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.

I like the idea of this thread. I have a few questions that someone may be able to help with... I know that this is technically an Academic Outreach Initiative program, so can you still apply if your job is not one of the partners? I noticed that there is a place on the application for your job's code. Is there any clinical requirement for any of the courses? And does anyone know if you're allowed to take more than 2 nursing courses per quarter? I'd like to do it full time and get it finished and 9 credit hrs per quarter technically isn't full time so I'm wondering if its possible to do more.

I like the idea of this thread. I have a few questions that someone may be able to help with... I know that this is technically an Academic Outreach Initiative program, so can you still apply if your job is not one of the partners? I noticed that there is a place on the application for your job's code. Is there any clinical requirement for any of the courses? And does anyone know if you're allowed to take more than 2 nursing courses per quarter? I'd like to do it full time and get it finished and 9 credit hrs per quarter technically isn't full time so I'm wondering if its possible to do more.

You do not need to be employeed by one of their partners to be able to do the program. I just think their partners get a tuition discount.

As far as 9 quarter hours not being full time...it is when the classes only last 5 weeks! A normal quarter at a university on the quarter system is 10-12 weeks and a semester is 15-16. These OU courses are condensed so each time you complete 2 courses, you do so over a span of 5 weeks. So if you attend full time and take 2 courses per 5 week session, that is the equivalent of taking 4 courses at once over a normal 10 week quarter. Two at a time is fast enough in this program.

Besides, even if they did allow you to take 3 at once, it really wouldn't save you any time because you have to take the first and last nursing courses by themselves. So, instead of going 1-2-2-2-2-1, you'd go 1-3-3-2-1. It would just save you like 6 weeks.

Specializes in Wound Care, LTC, Sub-Acute, Vents.

thank you guys for all the info. i think i will apply to this school for my rn-bsn provided they accept all my transfer credits. i am missing intro to chemistry and nutrition for the pre-reqs and the 12 nursing classes. i think i will take the chemistry this summer in my community college and the nutrition with ou.

do i have to complete all the pre-reqs first before i am allowed to take the nursing classes? i will also try and see if i can get credit for the first nursing class nrse: 300 transitions in nursing because i took the transition to the registered professional nurse role from excelsior college. well, i shall see. wow i'm excited to go back to school again. :D

thanks,

angel

eta: okay i found the answer to my question from the stuff i printed off ou website. "students may begin core before completing non-nursing support courses." but now i am not sure if i satisfy this "cross cultural perspectives" requirement.

eta: okay i found the answer to my question from the stuff i printed off ou website. "students may begin core before completing non-nursing support courses." but now i am not sure if i satisfy this "cross cultural perspectives" requirement.
i was also worried about "cross cultural perspectives" and spoke with a counselor at ou about the requirement. she said that any course with a primarily non-american, non-european comparative perspective would satisfy it. she went on to suggested that typical courses that ou would accept include comparative religion, non-western philosophy or ethics and cultural or comparative anthropology or sociology.

So is there any foreign language requirement?

Specializes in Wound Care, LTC, Sub-Acute, Vents.
i was also worried about "cross cultural perspectives" and spoke with a counselor at ou about the requirement. she said that any course with a primarily non-american, non-european comparative perspective would satisfy it. she went on to suggested that typical courses that ou would accept include comparative religion, non-western philosophy or ethics and cultural or comparative anthropology or sociology.

i did a lot of digging/searching from ou website and found this.

here's the info regarding "cross cultural perspectives". i think you only need to take one of these classes.

tier ii - cross-cultural perspectives (2cp)

anth 101 - "introduction to cultural anthropology"

chin 113 - "elementary chinese"

fr 111, 112, 211, 212, 213 - "elementary french"

geog 131 - "globalization and the developing world"

hist 132, 133, 323a, 323c - "introduction to non-western history before 1750"

span 111, 112, 113, 211, 212, 213 - "elementary spanish i"

eta:

this is even better because it gives all the classes available for "tier ii"

link: http://www.ohio.edu/univcollege/courses/upload/genedtierii_fall2008.pdf

Thanks for the background work agldragonRN. Looks like the info from the counselor was reasonably accurate. More importantly, it also like my Intro to Cultural Anthro course satisfies this requirement!

I'm dying to see what OU actually accepts - from what I can see, it will be something like 6 to 8 weeks down the road before the transcript evaluation is complete though.

