Ohio University RN-to-BSN Program

Nursing Students Ohio University

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Since it seems that there's quite a bit of interest, I'm attempting to start a new thread devoted exclusively to the OU on-line RN-BSN program that will hopefully build on the comments on assorted previous threads.

I'd like to ask nevergonnagiveup, mtsteelhorse and babynurse73 - all of whom (I think) are either already in the program or have applied for admission - to post about their experiences. I just sent in my application and plan to post periodically about relevant issues. If we can populate the thread with good material, it could become a very useful resource for both those considering the OU program and students already in it. Once that happens, I'd hope we could prevail upon the forum moderators to make it a sticky thread.

As indicated, I've only recently applied to the program. So far, I'm happy with the support and information I've gotten. I've been contacted by an OU "enrollment specialist" who was somewhat helpful (I suspect that they have dual roles, one being to provide basic information to prospective students and the other to follow-up with the prospects and help to fill the roster for the program). This person e-mailed me, followed up with a phone call and was able to provide some useful, if basic, information about the program. I also sent a lengthy e-mail to OU with quite a number of specific, detailed questions. This too resulted in both an e-mail and telephone response, this time from an academic advisor in the OU School of Nursing. Again I received some useful and quite helpful information. All in all, my early experience has been pretty positive.

As indicated above, I plan to post about relevant issues that come up as I work my way through the admission and evaluation process. I'd very much like to hear from others about their experience with OU and I'm sure that there will be a lot of interest by others in our collective experience with the program.

Here's my tentative course map:

1 NRSE 300 Transitions in Nursing (completed 2011 Summer 2)

2 NRSE 414 Cultural Diversity in Nursing (completed 2011 Fall 1)

3 NRSE 325 Health Interventions in Nursing (completed 2011 Fall 2)

4 NRSE 335 legal & Ethical Reqts in Nursing (2012 Winter 1)

5 NRSE 405 Research: Critique & Methodology (2012 Winter 2)

6 NRSE 341 Community Health ( 2012 Spring 1)

-- Nothing available for 2012 Spring 2 --

7 NRSE 310 Health Appraisal I- (2012 Summer 1)

8 NRSE 330 Family Nursing (2012 Summer 2)

9 NRSE 410 Gerontology (2012 Fall 1)

10 NRSE 4580 - new course combining NRSE 416 Management Issues in Nursing and NRSE 445 Strategic Planning (2012 Fall 2)

11 NRSE 455 Excellence in Nursing (2013 Fall 3)

I actually sent a note to my advisor with this course plan included but have not heard back from her.

Thanks for starting this thread and for all info/experiences you have generously shared chuckster. I'm surprised that you have to take cultural diversity considering all the other classes you have taken. From the youtube videos it sounded like a foreign language class would fulfill the cultural diversity requirement.

I'm still undecided/researching the whole rn-bsn thing. Good luck to all!

Several of my coworkers went to IWU. They liked that it was only 1 day a week. However, I didn't realize that for their BSN EVERYTHING is papers. I don't mind the occasional paper, but being in a program that was solely papers (APA format at that), would drive me crazy.

I've enjoyed OU, which is shocking since per my assessment I am NOT an online learner. I like that I can pace myself. The classes are challenging, but very doable. Plus with the built in support system I've made on this board, it's even that much better. I'm almost done w/the program, so I won't be around for all of the changes. However, my BIGGEST suggestion would be to choose a program where others have or are also taking classes w/you. Just makes things so much easier bouncing ideas/questions off others.

So it sounds like the changes that are being made to OU are making it more challenging?

So it sounds like the changes that are being made to OU are making it more challenging?

Not necessarily. I think for people who have been in the program for a while, the switch may take some getting used to (naturally). But for those starting Spring/Summer and definitely Fall, I doubt it will be a big deal.

Specializes in Critical Care, ER, Post-Op Surgery.
Several of my coworkers went to IWU. They liked that it was only 1 day a week. However, I didn't realize that for their BSN EVERYTHING is papers. I don't mind the occasional paper, but being in a program that was solely papers (APA format at that), would drive me crazy.

I've enjoyed OU, which is shocking since per my assessment I am NOT an online learner. I like that I can pace myself. The classes are challenging, but very doable. Plus with the built in support system I've made on this board, it's even that much better. I'm almost done w/the program, so I won't be around for all of the changes. However, my BIGGEST suggestion would be to choose a program where others have or are also taking classes w/you. Just makes things so much easier bouncing ideas/questions off others.

Couldn't agree with you last line more!!! I am in this with 2 other nurses and I think all 3 of us would've quit if we hadn't had each others support.

Anyone taken 335 legal and ethical? I'm wondering how the "group" discussion boards work and what does the work load look like. I will be taking this with 2 other classes (fashion/culture and music)!!!! Yes, crazy I'm sure.

Also does anyone have any insight into community 341? I have to take this and seriously thought about taking it with capstone 455. I am only taking a 10 week music class at the community college right now and thought about ordering the book for community so I could try to get some reading done and maybe get a little ahead. I am dying to get this all done before the change to semesters.

Oh, someone posted about intersession being soooo expensive. I talked to the bursar about this and she told me that any of the winter intersession electives generated out of the Athens campus will be very expensive, I think she quoted me about $1200 for one class. I refused to spend that amount of money!! I will be taking my electives through the community college. I will of course have to take JR. COMP at OU but since it's not intersession it will be the regular price.

Couldn't agree with you last line more!!! I am in this with 2 other nurses and I think all 3 of us would've quit if we hadn't had each others support.

