Does anyone think that online Rn to Bsn programs might be considered inferior by nurse recruiters?
I know it should not be that way.
I am hearing horror stories of grads of other professions who have degrees obtained online but can not find jobs.
Lots of recruiters of other professions even admit to it.
I think many people have this perception that online schools are not as vigorous as brick and mortar schools.
Of course,there is so much variety of online schools.
Non profit,schools that are regionally accredited but have no brick and mortar campus(WGU)
For profit schools that are regionally accredited(Chamberlain) with a brick and mortar campus.
Some are non profit with a brick and mortar campus but not accredited(my old Adn school just started an Rn to Bsn program but it is not accredited yet. The Adn was Acen accredited since the late 60's). If i start there in Sept i would be in the 1st Rn to Bsn class to graduate from the school.
Wgu is giving me a vibe of "We accept anyone",
WHy? I know for a FACT i failed the entrance exam,but the recruiter said i passed.
Hospitals in this area hire new grad Bsn's over experienced ADN's.
I don't doubt that is true in your area however, it is not the case in the metro regions around the country that I've looked into (NYC/NoJersey, Phila, WDC, Seattle). In these areas -and from what I've seen on this forum and elsewhere also in places like SoCal, Denver, Phoenix, Miami - the job market for experienced RN's, regardless of degree, ranges from fair to good. In contrast, for new grads, the range seems to be from terrible to poor. I'll qualify this by adding that nearly everywhere, the preference is for BSNs and most job ads will state as much (i. e., BSN preferred).
There is what seems to be a growing trend toward "BSN required" along with the even more important one to two years of experience, which does not bode well for ADNs or for that matter, new grad BSNs. Since the BSN requirement is mostly window dressing however, it seems unlikely that nursing recruiters will care much about whether the BSN was gotten through an on-line or a traditional program.
I'm thankful for this post. A lot of my fellow classmates are doing the WGU route while I opted for the University of Central Florida. I believe this post confirmed that I made the right decision.
I'm thankful for this post. A lot of my fellow classmates are doing the WGU route while I opted for the University of Central Florida. I believe this post confirmed that I made the right decision.
Well,to be fair,only one nurse said she does not recommend hiring nurses who completed an online Rn to Bsn program from a University with no brick and mortar campus.
Well,from the looks of the other threads,employers now only want Rn's who completed a traditional BSN program.
I totally appreciate the comment by smartnurse1982. Most of the time I am 'embarrassed' that I didn't graduate from a more recognizeable and respected college or university. I graduated from the Univ of Phoenix for my RN-BSN & BSN to MBA (in healthcare management). Expensive? Absolutely!!! Learning experience was fair to Midland - Independent study, acccomplished comfortability speaking in large or small groups of people, became a quick and healthy reports and presentations writer... many other items...but professionals don't recognize or approve the UOPHx - so the educational opportunity seems worthless.
Did you have difficulty obtaining employment as a Bsn?
I "went" to Ohio University and I live in California. When I was interviewing, noone asked me where I obtained my degree from, only that I had it. When I was investigating BSN programs, due to the programs in California being impacted, this was the only way for me to get my BSN. Previously, I had been on a waiting list at our State University campus for almost 3 years.
I think it really depends on your skill set and experience.
Well,to be fair,only one nurse said she does not recommend hiring nurses who completed an online Rn to Bsn program from a University with no brick and mortar campus.
Well,from the looks of the other threads,employers now only want Rn's who completed a traditional BSN program.
When you encounter this ask them "Why?"
The recruiter who told me this couldn't give an articulate answer. If you want to mess with them even more know the statistics of the number of BSN vs ADN in your state
This is tricky for me,and it requires LOTS of explaining....
In my area companies now want Bsn even for community based jobs.
The NJ VNA only wants BSN nurses for a non supervisor field position.
It seems the writing is on the wall.
I would have never thought Homecare companies(and other community based employers) would require a BSN.
I thought the BSN was only required for acute care...not so in my area.
BSN requirements for RN staff are spreading outside of acute care, non magnet hospital now!
Imagine that!
I am a Private Duty Nurse(been a nurse for 10 yrs),and I might be for the rest of my nursing career. If i do get the BSN my pay will be the same.
There isn't any upper mobility in Private Duty except as a clinical manager(supervisor).
I do not want to be a supervisor anyway,as I do not have the personality for it.
I want to stay at the bedside.
I do,however, feel the itch to experience working in med surg for at least 1 yr,as i never got that experience.
In this area,to work in med surg,you need a BSN,which i do not have.
Honesty I see several of us have different experiences and different views to this topic. But that not one single word of advice is completely right or wrong. It all varies depending on where you are and that is what is so great about these forums. We can share our light and hopefully, the questions of the OP will be answered because there is advise from so many regions and levels of experience. Allnurses made this possible :) I am enlightened each time I get on here :) I reside in GA, an it all depends on if you are is the suburbs or not also. The pace, demand, and culture can all dictate how facilities employ their staff.
OP, check with HR all around you and any place far away that you might be considering. Asking them will answer all your questions with a clearer picture of what they are looking for, because unfortunately we can only give advice, but no absolute answers because we aren't the ones hiring. Best wishes to you!
My two cents, online or hybrid is good as long as you get an actual grade and not a pass or fail which brings your gpa to a 3.0 versus a 4.0. My RN-BSN was from our state university and I had class once a month and the rest was online, but they taught me how to write and taught me APA better than my DNP program did and I am so thankful they prepared me.
I am new to posting here on this AN. I have read and followed theses boards and threads since I became a nurse over 10 years ago. I recently started to research some online RN to BSN programs including WGU. I have a AS in nursing, an AA in liberal arts and appx. 30 credits from local state Univ. I can't imagine why some of you feel that a B&M school that requires redundant classes, requires a person to sit through weeks of lectures regardless of the fact some students already mastered the concepts being taught. B&M schools have the biggest money making... Paper pushing scheme of all! How dare a school allow a student to test out of a subject they have mastered via a competency based test! One poster mentioned they wouldn't want a doctor who was given Pass/fail... Brown University is a major medical school and quite prestigious (Brown uses Pass/fail too). I work in a major teaching hospital in a level 1 trauma center in the ED/trauma.
chuckster, ADN, BSN, RN, EMT-B
1,139 Posts
There is what seems to be a growing trend toward "BSN required" along with the even more important one to two years of experience, which does not bode well for ADNs or for that matter, new grad BSNs. Since the BSN requirement is mostly window dressing however, it seems unlikely that nursing recruiters will care much about whether the BSN was gotten through an on-line or a traditional program.