OK - I'm officially disappointed with OU.

I sent my application in 3 weeks ago and have yet to get any acknowlegement that they received it. I know that they have becuase the check for the app fee that was included in the snail mail package has been cashed. By way of comparison, I sent an application to UT-A late last week and was notified yesterday that they received it and got another e-mail giving me my password for on-line access.

I've requested all of my transcripts for OU and was notified today that the last of them has been sent. Just have to wait to see if any of this gets acknowleged.

Will post more as it happens but the score is now UT-A one, OU zero.

Specializes in Wound Care, LTC, Sub-Acute, Vents.

that sucks. i won't apply to ou anymore because of all the extra classes i still need even though i have like 200 credits already and i am not going to wait 6-8 weeks for transcript evaluation. sigh...i'm back to the drawing board again.

that sucks. i won't apply to ou anymore because of all the extra classes i still need even though i have like 200 credits already and i am not going to wait 6-8 weeks for transcript evaluation. sigh...i'm back to the drawing board again.

i'm not sure that ou is really any worse than most colleges in what they require and will accept for the rn-bsn program. the basic prereqs are:

writing and rhetoric i

elementary microbiology

general psychology

intro to sociology

principles of chemistry i

anatomy & physiology i

anatomy & physiology ii

intro to nutrition

there's also psych (one of the 2 listed):

intro to child development

child & adolescent psych

the advisor i talked to stated that any developmental psych course would satisfy this. and of course, there's also a statistics requirement.

the gen ed requirements (44 credits total) at first appear daunting with very nebulous categories (cross cultural perspectives, quantitative skills, junior composition, etc) but upon closer examination may not turn out to be so bad. unfortunately, i’ll won't know if this optimistic assessment is correct until i get my evaluation - which is a complaint i have about most of these programs: they won't do an unofficial evaluation and insist that you apply first. like you, i've got well over 200 credits (actually closer to 300) as well as several degrees and really don't want to have to take a lot of background prereqs.

my big complaint at this stage is that ou does a very poor job of keeping the prospective transfer student apprised of where they are in the admission process.

Update on the OU admission process.

My application was mailed on 2/22. There was no acknowledgment that it had been received however, the check enclosed for the application fee was cashed so either OU received the app or we have a case of theft. I was able to reasonably accurately determine that the last of my transcripts was sent to OU on 3/2 but again, do not know if they were received.

I e-mailed my OU enrollment specialist yesterday with an inquiry on where I stand in the process. I received a reply within a couple of hours saying:

Once ALL of your documents have been received, you should receive a confirmation email from main campus letting your know all of your documents are in and you are under academic review. Has it been longer than three weeks since you ordered your transcripts?

I responded that it had not quite been 3 weeks since I requested the transcripts, more like 2 weeks and 5 days. Again I received a prompt response stating once the transcripts are received, the following will occur via e-mail:

1. Receive acceptance

2. Receive Registration Access Code (RAC)

3. Receive DARS (your degree audit), which details what you have been given credit for and what you have to take.

Unfortunately, no timeline was provided.

This is a less than satisfying process but at least I now have some idea of what happens.

Specializes in Correctional Nursing; MSN student.

Ok, I've waited to post until everything was in. OU finally sent my official acceptance this week. I had a DARs report (transcrip eval) sent on 3/5. I was extremely disappointed. I called Chrissy from admissions who advised me they do an initial review then go back over transcripts for finalization. My initial transcript review really irritated me and I was ready to throw in the towel. I have nearly 300 credit hrs of education and did not want to waste any time on extraneous courses. It turns out I need statistics, which I already knew I needed and a cross cultural course. I took the minimum of those types of courses in my previous academic life. So with that said I need 2 courses in addition to the nursing curriculum. My initial DAR report indicated I would need like 4-5 more courses. Needless to say I'm very relieved! So, don't dismay, you WILL get the information you need. Once it starts coming in it's organized and complete. I was dismayed initially with the slow responses but I assure you it all comes together. I had transcripts from 4 colleges and they did get it all done. I am to start classes on the 28th. I plan to enroll in the Nursing 300 course. If it goes well and I like the program I'll continue. If not, I'll withdraw and move on. I think it will be a good program, it's just a pain in the @$$ to hurry up and wait. If I can answer any questions fire away!

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