FNP Education

[s_davison24]

I am currently finishing my RN-BSN program through Grand Canyon University, AZ. I have been looking into MSN FNP programs and have decided on either Grand Canyon University or Chamberlain College of Nursing. I have already filled out the paperwork and been accepted into Chamberlain but am nervous about their reputation. I have not heard anything bad but am afraid that I might have difficulty finding a job as an FNP having obtained my MSN through a private, for-profit school vs. a state university. While Grand Canyon University is still a private, for-profit school, they have a positive reputation within the nursing community but they require one face-to-face class a week which is difficult with my work/home life. Any thoughts or experiences on how important school choice is to finding a job post-licensure?

[futureeastcoastNP]

There are many threads on this, but the overall theme you will find is that most people on here agree that for-profits are a bad investment. You will get a subpar education and the reputation will hurt you in the job hunt. As competition for NP jobs grows worse, those from the for-profit schools will have a hard time becoming employed as new grads.

[feelix, RN]

Even if you are in an online program, you will have to devote at least one to two days off for clinicals per week, as well as take a day off before major tests/exams. Then the school might require you to come in for mandatory labs, etc. Please consider these before you enroll.

[Gentleman_nurse, MSN]

Have you thought about what type of position or setting you want to practice in? The answers might give insight to what school to attend.

[Gentleman_nurse, MSN]

There are many threads on this, but the overall theme you will find is that most people on here agree that for-profits are a bad investment. You will get a subpar education and the reputation will hurt you in the job hunt. As competition for NP jobs grows worse, those from the for-profit schools will have a hard time becoming employed as new grads.

Hmm...I wouldn't apply that assumption to all for profit schools. The nursing programs must meet accreditation standards. Outside the nursing programs you may have point. I wouldn't rule out attending a for-profit if it best met my needs but due diligence must be done regardless of the education institution.

[OCRN3]

Yes, I disagree. Although for profit schools really want your money, some of the students I have worked with during preceptorship know a lot. I would even go as far as saying some are better than those who are going to state and UC's. In my opinion it's the caliber of the person in the NP program. I went through UCLA acute care NP program, then I wanted to practice with women and children in the clinic setting. My job had an affiliation with a for profit university who offered FNP. So I took the bait and went. Now the private U gave me flexibility, but I feel the content of the course was equal or even better than my UC experience. Why? Because at UCLA I was in a lecture with 80-100 students. Not every question was answered, and I was made to feel I was privileged even being in the program. I felt I got more interaction with the teachers and more one on one. One cal state student I work with has to look up YouTube videos for their health assessment class which is online. I got an actual class with live models to practice on at both schools.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

[serenity1]

If you google clinics in your area you can usually find a page about the providers on their site. A clinic that has NP's on staff usually show a short bio about each one including where they received their NP degree. This can give you an idea of whether clinics will hire from some of the schools you are interested in. Many NP's in my area are from University of Phoenix--a for profit with a bad rep. I have been cared for by some of these NP's and have no complaints. I truly believe a lot depends on the individual and the clinical experience. Good luck to you.

[Mark Hill BSN]

There are many threads on this, but the overall theme you will find is that most people on here agree that for-profits are a bad investment. You will get a subpar education and the reputation will hurt you in the job hunt. As competition for NP jobs grows worse, those from the for-profit schools will have a hard time becoming employed as new grads.

Please back these statements up with evidence based proof.....Otherwise, it is just misguided opinion.

[chillnurse, BSN, RN, NP]

People will disagree heavily on this topic. The education itself is more the individual, but the reputation can be the difference between having a job prior to graduation, or having trouble finding one. I always try to remember the statement "nothing worth having ever comes easy." if something is too easy to get into, and if everybody else is doing it, theres a good possibility of raising a red flag to that situation or program. If it was me, which is just my small opinion, I would go to a state university. This isnt what i did, I went to a non-profit private college which was 100% in the classroom, but if i had to do it over again, I would have probably picked a state university.

Good luck in whatever you choose, hopefully somebody will be able to provide a better response than I am able.

Cheers!

[zmansc, ASN, RN]

I will agree that the education is mostly on the individual in that if the individual puts enough into just about any program they will get enough out of it to be a competent new grad nurse practitioner. I would also say that you can probably pick any two programs, whatever you think is the best program and whatever you think is the worst, and find a graduate from the worst who is better prepared than a graduate from the best. In reality that doesn't mean much, other than that any of the programs should be able to provide what you need, if you put into it what is necessary.

As for reputation of particular programs, that is another issue entirely. I think most would agree that certain programs do have excellent reputations, and as such graduates from those programs will always have the benefit of having a known, prestigious name on their CV. The importance of that will diminish as you gain experience and build a strong network of providers who have personal knowledge of you and your skills. Of course, even a prestigious program will have it's detractors, so it won't open all doors. Other programs may not have as good of a reputation, or may be too new to have a substantial reputation at all. That effect too will diminish as you progress in your career. That is a FACTOR that one should take into account in selecting a program, no doubt. However, that isn't the only factor one should use in selecting a program. Depending on the strength of one's network in the provider community, this factor will have a different weight to it.

As for the nothing worth having ever comes easily, that may be true in some respects, but that doesn't also mean that anything worth having has to be done via a difficult path, or that an easier path always leads to an inferior outcome. It also doesn't mean that going to an online program that might be more convenient to your personal situation is easier than going to a B&M state university that would require relocating your entire family. Just because it appears easier in one respect (relocation, admission requirements, or whatever) doesn't mean the overall path is easier or the overall educational product is less.

[Gentleman_nurse, MSN]

People will disagree heavily on this topic. The education itself is more the individual, but the reputation can be the difference between having a job prior to graduation, or having trouble finding one. I always try to remember the statement "nothing worth having ever comes easy." if something is too easy to get into, and if everybody else is doing it, theres a good possibility of raising a red flag to that situation or program. If it was me, which is just my small opinion, I would go to a state university. This isnt what i did, I went to a non-profit private college which was 100% in the classroom, but if i had to do it over again, I would have probably picked a state university.

Good luck in whatever you choose, hopefully somebody will be able to provide a better response than I am able.

Cheers!

I would like to get your insights on why you feel that way. Just curious. I attended both myself. Each has it's advantages. I found the classroom academics equal. Public was cheaper but you had to deal with bureaucratic environment that wasn't student centered. Private schools had a lot more hand holding but of course more expensive. Again due diligence is necessary