For those a BSN or MSN acquired online, did you face discrimination when job hunting

lifelearningrn, BSN, RN · Dec 26, 2010

again, the choice of school is key. i chose a school that had a traditional option for bsn but also offered an online program that was identical to the traditional program. this school is well known. i wouldn't have chosen a solely online school, only because i believe the institutions that have traditional have that knowledge to make the online programs succeed.

i actually don't disagree with you at all on this. i think the best choice for someone doing a degree online is to pick a respected school (like a state school) that offers both types of programs as the degrees are indistinguishable. perhaps i didn't make that clear in my post. i'm not anti-online education.. i'm just practical... not all online degrees are respected and that may create a problem for one who sunk a lot of money into said degree.

i have taken 10 classes online. none of them have been proctored in any way, shape or form. only 3 of these were structured where you had regular interaction with the instructor and other students. 2 of them i actually finished in the span of a weekend. 2 of them i spent maybe seven days total of the entire semester studying, taking the tests and turning in the paper. the rest were generally chapter quizes, a few exams, a research paper and you're done. only one had the exams timed in a way where a student couldn't look up every answer if they so choose to. and there is nothing ridiculous about wondering who is actually doing the work in an online class... in an unproctored environment, how does anyone really know who is doing the work? or if there isn't someone standing right next to them helping? i actually entertained the idea of taking algebra online because my husband is a wiz and could hold my hand through it. i decided that would be unethical and choose to take it in class.. (and bombed it, actually lol) you can't tell me that lots of students to choose that route though.

for my personal learning style, i like lectures, class discussions, teacher/student interaction. i prefer in person. i really hope to get into a bsn program for my rn simply because so many adn-bsn are online, and i'd be happy never to take another online class again. again, personal preference there.

i will say that i believe that for a lot of people, the only way to advance your education is online while you work. i think that someone with a solid work history (especially an rn) and great references, the degree becomes more of a formality and less about where it was obtained.

Erikadawn RN · Dec 26, 2010

I believe that in this world there are so many types of people, is it a problem because there are different schools, and programs? Just because something is different, doesn't make it wrong. It is only different, most of us are nurses, in so many different career paths. Is an Ob nurse better than a med surg nurse? No only different.

dishes, BSN, RN · Dec 26, 2010

I'm doing my RN to BSN through Kaplan University,altough expensive so far I have no complains (I'm in my first term though so maybe I shouldnt praise the sunset before the day ends...)

I think students taking courses through either Kaplan or Phoenix, should consider making a plan B, because it is possible that one or both of these schools could end up financially ruined after the lawsuits. If the school closes, it is important for a student to know how credits can be transferred from the closed school to another school in order to finish their degree.

dishes

HappyNurse2005, RN · Dec 26, 2010

I think that poor quality education adn high quality education can be found in both the online and brick and mortar environments.

In my brick and mortar ADN program, i had one instructor who was horrible (yet popular). in his lectures, he would heavily emphasize stuff that was going to be on the tests, little facts, saying stuff like "make sureyou remember this"...you know, unfairly letting us know what was going to be on the tests. He also made crass remarks, etc. In his clinicals, that were supposed to start at 2pm, he'd let us sit around until 3pm, leave early, just didn't show up one day, etc. He's no longer at that school, by the way

I also just fnished my first semester of distance education ADN-MSN program (two classes). we had live online classes almost every week, required message board postings, quizzes, exams, had to give a speech in our local community, had to make a powerpoint and record it for the rest of the class to see, 6 papers between the classes (one was a 7 page argumentative paper), etc. i was pleased by the quality, and didn't feel that it was in any way lacking b/c it was distance. someone asked how the exams are possibly timed.....

there is a secure browswer we downloaded onto our computer, that we have to go in to take the exams/tests. it hides everything else on the computer so all you can see is the exam. can't get to teh internet, microsoft word, anything. and its timed, 1 minute per question, then it shuts down. so no looking up all the answers. not that i'd ever try to--that will swiftly get you booted from school.

Skips, MSN, RN · Dec 26, 2010

`111q3ASCVB `

Sorry, my 2-year-old son sat on the keyboard. I don't know how to delete posts!

lifelearningrn, BSN, RN · Dec 27, 2010

`111q3ASCVB `
Sorry, my 2-year-old son sat on the keyboard. I don't know how to delete posts!

lol.. adorable!

katiehydrangea · Dec 27, 2010

Below is a link to a Frontline episode called College Inc. A hand full of for-profit unaccredited programs are really ripping people off and getting away with it. I am a huge fan of Frontline, I will watch on it any topic. Thought I would throw this out there as its just food for thought and not meant to discourage anyone about any school, nursing or otherwise.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/collegeinc/view/?utm_campaign=viewpage&utm_medium=grid&utm_source=grid

orthonurse55 · Dec 27, 2010

I was so proud to earn my BSN from the University of Phoenix Online. No one has ever made a negative comment to me. All I ever hear is positive - like how in the worl dwas I disciplined enough to do the classes and work full time? I love online education and feel like I worked even harder for that degree than I would have if I had been on campus somewhere.

