2012 with students.

They, however, are not a minority as Ball State, ISU, Frontier, Albany State, Graceland, Stony Brook and Wheeling Jesuit are all below the $500 mark, just to name a few, which is cheaper than any other traditional school I picked at random and listed above.

hollyhox · Dec 29, 2008

Could you maybe list some of the school you found with online Family PMHNP programs... I mostly only finding Adult ones... Thanks!!

mona b RN, BSN, RN · Dec 29, 2008

Could you maybe list some of the school you found with online Family PMHNP programs... I mostly only finding Adult ones... Thanks!!
Check out University of South Alabama. They have a family psychiatric track. You need to have two years experience in psych to qualify, however.
http://www.southalabama.edu/nursing/psychnp.html

beatabyrum · Feb 4, 2009

Tammy can you tell me more about USI. Where did you get your clinicals. Which state do you live in?

Thank you

Dr. Tammy, FNP/GNP-C · Feb 4, 2009

Tammy can you tell me more about USI. Where did you get your clinicals. Which state do you live in?
Thank you

USI is a great school and would strongly recommend. Be prepared, however, to be buried with work for the entire time you are there. Students are quickly introduced to why no NP student has ever failed boards before--ever. Time intensive is quite the understatement, especially in the final year, and the final semester which I'm in now. I've always been a straight 'A' student, but have never worked harder in keeping my 4.00 than I have at USI. The reading load between texts, standards, articles and lit review is often unbearable and can easily take 20-40 hours per week just to keep up not including lectures, seminars and clinicals.

I live in CA and am doing clinicals in the Central Valley. Geting the right clinical site and preceptor is the most important element (at least for me) in the process. Finding clinical sites are reported as a common challenge among distance ed NP students, yet were never a problem for me. I feel obtaining a preceptor is more of a task of networking and selecting the best candidate than anything else. It's important not to "settle" for any place or site, or taking the first preceptor that comes along. I advise setting your goals high and selectively targeting qualities of an ideal preceptor and ultimately who you want as your preceptor. My first preceptor, as an example, is chief of medicine at our local trauma center. With 35K patients, my back-half preceptor owns the largest NP-based clinic in the state of California and was just named NP of the year in CA. He's a great clinician and very biz minded. Consequently, I get an expanded education. Of course, neither one of these chaps came looking for me, nor did they send me an invitation.

I hope this helps and if you would like more info about USI, check out their website:

http://health.usi.edu/acadprog/nursing/msn/fnp.asp

Thanks for asking and good luck.

menetopali · Feb 5, 2009

to the OP (original poster):

I am a veteran of the online (BSN @ Jacksonville Univ.), online-campus hybrid (BA @ NAU) and (MSN/DNP in progress @ UofA), and brick and mortar (ADN @ Yavapai College & AA at NoVa CC) models and will give you a couple of pearls:

1) be tech savvy - this is very important for computer based research and will save lots of frustration

2) get face time with faculty/staff - more important for distance than brick and mortar as that comes in the course of study

3) outline what the school will do and what you need to do on your own (ie find clinical sites)

4) look into clinical sites early (in Tucson I recommend looking into the Southern Arizona NP groups or CAZNAP)

5) understand that what you learn or don't learn will rest on your shoulders alone, nobody around to prod you

6) finally, look long and hard at what you want to get out of the program and find one that meets your needs

it sounds like ASU may be a good option for you with you apparent comfort level in distance education, as would the UofA if it was still up and running. maybe you should drive up the ASU and talk to the people at the College of Nursing.

in any distance or non-traditional program you are your own academic adviser, financial aid officer, study group, and student affairs office. Every program will tell you that they provide support (ie people to help you work through the bureaucracy, help with IT, or recomend courses of study) for distance programs but that support varies widely from school to school. for example, NAU had no tech support or financial aid support to speak of, but had significant academic advising support; Yavapai College provided no academic advising support, no financial aid support, and no tech support (and it was a brick and mortar); UofA provides great financial aid and student affairs support on-site and great tech support, but academic advising is sporadic; Jacksonville provided great support all the way around but was the only school campus I never set-foot on and some-how i felt i didn't learn anything through that program that i didn't have more in depth in my ADN and BA.

inthesky · Feb 5, 2009

Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply! I will definitely keep those tips in mind. How is the UA program? I got my bsn from UofA. I think I got a good education, but dealing with those people was always horrible. =P