Anyone taken 335 legal and ethical? I'm wondering how the "group" discussion boards work and what does the work load look like. I will be taking this with 2 other classes (fashion/culture and music)!!!! Yes, crazy I'm sure.

Also does anyone have any insight into community 341? I have to take this and seriously thought about taking it with capstone 455. I am only taking a 10 week music class at the community college right now and thought about ordering the book for community so I could try to get some reading done and maybe get a little ahead. I am dying to get this all done before the change to semesters.

Oh, someone posted about intersession being soooo expensive. I talked to the bursar about this and she told me that any of the winter intersession electives generated out of the Athens campus will be very expensive, I think she quoted me about $1200 for one class. I refused to spend that amount of money!! I will be taking my electives through the community college. I will of course have to take JR. COMP at OU but since it's not intersession it will be the regular price.

I've taken everything except Gerontology and Excellence.

335 isn't bad if you are in a good group. The workload is taxing, but interesting, so that made it an enjoyable class. Basically you have this case study that you basically do in segments for 3 weeks. How my group did things was each person took a part. Then each part had to be posted by a certain day. Once posted we all had input/suggestions. Then once we all agreed on what we wanted to say, someone basically put all of the pieces together in 1 final discussion board post. I like to be in control of my grades, so I often made a point of volunteering to either do an important piece or write the final post.

Music is EASY especially if you have Prof. B...Make sure to do the practice quizzes and remember them!!

I would NOT take community w/capstone. In order to prepare for community, LEARN about your community. What programs are offered for the poor. How diverse is your community? How many shelters/food banks are in your area? How's pollution in your community? What health issue really affects your community? That class requires A LOT OF busy work, and I know that excellence also requires a lot of work. But you know you're comfort level. I've doubled up on classes, so not opposed to doing that, but man I can't see taking community w/another busy class.

LOVE LOVE LOVE bus. communication and I am so NOT A writer. My TA "R" was awesome. Wish every class was like bus. comm.

GL in deciding what to/not to take.

. . . I'm surprised that you have to take cultural diversity considering all the other classes you have taken. From the youtube videos it sounded like a foreign language class would fulfill the cultural diversity requirement.

I'm still undecided/researching the whole rn-bsn thing. Good luck to all!

I think you're confusing the Tier II cultural diversity requirement with Diversity in Nursing. The Tier II requirement can be satisfied with a variety of courses such as cultural anthropology, non-Western history and comparative religion. I'm not sure what course OU elected to use for this requirement but I did get credit for it. Actually, even though the OU evaluation process takes a while, it is thorough and fair. In my case, I either got credit for or was waived from all of the Tier I and II requirements and have only the nursing courses to take, of which Diversity in Nursing is one.

I'm not convinced that the added courses required to earn a BSN make you a better nurse but the job market has apparently decided that the BSN is essential. So my suggestion would be to bite the bullet and go the RN-BSN route as soon as possible. I'm happy with my choice of OU but there are many other programs out there to choose from. As the Nike ad used to say: "Just do it!"

Specializes in Critical Care.
Where do you see them posted? I logged into my courses and no grade. :(

Check My ohio student center under grades:

"Official grades for Fall are available in My OHIO Student Center . Sign in to My OHIO Student Center

click on "other academic..." drop down box choose "Grades" click select Fall Quarter 2011-12 click Continue

Official Grades will be listed followed by the Term Statistics"

Good Luck!

Specializes in Critical Care, ER, Post-Op Surgery.

Thanks deltaroxxy2 for the info! I'm hoping I can keep my head above water until July 2012. I'll keep you posted.

Deltaroxxy2-

What can you tell me about 405? The fact that it's research seems pretty brutal, :(. did you say you've taken 330 and 335? Can you give me anything on those either?

Besides those 3 I only have 455 left!!

Thanks in advance!

Has anyone who is starting the program in January been contacted by admissions yet? I'm still waiting to be notified of acceptance and was curious if anyone else had heard anything. This process is so frustrating, I applied at the beginning of August ( missed the deadline for fall by two days!)

I am in the same boat. Applied way back in August. I received an email in early October that I would get an acceptance email in November. November came and went...no acceptance email. I sent THEM an email to find out when I could expect to be accepted. They wrote back it could take another 2 to 3 weeks to get my acceptance and Welcome letter. So that puts the wait to the middle of December.

Lesson here is...do not hesitate to apply to OU. Acceptance takes FOREVER!

Here's my tentative course map:

1 NRSE 300 Transitions in Nursing (completed 2011 Summer 2)

2 NRSE 414 Cultural Diversity in Nursing (completed 2011 Fall 1)

3 NRSE 325 Health Interventions in Nursing (completed 2011 Fall 2)

4 NRSE 335 legal & Ethical Reqts in Nursing (2012 Winter 1)

5 NRSE 405 Research: Critique & Methodology (2012 Winter 2)

6 NRSE 341 Community Health ( 2012 Spring 1)

-- Nothing available for 2012 Spring 2 --

7 NRSE 310 Health Appraisal I- (2012 Summer 1)

8 NRSE 330 Family Nursing (2012 Summer 2)

9 NRSE 410 Gerontology (2012 Fall 1)

10 NRSE 4580 - new course combining NRSE 416 Management Issues in Nursing and NRSE 445 Strategic Planning (2012 Fall 2)

11 NRSE 455 Excellence in Nursing (2013 Fall 3)

I actually sent a note to my advisor with this course plan included but have not heard back from her.

Chuckster...are you sure you have this right? You should be taking Nursing 455 in Fall 3 of 2012 right???? Not 2013. Fall 3 Semester begins on 11/5/12 and ends on 12/8/12. So you should be completely finished by 12/8/12.

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