BCRNA · Dec 27, 2010

Wasn't dismissing anybody, just pointing out having less than a high school education puts you at a huge disadvantage academically. Sorry about that. I am not saying they are inferior or stupid. They are just not the population set that most online programs target.

lifelearningrn, BSN, RN · Dec 27, 2010

Wasn't dismissing anybody, just pointing out having less than a high school education puts you at a huge disadvantage academically. Sorry about that. I am not saying they are inferior or stupid. They are just not the population set that most online programs target.

Okay- I'm going to admit something here. I'm a 'drop out'. Yep- one of the academically challenged. When I was 19 I was admitted into a community college on an 'ability to benefit' basis without a GED or diploma. I took the entrance exam, had to take a couple remedial classes (but was on a college level in other areas even as a drop out) and also took college level classes successfully. My parents got sick one after the other so I dropped out (oh that drop out word again) and didn't go back until I was in my mid 30's. I'll be darned if my new community college didn't admit me as a transfer with no requirement for a diploma or GED based on my grades earned at the other college. I did again, have to take the school's COMPASS exam. I scored high on everything but math. I did finally take the GED, because I needed for financial aid, and knew eventually someone would ask for it, and less than a year later I graduated with my AA degree. I just finished my first post AA degree semester (Statistics A, A&P A, Nutrition A, Lifespan B) and made the dean's honor list for the second semester in a row.

My husband, also a high school drop out graduated from our city's university with a 3.7 and is now halfway through an MBA program with an even better GPA.

High school dropouts are not all academically disadvantaged. My husband dropped out as soon as he turned 17 and passed the GED within a week. He is near genius and bored out of his mind in high school. Was it a good choice? No. He should have finished high school and went straight to college as he had the ability to go anywhere he wanted but he was rebellious and didn't care. He's doing it now, and is applying to PhD programs starting next year.

I know several high school grads who have done nothing to further their education or lives. (and some drop outs too) But I hung out with a rebellious bunch, many who quit high school, and the vast majority have some college/tech school and are doing quite well in life. We all take different routes in life.

Also- a lot of these for-profit, private schools actually do target the disadvantaged, undereducated population. As long as they get your signature promising to pay them money, they don't care if you're going to be successful or not.

Wishinonastar, BSN · Dec 27, 2010

to the comment about not being able to do a ged online, but bachelor's and such can be--the type of person who needs a ged is a high school drop out. they wouldn't have the drive to do an online program, and probably not the time and resources to independantly do a program online. they would also have a much lower education, making it harder for them. they most likely have poors study habits also. this is just my opinion and a guess. i just imagine that the type of person who is doing a ged is in the lower economic group with poor education to begin with, not the type of student online programs are for. not knocking this group, just trying to explain why they are not any ged programs online.
there are home schools that are completely at home, you can get a high school education at home. though not technically online, it is at home.

wow. talk about stereotyping. i got a ged and i now have a graduate degree with high honors from a major university. my father was a teacher, my mother a nurse. we are a middle class suburb family- very brady bunch. people leave school for many reasons. my reason was personal- i was involved in an accident and went through a very traumatic time in my senior year including the death of my boyfriend. i made the choice that was right for me at the time and have never looked back. i went on to nursing school and was second in my class, continued on for a bsn and then grad school. i also have two post-grad certificates and have served as an item writer for nclex.

my grandfather also dropped out of school to help support his family then later went back and received a college degree from a private and very selective christian college. he was a very intelligent man and was very understanding and supportive of me when i needed to follow a similar path.

never assume things about people. high school dropouts have included h.g.wells, andrew jackson, leeuwenhoek, horace greeley, rod mckuen, alber einstein and countless actors and actresses including quentin tarantino and michael j. fox.

completing high school gives no special decree of intelligence, it is only one step along an educational pathway that can take many twists and turns.

Woodenpug, BSN · Dec 27, 2010

We're not talking about patient care, we're talking about a source for the fact that Kaplan and UoP have been sued. On a discussion board. Surely you see the difference.

One poster says lot's of proof out there, you just have to look it up. You find many sources, but if it was really important, you would not make any decision based on the information from those sources. (like patient care) Eventually, you may see a link or citation to what appears to be a reputable (in the academic sense of the word, not as a synonym for popular) source. Upon reading that source you find either that the source is not so reputable or that the fact attributed to that source is grossly misstated by the original poster.

Why is it so difficult, when stating something as fact - simply provide a citation from a peer reviewed journal?

Otherwise, it's opinion. That is valuable and interesting on a discussion board, I dislike opinions pretending to be facts. (That's my opinion)