How do employers view WGU? Will a BSN from WGU count against me?

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HI all,

I am a newer RN with 1.5 years experience. I am wanting to get my BSN to increase my chances of obtaining hospital employment.

Should I attend the RN-BSN program at a very reputable local University here, or should I obtain my BSN from WGU? Do employers have a preference, or are they just looking for that BSN?

Thanks!

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Employers in my area are simply wanting candidates to possess the BSN credential, but I can only speak for the metro area where I reside.

The only downside to a WGU degree would transpire if you wanted to secure employment at an ultra prestigious medical mecca such as Johns Hopkins, NYU Langone Medical Center, Tufts, or Duke University Medical Center. However, the overwhelming majority of nurses aren't working at these places.

My WGU degree has served me well, BTW.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

Agree with Commuter. FWIW, the director of nursing education at my facility has heard of WGU and said that it has a great reputation. My MSN, which I haven't obtained yet, has already opened some doors of opportunity for me.

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PACU.

Our hospital has a partnership with them. We get a discount on tuition.

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.
Our hospital has a partnership with them. We get a discount on tuition.

Is your hospital owned by HCA? I just saw on their website that HCA has a partnership with WGU.

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Med-Surg, Infectious Disease.

Our hospital also has a partnership with them. I'm on my 3rd class so far so good!

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Specializes in NICU, PICU, PACU.

No, we are a county hospital. We have a partnership with them and OU. We are very lucky also because we have a really good reimbursement/tuition system and with the discounts we end up not paying anything out of pocket.

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Specializes in Hospice.

I am so happy to read the above posts. I just applied to WGU. I am hoping to start i November 2015.

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Specializes in Emergency, Case Management, Informatics.

You may get some pushback from individual managers who don't understand that the vast majority of RN-to-BSN programs are switching to online education. From organizations as a whole, I doubt you'll find many who have a problem with WGU. WGU is regionally accredited and CCNE accredited.

On a sidenote about big-name healthcare systems: I noticed while browsing the Vanderbilt University nursing website a few weeks ago that one of the clinical instructors profiled has an MSN in Nursing Education from WGU. Welcome New Faculty | Nurse News | Vanderbilt University (about halfway down the page)

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Specializes in Nurse Leader specializing in Labor & Delivery.

On a sidenote about big-name healthcare systems: I noticed while browsing the Vanderbilt University nursing website a few weeks ago that one of the clinical instructors profiled has an MSN in Nursing Education from WGU. Welcome New Faculty | Nurse News | Vanderbilt University (about halfway down the page)

How cool is that?

I also noticed that one of the men on that page is a certified nurse-midwife. :)

He was the director of the nurse midwifery program for Ohio State.

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Specializes in Outpatient/Clinic, ClinDoc.

I have two positions - one with a massive healthcare system in NY and the other with the feds. Neither had any issue with my WGU degrees - they just took a copy of my transcript and that was that. :)

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