78bree

I was wondering how you can find out if an online university is accredited? Specifically, it appears that degrees from Excelsior (sp?) College aren't being accepted by the Maryland BON as far as I can tell. I might be mistaken about that because I haven't researched it very carefully. It just made me start wondering how you can tell which colleges are going to be recognized in what states. What should I be looking for? My goal is to take an online RN-BSN program from a brick and mortar college while I work full time, but if for some reason I wasn't accepted by the program I have my eye on, my next step would probably be to get my degree from any old online university, but I'd hate to waste time and money. Thanks.

Thanks for the great suggestions. I lived in MD for 4 years until I moved in '06, but at that point I wasn't college bound so I didn't pay as much as attention to things like that as I could have and I'm kicking myself now. It's hard work to figure this kind of thing out 3 years and 2000 miles from here. I feel so lucky to be given this chance to get an education a little later in life that I want to plan out every detail to make sure I get it all "right". I guess my next step is to contact the different colleges you guys have suggested and get some information sent to me so that I don't waste any electives on the things I'd take if it were up to me (I'd take nothing but creative writing and history courses if I were doing this for fun) and instead take things that will actually further my career goals. I'm not math or science minded by nature, but I can see now that "when in doubt, take biochemistry" is going to be my new motto. I look forward to getting to know you better over the years and maybe I'll even get a chance to work with some of you in the future. :heartbeat Thanks so much!

I'm a pre-nursing student just starting out. In some ways, that makes me feel limited in the ways I can interact with vetern nurses since I don't have the experiences yet that we can bond over. But in at least one way, I'm feeling very lucky that this is the case. I am going into the program with my end destination in mind. I have been giving my classes my utmost attention to ensure I stay as close to a 4.0 as possible (so far, so good) so that I'll make an appealing canidate for the nursing program I'm applying for. I know that I want to apply to Georgetown and UMB for their CRNA programs when I finish my BSN. I've decided that to truly be competitive for these programs, I have to be able to get ICU experience in busier environments than my local New Mexico has to offer. So my plan is to move to MD after I recieve my ADN and complete the NCLEX. At this point my eggs are all in one basket in as much as I've only considered UMB for my RN to BSN bridge so I've been selecting classes that will help me with their requirements. I've heard it's fairly hard to get into the program so I thought maybe I should have a back up plan, just in case. MD is a big state in terms of how many hospitals and colleges it offers. I was hoping that I might be able to get some other recommendations for schools that offer an RN to BSN program so that I can maybe make myself slightly more well rounded than the UMB wannabe I am right now. Thanks

I'm starting college a little later in life (almost 30) and in some respects I feel like I'm at a disadvantage. However, it's given me over 10 years since high school to consider what I'd really like to be when I grow up. After a lot of research and debate I decided that I'd really love to be a CRNA. I've got an idea of what my plan of attack needs to be to accomplish this, but I'm a little fuzzy on the details. Right now I'm in my second semester of pre nursing and I hope to apply for the nursing program next fall. I don't anticipate any problems getting in as I'm a good student with a 4.0 so far. It's just a two year RN program from a local community college. After that I plan to do a RN to BSN transition program while simultaneously (hopefully) getting ICU work experience. And then, with luck, entrance into a nurse anesthesia program. I'm hoping to streamline the process as much as possible by doing everything extra I possibly can at the right times. I know there are several tests that are required at various stages along the way. I've heard GRE mentioned a few times. Can someone kinda break down how the process works with approximate timeframes so I can get an idea of what I'm dealing with. It doesn't change what I want to do with my life, but it would be great to know better what I can expect from the path I've chosen. Thanks a bunch!