Online Schools--Is it a "jungle out there"?

[Back2SchoolRN]

Having gotten a 4-year degree via a great brick and mortar school, and 2 degrees online, I've always been a big supporter of quality, reasonably priced online education, even for clinical degrees. I've had some eye-opening experiences, though, that showed me that, as usual, nothing is without some potential negatives. Lately I've done much more reading about programs in general--not just how to choose the good ones, but what can go wrong, and how.

I'm thinking it's time to have fresher, better-balanced talks about online schools, and what to watch out for. How prevalent are these abuses? Are students afraid to speak out? What red flags do we need to watch for, and how can we help stop the abuse, vs. just keeping our heads down, mouths shut, and escaping with our new degrees and jobs as fast as we can?

I have read many scary things, and don't know which are true, but have seen and experienced enough to know some of these reports MUST be true. Unfortunately, one striking feature of online schools is that many go to great lengths to isolate each annual or semi-annual "cohort" from the others, so no warning about upcoming classes, requirements, etc. is possible. Nowhere NEAR as much discussion about what to expect later in your program, why some students dropped out or were dropped, pending program changes, or anything else, occurs between cohort groups.

These are the concerns I have seen raised; I would welcome feedback from graduates, "rejectees", former professors, and current ones. Of the educators, I ask that you be objective if someone posts about negative experiences. If your school doesn't do it, great--but maybe others aren't like your school. And for those who do post, please specify which degree you were seeking, how far you got, and especially whether you are speaking from experience or word of mouth.

Some described behaviors of the "bad schools---and some better ones, too:

Aggressive recruitment, lying about the time or money it takes to graduate.

Hidden fees.

Isolating different "cohort" groups socially, so they can't warn each other about things all students warn each other about, since colleges began.

Lying about accreditation.

Lying about how much help or advice you will get.

Preferential treatment of traditional students, when a school has both.

...more later. I'm still reading!

Educators or school employees, is your school taking steps to avoid or correct potential or actual, but totally unintended, problems such as these? Did you leave a school because you did not condone its practices, or do you wish you could leave? Have you had an experience that was totally different, and would you care to share where? (Briefly, please; there are forums for lengthier kudoes on this site.)

As prospective students, our job is to research, research, research, BEFORE we sign on. Not just individual schools, which may be rated by biased or 3^rd-party aid recruiting sites, but the industry in general, THEN each school. And if we do learn documented facts or have personal experiences, we need to communicate as part of the new nursing culture of advocacy which includes the nurse himself/herself.

[Back2SchoolRN]

....accidental post

[JeanettePNP, MSN, RN, NP]

I got my first bachelor's through an online school, which I was then able to use to get into an accelerated nursing program (I did science pre-reqs at a brick-and-mortar). My experience with them was very good. I had an advisor who was very supportive and helpful in thinking through what I wanted to do with my degree and what I needed to do to get there. I happen to be a very independent, self-motivated learner and classroom learning is just not for me. I do most of my learning on my own, through reading books and articles, not through listening to a lecturer. I also have kids and was trying to minimize time away from home.

Going the online route probably cut a few years off my schooling because I took the maximum course load each semester. Being able to take classes from home enabled me to complete many more credits than I would have been able to otherwise.

For the actual nursing and masters' programs though I went with highly regarded traditional nursing schools. I gained a lot from collaboration with fellow students which just isn't possible in an online setting, not to mention that you can't learn clinical skills online. I also don't think students should have to arrange their own preceptors and when they do schools have little control over the quality of students' clinical experience. I think though that they could have offered more online courses for things like nursing research, nursing theory, healthcare economics etc.