NP school reputation

synaptic · Sep 24, 2015

Open book tests va closed book test schools nuff said. You can't build a foundation without memorizing a large amount of facts first. The usual defense of open book tests is usually that memorizing doesn't teach students to conceptualize information and memorizing is a low level of learning blah blah. These people who say this came from an open book test school.

You you can't have a foundation without first having the bricks (facts)

get to memorizing

MiahMSN, MSN, RN · Sep 24, 2015

Synaptic NP, it seems you are arguing brick and morter vs online, and I could be wrong, but I think JulesA is referring to quality of program and specifically for profit schools. The two are not one in the same, IMO, as I know of several quality public and private institutions with online NP programs that likely allow for "open book" unless exams are proctored.

allnurses Guide · Sep 24, 2015

There are many well established reputable NP programs that have on-line options. Those are not the same as a for-profit "career school", but are often confused with them. They are 2 different animals, IMHO.

Getting back to the OP's original question, I went to a very reputable, very competitive, well established NP program and I think it did make a difference. Several interviewers told me they like to hire NPs from my school because they thought they were well prepared both academically and clinically. The school may not have been as recognizable in other areas of the country, but it is in my area. I was happy it opened a few doors for me.

synaptic · Sep 24, 2015

Not all online are open book, i should have specified that. There are BM/online open book schools and the opposite of each. By saying open book i Meant the entire curriculum was open book, which sadly there are programs that do function as that. I am sure there are reputable online schools, just not the ones who do not have proctored exams. How may people grasp a basic understanding if they are not required to practice the recall of information prior to clinical experiences.

twozer0, NP · Sep 28, 2015

When looking at NP schools to attend I specifically chose a well known brick and mortar school in my area. I chose this school not only because I felt that being in a clinical setting the school and opportunities of my job could be influenced by the education I would obtain. I'm not cutting down on online programs but I felt that being a clinical profession, a brick and mortar school would be my best bet for success. All in all, I really think like any other profession, it comes down to the individual. Education is all what a person makes of it. A good example for this is standardized testing and the metrics they imply for grading. Sure a person might ace the exam but it doesnt mean they will do any better than the person who didnt (at whatever it is the test was need). Its a good indicator but it leaves out a very crucial measurement. What they fail to measure (and I'm a big advocate of this) is capacity. The ability for a person to learn based on their drive to succeed in a specific area. Why am I talking about this and why does it feel offtopic? I'm bringing this up not because of school but because of the individual. If a person wants to excel at their job or education, they will. The school is merely a means to obtain the end result. All schools are not created equal and I feel this is the biggest area of difference in that a quality school will provide you with more resources/environment to succeed. This is why I chose a quality NP program from a brick and mortal institution.

MallysMama · Sep 28, 2015

I'm curious if you all feel it's better to attend a locally known school or a big-name, nationally known school? Do employers look at school rankings (from like US News reports)? Or do they care more about the local schools they're used to dealing with?

Trauma Columnist · Sep 29, 2015

I don't agree with Jules on this but will concede that:

When you are a new grad, PERHAPS your school matters IF you are in an area where there is lots of competition for jobs.

HOWEVER (big HOWEVER) once you have a few years of experience, it is your experience that is the bigger hiring factor.

twozer0, NP · Sep 29, 2015

I'm curious if you all feel it's better to attend a locally known school or a big-name, nationally known school? Do employers look at school rankings (from like US News reports)? Or do they care more about the local schools they're used to dealing with?

I don't think it matters all that much. If the local school has a good reputation for producing good nurses than you're bound to end up with lots of job prospects. I am lucky in that I can attend a well known state university somewhat close to my home which is in the country. If there were another local program that had an NP program I would have considered it but there is only this program that is available locally without me attending an online school. My above post outlines why I chose a B/M school over online. My BSN was completely online at Drexel University and was a good experience. Is it any better than other online schools? That is completely subjective as would attending any school for that matter.

allnurses Guide · Sep 30, 2015

I work with one excellent NP who won't precept students from certain schools due to bad experiences with totally unprepared students.

I only take students that are referred to me by a colleague, I know personally/professionally, or from two local well-established and reputable programs. I have tried to take students from some other programs and found that I had concerns about safety, felt the students were poorly prepared at the foundation, and/or couldn't conduct an interview or physical appropriately at the onset.

I did at one point try taking a student from a program that pays preceptors, and the student had never learned a physical exam.

Is that what others are finding? Does our NP pedigree matter?

I approach this from two different angles.

At the start, in a major medical area, the program will determine the novice NPs chance of getting a good job. It does here. A history of a program producing quality NPs, faculty networking, and good clinical experiences set students in competitive markets up for success. I am sure in other parts of the country it doesn't matter as much.

The other angle is the more important one, and in this aspect I think pedigree does matter: creating a strong foundation. I cringe when I here student NPs talk about just memorizing things; I would think most NPs in practice would agree that there is too much information to simply memorize. Any quality program will instill in NP students the importance of understanding the physiology and how that relates to pathology, etiology, manifestations, treatment, prognosis, adverse reactions, etc. This is where I think pedigree matters because it develops a good foundation for novice practice.

For example, I just spoke with a novice NP at another practice who was asking a question about an ACE inhibitor, through our conversation it became clear that she didn't understand the RAAS system or the anatomy of a nephron. She had just memorized that ACE inhibitors are first line anti-hypertensives.

Dranger · Sep 30, 2015

When looking at NP schools to attend I specifically chose a well known brick and mortar school in my area. I chose this school not only because I felt that being in a clinical setting the school and opportunities of my job could be influenced by the education I would obtain. I'm not cutting down on online programs but I felt that being a clinical profession, a brick and mortar school would be my best bet for success. All in all, I really think like any other profession, it comes down to the individual. Education is all what a person makes of it. A good example for this is standardized testing and the metrics they imply for grading. Sure a person might ace the exam but it doesnt mean they will do any better than the person who didnt (at whatever it is the test was need). Its a good indicator but it leaves out a very crucial measurement. What they fail to measure (and I'm a big advocate of this) is capacity. The ability for a person to learn based on their drive to succeed in a specific area. Why am I talking about this and why does it feel offtopic? I'm bringing this up not because of school but because of the individual. If a person wants to excel at their job or education, they will. The school is merely a means to obtain the end result. All schools are not created equal and I feel this is the biggest area of difference in that a quality school will provide you with more resources/environment to succeed. This is why I chose a quality NP program from a brick and mortal institution.

Problem is my area/state has one B&M ACNP program that is DNP only and ridiculously overpriced even for in-state students. They hiked grad nursing school tuition 20% in the last 3 years making it almost 90K for the program.

Moving for NP school is not an option, maybe for medical school but not NP school. Best option for me was an online state school that offered a MSN and my specialty choice.

Dranger · Sep 30, 2015

For example, I just spoke with a novice NP at another practice who was asking a question about an ACE inhibitor, through our conversation it became clear that she didn't understand the RAAS system or the anatomy of a nephron. She had just memorized that ACE inhibitors are first line anti-hypertensives.

That's cringe worthy.