MSN for Nursing Education--Distance Learning

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Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.

Who here is currently enrolled or recently graduated?

Do you care to share where you went and why you picked that particular program?

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Specializes in ER, ICU.

Excelsior MSN, love the school, needed online, has been great, will graduate in July.

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BabyLady:

I live in California, so taking advantage of in-state tuition and going online at CSU Dominguez Hills for the MSN. They help arrange clinicals in your area. Dominguez Hills is in Carson, and I live in San Diego, so I've never been to the campus. I'm halfway finished. They offer CNS in adult or pediatrics, FNP, Nurse Educator, or Nurse Administrator. Online education is a challenge, but do-able. I did my BS online at CSUDH as well. They have a BSN, but I chose to do mine in business, as I was planning to head in a different direction, but have now changed plans, so I'm in the MSN Pathway program which involved taking some BSN classes along with my MSN classes. I work fulltime, and have taken a fulltime educational load as well. I'm pretty motivated, so it's not too horribly bad. Always glad when one semester is over, and it's breaktime before the next semester.

Trina

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BabyLady:

I live in California, so taking advantage of in-state tuition and going online at CSU Dominguez Hills for the MSN. They help arrange clinicals in your area. Dominguez Hills is in Carson, and I live in San Diego, so I've never been to the campus. I'm halfway finished. They offer CNS in adult or pediatrics, FNP, Nurse Educator, or Nurse Administrator. Online education is a challenge, but do-able. I did my BS online at CSUDH as well. They have a BSN, but I chose to do mine in business, as I was planning to head in a different direction, but have now changed plans, so I'm in the MSN Pathway program which involved taking some BSN classes along with my MSN classes. I work fulltime, and have taken a fulltime educational load as well. I'm pretty motivated, so it's not too horribly bad. Always glad when one semester is over, and it's breaktime before the next semester.

Trina

Hi Trina,

I don't have enough posts to PM you (dang it!), so I hope you see this!

Is the program at CSUDH an entry level MSN program? From what I read in your post, it sounded like you received your BA in business - but are in the MSN program? I am hoping I read this correctly! I would love more information about this if you have any.

Thanks,

Andrea

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Hi Beesmama:

If you live in CA it might be a great option for you. There are also students from out of state, but the nice thing about being a CA resident is that I pay state university tuition, just like when I went to SDSU (San Diego State). Yes, I have a BS in business and an ADRN. I'm in the MSN Pathway program. They gave me credit for a lot of my previous work experience as well as for business courses that could be used as crossovers for meeting management BSN nursing classes, so I had a few BSN classes to do, and the rest are MSN classes. (Able to work on both the BSN and MSN programming concurrently). I begin my role option in spring 2012 and finish at the end of fall 2012. So yes, they have the MSN pathway for nurses who have Bachelor's in other fields, and they also offer the MEPN for non-nurses with other degrees. Here is the website for the school of nursing: http://www.csudh.edu/cps/son/programs.htm. Let me know if I can answer any more questions. Oh, BTW, it didn't seem competitive to get in. I applied and was admitted. I have good grades (mostly As) and there was a short essay to write, plus the application and sending transcripts.

Trina

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Specializes in Psych, Geriatrics.

I'm going to UC MSN-NP psych adult and the schooling part is great, convenient, reasonable workload. But they make you find your own clinicals and their idea of help was suggesting the yellow pages. They also do not pay the preceptor. You are totally on your own to find practicums. I haven't found one for certain, only a couple leads, and I've been at it for months, it's worse than trying to find a job. Go with someone that helps you out to a degree. I was told I couldn't even do them at their hospitals in Ohio b/c those slots are for the ground students.

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Hi RNvampire:

Where is UC. I would think you were talking about University of California, but then you said Ohio, so are you speaking of University of Columbus???? I agree clinicals are a nightmare. I'm just now at the point of my MSN program at CSUDH in Carson, CA where I have to find a clinical preceptor for community health. My experience is that the schools DON'T pay preceptors. Is that a regular practice that most schools do, they pay preceptors. Anyway, my adviser told me two weeks ago she would send me a list of contracted potential clinical sites in my area (San Diego), and so far nothing. I've given up apologizing for bothering her, and e-mail her every day. I'm about at the point now that I'm going to begin cold-calling public health departments, but I don't even know what my course content will be covering, so I don't know what to tell them my expectations are for a preceptored experience, plus I don't know how many hours I'm expected to be with a preceptor. I only know that portion of the class is 2 units. I had know idea until I recently touched base with this website in looking for which DNP program I'm going to go to after graduation, that this finding of clinicals is such a headache. I can only imagine what it will be like if I go to University of Alabama or Sinclair in Missouri. I looked at a list of clinical affiliations for Sinclair and none were in San Diego. There were 3 listed in California, and non in my area. This is going to be an interesting challenge. I am thinking of going to Brandman in Irvine for my PMHNP DNP if they receive their CCNE accrediation, which is something that should be happening this fall. I was hoping that since that university is at least in CA, they would have a better connection for clinicals in San Diego, but I'm not getting a good feeling since I'm currently having a hard time with CSUDH and I know they have quite a few students in San Diego area. I haven't even yet gotten to my role option experience which will be spring and fall of 2012, so we'll see what that is like. CSUDH does not have PMHNP, only FNP, so I'm doing the Masters in Nurse Administration. I'm hoping I don't run into a lot of road blocks when that rolls around.

Trina

Trina

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Specializes in Educator, OB, Critical Care.

Walden University graduate in Nursing Education in 09. Great university, books included and mailed before classes start. Prompt answers from professors.

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