Western University of Health Sciences

kathliz · Feb 9, 2008

I just got accepted into the FNP MSN-E program at Western University of Health Sciences. Has anyone gone through this program? If so, could you please share what you liked and disliked about the program. Any feedback would be helpful.
Thank you!
-Henrietta

Hi Henrietta,

Congratulations!!! I am sure that you will love the program. I am still waiting to hear on my application. May I ask you whether you interviewed with them or not. I see some posts here from last year where a couple of students were accepted without having to go on the interview. I wish you much success at Western and in your future nursing career.

Kathy

obnrse · Feb 9, 2008

Hello,

I also got accepted yesterday to Western and I'm really excited. I interviewed on feb 1st. Everyone was really nice and helpful. Congrats to all who got in.

ham_tranwich · Feb 10, 2008

Hey Kathliz,

I interviewed on January 26th. Hope you get good news soon!

considering07 · Feb 13, 2008

I also interviewed on Feb 1st and received the 'alternate for admission' letter today.

Congratulations Carly 84!

Livenlearn · Feb 13, 2008

Congratulations ham_tranwich and Carly84!

I received my letter stating 'alternate for admission' yesterday.

Anyone else want to share their news??

considering07 · Feb 13, 2008

Congratulations ham tranwich and livenlearn.

RedHead85 · Feb 14, 2008

I'm in too! Congrats to all. Although, I'm still deciding where I want to go. I'm still not sure how I feel about the MSN portion being entirely distance-learning based.

obnrse · Feb 14, 2008

Congrats to all who got in...Livenlearn and considering07 I'm keeping my fingers crossed!!!!Keep us updated

UCLA Nursing_08 · Apr 6, 2008

I just got accepted into the FNP MSN-E program at Western University of Health Sciences. Has anyone gone through this program? If so, could you please share what you liked and disliked about the program. Any feedback would be helpful.
Thank you!
-Henrietta

Hello ham_tranwich,

Congratulation on being admitted to the FNP MSN-E portion of the program at Western University. I just found out about this thread and am glad to meet some of you. While I have not gone through this program before, I personally don't like doing the master's portion on-line. Nursing is one of those professions where you need to have direct hands-on experience with the patient. When you do the master's portion of the program, there are courses such as Advanced Physical Assessment where you need to come to the classroom and have professors show you how to conduct a physical assessment at a higher level. It's one of those classes where you have to be present to absorb the information. Also, one thing that came to my mind is preceptorship. Will students be looking for their own preceptorship or will the faculty assigned them one?

in_training · Jul 9, 2008

Congrats Henrietta, I know I'm late, but I just joined allnurses. I also got accepted in WesternU for the MSN-E program. I'm excited and nervous all at the same time. I heard great things about WU from a PA student.

Dr. Tammy, FNP/GNP-C · Jul 10, 2008

I personally don't like doing the master's portion on-line. Nursing is one of those professions where you need to have direct hands-on experience with the patient. When you do the master's portion of the program, there are courses such as Advanced Physical Assessment where you need to come to the classroom and have professors show you how to conduct a physical assessment at a higher level. It's one of those classes where you have to be present to absorb the information. Also, one thing that came to my mind is preceptorship. Will students be looking for their own preceptorship or will the faculty assigned them one?

I respectfully disagree. In my MSN/FNP program all courses are televised, streamlined and archived. Courses all have monitors where as you can ask questions during class via your own computer in real time during the class. As far as hands on--true none can take place in person with 1 instructor to 50 students in the class, which is why you do hands on with your own preceptor which is always 1 to 1.

The reason why this is important for you to understand is because your way of thinking sets the foundation for bias against students who choose the non-traditional routes. Many of these individuals understand, as I'm sure you do, or will soon learn, that nursing is a practice-based discipline and as such, much learning occurs in the clinic environment. Those courses that support the philosophy and research systems of nursing, at least for me, are better served through course work with schedules that I select--not the business(the school) which is earning my dollar as the customer.

Another thing to consider. At one time nursing distance ed was a new enterprise mostly relegated to unknown private colleges. Now distance education programs are set up by world-class education facilities such as Duke and Johns-Hopkins and Purdue--all of which now have graduate nursing programs via distance. Do you honestly think that these institutions would compromise the integrity of their standing in the academic world if they thought offering distance education was an inferior product as compared to the brick and mortar setting?

Again these issues are important for all to understand as there is far too much in the way of horizontal violence in the health care industry. Although you reference personal preference, there is often bias and discrimination that serves to underscore these ideas, and often (as I have personally seen) transcend into the workplace by those who have very little understanding of how distance education truly works, especially by some who have never been through the process.

We really don't need any more bias' based on discriminating against those who have chosen distance education by suggesting their chosen and education path is somehow inferior.

Also, to the rest of the accepted folks--Congratulations! Distance education rocks, but similar to traditional paths its all what you make it.