Online MSN

TheCommuter, BSN, RN · May 11, 2015

What MSN specialization are you wanting to study? Leadership? Education? Nurse practitioner? Clinical nurse specialist?

Before the commentariat can recommend programs, it would help to know which type of MSN degree you wish to pursue.

Dranger · May 11, 2015

Before I delve too deeply, you realize most online schools require campus visits right?

Also MSN is vague. NP? Which specialty?

I will be attending a well known brick and mortar school with an online program but it requires multiple campus visits. You can do clinicals in your home state but like most online NP programs, you will need to find your own preceptors.

sdalec · May 11, 2015

Thanks for the quick responses! I am open to all options, but would like to do education, Adult NP, Women's Health, or Public Health. I know I may not get my #1 choice in specialty. There is a school here I could attend for free, Belmont, which only offers the FNP, I am considering that (if I get accepted). Belmont is not online, though. So I'd be willing to work my way down my list of preferences to find something that suits me in other ways.

I have reached out to Drexel's admissions advisors for their online programs. So far they have said for the non-NP tracks I may have to go to campus once a month for admin and non-clinical things, which I can definitely do. It is the clinical portion I am worried about, I think I have talked to them before (over a year ago) about it and I am pretty sure they said I'd have to do clinicals in Pennsylvania, which I cannot do - I assume those are more often than monthly. I'm willing to travel for a clinical, but that would be too far. I could go to Drexel for free, too, so I am hoping they have a different answer for me this time, at least for the non-NP tracks.

Thanks!

Altra, BSN, RN · May 11, 2015

I think it's important that you decide what career path you want to pursue - CRNP vs. non-CRNP - before you proceed to look at individual schools.

yahweh1276 · May 11, 2015

What about RODP (Regents Online Degree Program)? They offer all online classes with clinicals in the Middle Tennessee area. You are assigned a home school - MTSU, Austin Peay, TSU, etc. - from where your degree will ultimately be awarded. They currently offer MSN in NP, education, and leadership.

sdalec · May 11, 2015

One of my problems is that I don't know what I want to be when I grow up! I would eventually like to get my NP, but I don't necessarily want to start with that. And cost is (mostly) not a problem. So I am narrowing down my options based on other things, and then will look at the programs on the short list of schools I am left with.

1. Yellow Ribbon Program/GI Bill (that narrows it down quite a bit if I stick with it as mandatory)

2. Online

3. Practical/clinical portion can be done in Nashville (or anywhere)

4. Adult NP, PH, or Women's are my preferences but I'm flexible

5. Respected program

6. Program length

For example, Belmont University, which I mentioned before, is a good school, would be completely free and I'd leave with an FNP in a short time, and it is in Nashville, but it is not online. Drexel would also be completely free, it is a good school, it is online, there are more options than an FNP only, but I am not sure that I can do the clinical portion in Nashville.

I guess I don't know where to start my search. I'd like to explore MSN options in general, what different schools have to offer. I just need a jumping off point.

Maybe a better question would be, has anyone gotten an MSN online, maybe out of state from the brick and mortar location, been able to do the clinicals, and gone on to find work?

A few other threads I've come across have answers from students who are satisfied with their online schools, but no one who has come back to follow up on the job prospects after graduating, or the acceptance of their degrees.

Thanks again!!!

sdalec · May 11, 2015

Thanks! I don't know a lot about Regents, but I have not heard good things about the RN programs. I had not heard of Regents until I moved here, though, so maybe the few opinions I've heard (mostly at work) are not the general consensus. Is the MSN different than the RN? I think the person I know going through the program mentioned "doing school at her own pace", and did not say if her degree would be awarded through a separate school, I got the impression she would just get a degree from Regents. But I don't know what it is or how it works! I will look into it, thank you!

HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD · May 11, 2015

Please be very cautious about any "choose your own adventure" type program that claims you will be able to do your clinical practicum 'wherever you want'. An increasing number of organizations (including mine) are no longer allowing 'one off' student clinical experiences due to the associated costs and liability. Access for clinical education is limited to students enrolled in programs that have current contracts with the organization.... and meet all requirements, such as on-site faculty, specific liability coverage, etc.

Also - if you're thinking of moving into education, NP education is not really relevant to academic practice. You'd have to take some additional classes to get there.