Opinions: Online ARNP/CRNA

Trauma Columnist · Jun 23, 2019

Moved to student NP forum

umbdude, MSN, APRN · Jun 23, 2019

There is no online option for CRNA.

Whether online school is good depends on your personal style, preferences, flexibility, and ability to secure your own preceptors. Most online NP programs do not help you find preceptors and that is a major stressor for students.

Online is a no-go for me. I love the in-class experience and real-time interactions with professors and classmates. I am getting much more out of my NP education than I would if I went online.

Regardless of what you choose, pick a school that is known for rigorous and high-quality education. For online programs, it's best to choose one with on-campus training.

Dodongo, APRN, NP · Jun 25, 2019

I would never do a 100% online program. I only considered hybrid or on campus programs. I needed the synchronous lectures and real-time interaction with lecture PLUS you absolutely have to go to campus periodically for check offs/testing and skills. I'd argue that every single person needs this - a lot of people are just lazy and want the quickest, easiest and cheapest way out.

Oldmahubbard · Jun 25, 2019

There is no online CRNA. Thankfully. They have maintained their standards and we have not.

In other advanced practice fields, if you want to be any good, you must have extensive experience in the clinical area.

At the minimum, several years. You must do a great deal of self preparation. Many hours beyond what is required.

Unless you just don't care, which seems to be the case in Psych.

You must understand that no program can teach you how to be an NP.

Most programs, even B and M, do not provide preceptors.

Nurse-Bell · Aug 3, 2019

On 6/24/2019 at 9:01 PM, Dodongo said:
I would never do a 100% online program. I only considered hybrid or on campus programs. I needed the synchronous lectures and real-time interaction with lecture PLUS you absolutely have to go to campus periodically for check offs/testing and skills. I'd argue that every single person needs this - a lot of people are just lazy and want the quickest, easiest and cheapest way out.

You seriously need to stop trying to discourage people from attending online programs. Everybody isn't you. Everyone has a different style of learning and there are plenty of people that do well in online courses. Your very ignorant. It is not the easiest nor cheapest way out.... it's obvious you've never attended and quite frankly you probably couldn't keep up. So anybody reading this don't listen to this fool...he specifically hounds these boards dogging out any online program without having any prior knowledge of any of them. He's just scared you'll finish, pass boards and come take his job.

Online programs are great for the working adult. Not to mention, you're likely going to get paid what he does if not MORE depending upon your experience and so forth. Most employers ARE NOT focused on what school you attend. If you pass the NP boards is all they care about, which obviously means you pretty much know your stuff well-enough for entry level and to practice. At the end of the day passing the boards will tell it all, not the name of the school. I know a lot of sharp nurses who completed an online program and they could run circles around this Dodongo character anyday. Some of the most accomplished nurses I've met have online degrees.

Don't get it twisted, the word "online" certainly doesn't mean there is not work involved! It's far from lazy. In fact you probably have to do much more. Online NP's have just as much work and are held to the same credentialing standards for clinical hours. The application of your knowledge in the clinical rotations is really the meat and potatoes. So that's a lie you are lazy and sit around. It's all about what you put into your studies. I know people at brick-and-mortars and they slack off all the time.

So please don't listen to people like this and all of their negativity and discouragement especially when they've never been in an online program.

I've been in both and currently at a supposingly well respected brick and mortar school that is providing me the same level of education as I got in my online program. My online degree got me into many doors and I'm making an awesome salary with amazing benefits. I'd do it over in a heartbeat.

Devo19, BSN, MSN, APRN · Aug 3, 2019

My online FNP is great for me! I can still work full time on night shift and I travel a lot for the military (currently deployed).

L-ICURN, BSN, RN · Aug 4, 2019

15 hours ago, Nurse-Bell said:
I've been in both and currently at a supposingly well respected brick and mortar school that is providing me the same level of education as I got in my online program. My online degree got me into many doors and I'm making an awesome salary with amazing benefits. I'd do it over in a heartbeat.

Thank you for showing a positive perspective. The two B&M programs I looked into in my area are more expensive and have this asynchronous schedule that doesn't permit me that many hours to work. I have no choice but to continue working while in classes. Also, they don't find preceptor sites either. Why should I shell out more money to them and still have to struggle to find clinical sites?

Dodongo, APRN, NP · Aug 6, 2019

On 8/3/2019 at 12:08 PM, Nurse-Bell said:
You seriously need to stop trying to discourage people from attending online programs. Everybody isn't you. Everyone has a different style of learning and there are plenty of people that do well in online courses. Your very ignorant. It is not the easiest nor cheapest way out.... it's obvious you've never attended and quite frankly you probably couldn't keep up. So anybody reading this don't listen to this fool...he specifically hounds these boards dogging out any online program without having any prior knowledge of any of them. He's just scared you'll finish, pass boards and come take his job.
Online programs are great for the working adult. Not to mention, you're likely going to get paid what he does if not MORE depending upon your experience and so forth. Most employers ARE NOT focused on what school you attend. If you pass the NP boards is all they care about, which obviously means you pretty much know your stuff well-enough for entry level and to practice. At the end of the day passing the boards will tell it all, not the name of the school. I know a lot of sharp nurses who completed an online program and they could run circles around this Dodongo character anyday. Some of the most accomplished nurses I've met have online degrees.
Don't get it twisted, the word "online" certainly doesn't mean there is not work involved! It's far from lazy. In fact you probably have to do much more. Online NP's have just as much work and are held to the same credentialing standards for clinical hours. The application of your knowledge in the clinical rotations is really the meat and potatoes. So that's a lie you are lazy and sit around. It's all about what you put into your studies. I know people at brick-and-mortars and they slack off all the time.
So please don't listen to people like this and all of their negativity and discouragement especially when they've never been in an online program.
I've been in both and currently at a supposingly well respected brick and mortar school that is providing me the same level of education as I got in my online program. My online degree got me into many doors and I'm making an awesome salary with amazing benefits. I'd do it over in a heartbeat.

You are so right. You've really put me in my place. Haha.

I did a hybrid program, which is, as you might have guessed, very much online. It was great. I loved the online format. It was convenient, and, academic integrity was maintained because they had rigorous requirements. Online programs can be done well, but they absolutely *must* have proctored exams, visits to campus for evaluations and skills labs, etc. I absolutely stand by what I said. 100% online programs - read that again - one-hundred percent online - are diluting the quality of the profession and are a disservice to patients. And with most programs not providing clinical rotations and having zero oversight, a lot of students are left with observation/shadowing experiences. So that's not substituting the piss poor didactic delivered by these schools.

And for the record, my hospital system - system wide - no longer hires NPs from multiple online programs. PAs are taking over this region because of it. Physician groups are attending FPA hearings across the country and stalling our progress because they are presenting these schools. It's a slam dunk for them.

I obviously struck a nerve with you, and your insecurities are on full display. If you truly believed that this type of education was superior, I think your tone would be more subdued. Your volatility speaks for itself.