clw1012

I have enjoyed University of Phoenix's online BSN program, it does not require clinicals, just practicums which all good schools should have anyway's. Those are community type projects where you would work with an instructor setting up case management projects, things like that, it isn't easy but I love it. One class at a time, for 5 weeks, then on to the next one. Having an ADN I had to take a couple of Math and Humanities classes but everything is 100% online so although I chose to go to campus for orientation you don't have to go at all unless you want to, for the application, etc. But they helped with applying for financial aid, so it really was quite easy. No applciaiton fees and books are also online, the price was so much less than Chamberlain whcih is why I chose it. plus I read that the new head of the Ohio Board of Nursing is a graduate so I didn't worry about accredidation and stuff like that. If you live in or around Columbus you can call the local campus so you will have a local rep and get to graduate on stage like everyone else, even though it is online. i do recommend it, like I said it is not easy but so flexible.

I have been a CMA for 20 years, I have never been able to get work in a hospital except for one job where I did surgery scheduling for the hospital, making barely $10/hr, I went back to school , got my Associates and Bachelors in Healthcare Admin. and am now working on my Masters in Health Admin, CMA's are a dime a dozen and I would never go into that field ever and a PCT is no more than a CMA for a hospital, LPN's are being completely phased out in my area, (Cols, Ohio) so you will not see LPN's in any hospital here, only BSN's, not even RN's (new grads) are able to get in at all. I would only consider becoming an RN, working somewhere in the field before attempting hospital jobs, but do not stop at RN only, BSN's and then MSN's will be the only ones who are able to get jobs and move up in the future, if not already

2 of the nurses I work with did go to Bohecker in Columbus and were told once they were in deep for around $7000 that they lost their accreditation due to low pass rates, I think they may be on probationary approval now but anytime this happens it is a red flag to me and I avoid any association with any new schools like them. Columbus State, Mt. Carmel, scholls that have been around for awhile are the ones I always feel are the best bet, why be the guinea pig for a school ? And just so you know when a school oses their accreditation the people who have obtained their degrees from there are essentially stuck

I am a current BSN student at University of Phoenix and I absolutely love it! My enrollment advisor helped me so much when I started and my classes are all scheduled up until graduation so I can easily see my upcoming courses. There are no clinicals, just some praticums which are nice, and I found the price to be more than reasonable, in fact it was the least expensive BSN program in Columbus. It is acceditated by the CCNE which was important to me and the credits can transfer to a MSN program if I decide to go on later, but even if I do I am staying with UOP. I only have 2 classes left so I am not a new student with them, Ihave been in long enough to get a feel for whatever most students encounter. Online is awesome too, no set time to be online , no lectures, free tutoring and worskhops on the campus and online, no clinicals, not expensive...why go elsewhere, plus they have a partnership with Ohio Health which makes me feel very safe that this degree will be looked on favorably. My DON graduated from there and she also loved it.:redbeathe

Accredited is important when it comes to federal funding as well, schools without accreditation do not receive federal funding and the credits do not tend to transfer to other universities. Employers do care about accreditation, it means your school is in good standing with the government as well, it meets the requirements for curriculum and students will come out of those prgorams having the education employers need nursing students to have from the start. Like the previous post stated: when it doubt choose accredited schools then no worries. Since some schools lose their accreditations after the fact it could make your degree worthless later which could be catastrophic.