guest538567

Most of the salaries reported here are 4-5 years old. At least in my area, NP salaries have trended up quite a bit in that time.

Take a look at the University of Alabama system. They offer in-state tuition for the online DNP. They also have a good reputation. I personally would not pick an expensive option and doubt that the name of the school would make a significant difference. I guess the exception would be if you want to try to obtain contacts through the program to teach at that specific school.

What is your goal with the program? Is it a personal goal, to gain a skill set, or as a qualification to teach? Unless there is a compelling reason to attend a particular program, I would recommend obtaining the most value you can for your education. This is usually achieved by finding a reputable state university. Many flagship universities offer the DNP. This may provide an option to obtain an affordable education at a well known school.

There are some interesting parallels between the transition of for-profit nursing education and that of medical education. In 1910, Abraham Flexner published the Flexner Report which essentially defined what would become the modern medical education system. This document established recommendations for standardization of entry and curriculum. At the time, medical education was an unstandardized mess of mostly for-profit institutions. Flexner had this to say, "such exploitation of medical education is strangely inconsistent with the social aspects of medical practice...the medical profession is an organ differentiated by society for its highest purposes, not a business to be exploited". This philosophy holds true today. My understanding is that there are no for-profit degree granting allopathic medical programs in the US. This is because the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, the accrediting organization for medical schools, strictly says that schools should be non-profit. I think this reflects a value in the medical community and an understanding that medical education represents a social benefit that should not be profit driven or beholden to shareholders. I wish that our nursing accrediting bodies were as forward thinking.

That is the crux of the problem with the for-profit model. These schools attract candidates that likely should not be allowed entry to an NP program. The harsh reality is that not everyone that wants to be an NP should be allowed entry. Desire and the ability to obtain student loans should not be the metric by which we allow entry to a profession that has the responsibility of diagnosing and treating illness. I will say it again...nurse practitioners should reflect the best and brightest. That is the caliber of provider that I would want treating my family. That is the provider that I strive to be.

As a NP, I want advanced practice nursing to have strict standards and attract the best that nursing has to offer. This is especially true with more states offering full autonomy. Would you want to be treated by a NP from a for-profit, online only program that has the (at least theoretical) ability to independently practice without any clinical supervision immediately after graduation? We should be looking at increasing the standards of our profession not lessening them for ease of access. I get that you are saying that it is the student that matters more than the program. I would generally agree with this. I recognize that there can be poor performing students at any school and I am sure that there are good students that also come out of these programs. However, if you have lax admission standards, you are more likely to attract a lesser candidate than a more rigorous school. The intent of many of these programs is to make money for shareholders and I have not seen the same level of commitment to the community, nursing, and students that are present at other schools.

I know many nurses who want away from the bedside and are pursuing FNP through a for-profit school because these schools offer an online only format and have lax admission standards. It feels like these programs may contribute to a future surplus of NP providers. IF that happens, it seems very likely that where you went to school will become an important way to for employers to filter jobs applications to determine who will get an interview and are ultimately hired. This already happens to an extent. When I have been involved in hiring new NP's, the school is one of the first things you look at to determine the potential quality of the applicant. The reality is that perception matters. This is extremely evident in medicine where there is a hierarchy and a prevailing sense of academic snobbery. The classic example in this area would be a physician that graduated from Duke or UNC vs one that was trained in the Caribbean. I am sure that there are graduates from online for-profit programs that are good applicants. I just think that you will be spending more money for the possible negative perception associated with the degree. I am not sure why you would do that? If it is convenience, there are local state schools that are accessible, online, and comparatively inexpensive. I see in you posting history that you are considering Simmons College. I was not familiar with this program and had to look it up. It is a private school but does not seem to be for-profit. For the tuition of $1,315/credit you could alternatively attend Vanderbilt at $1,359 or Duke at $1,639 with likely a significant improvement in name recognition (and quality?). However, my recommendation would be for you to take advantage of our great in-state university system and obtain a quality education for a fraction of the above cost. Your future self will thank you when you graduate debt free (or at least can pay off your student loans faster).

Here is the list from the NCBON of approved MSN programs in the state MSN | North Carolina Board of Nursing. Most of those schools have a NP program. Please post back what you ultimately decide. Good luck!

I am also from NC. I work with a colleague that graduated from the Duke program. I attended a state school. Both of us have similar positions and salaries. She is still paying on and often complains about her >$80,000 loans. I graduated debt free. You have some great opportunities for low cost but high quality education in a state school (UNC, ECU, WCU, UNCG, UNCW, UNCC, etc). I personally would choose one of these schools even if it means a prolonged course of study or having to adjust your work schedule to attend. Try to minimize your student loans and your future self will thank you! If you must attend an online program and a state school will not work, I would look into out-of-state schools that have NC approval. Here is the list - Approved Degree Programs of Licensed Institutions | UNC GA. Of these, I would disregard any for-profit schools (ie. Kaplan, South, etc). I would look closely at the University of South Alabama that offers an online MSN. It is a state school and you qualify for in-state tuition, which was very reasonable last I checked. You could also look at Frontier. I recognize that your deadline is fast approaching and this is a big decision. You are clearly a qualified graduate applicant and would likely not have any problem getting into another program. Good luck!

Social workers seeking LCSW will often fall into this category. To meet qualifications for LCSW, most states require supervised clinical hours following an MSW. Some jobs offer supervision as a perk. However, many other students must go out and find their own clinical preceptors who will charge $100 to $150/hour for supervision. I would hate to see nursing fall to the level that preceptors demand $150 an hour from students to precept. As I responded previously, I personally feel that I owe it to my profession to precept. I valued the experience, time, and altruistic nature of my clinical preceptors and hope that I can fill this role for future students.

You are comparing a private nonprofit research university (R1) with a private for-profit online nursing school. I personally would spend

I am a huge advocate for higher pay and respect when it comes to general NP practice. However, I view precepting as part of professional service and giving back what was once given to me. I do not expect compensation for this. I remain very grateful for preceptors that had a role in my medical training and will continue giving back in a similar fashion.

I would choose nursing again. After becoming an NP, I had a supervising MD that strongly encouraged me to pursue medical school. I really thought about it and am likely still young enough that it would positively impact my career. However, I just could not see myself taking out the needed student loans after being debt free. I also felt my family might suffer under the time commitment of medical school. I feel nursing has been a great fit for me. It offers enough variety to ensure that I will never be bored. I can have my pick of schedules and jobs. I have great benefits and earn a good salary to support my family. What other career offers choices of clinical work, advanced practice, teaching, research, policy, administration, informatics, etc?

I don't think it has to be particularly long or in depth. It is also ok if you change your entire topic and project plan after starting the program. I think the admission committee want to see that you have given some thought to doctoral level project ideas and likely will use your proposal as a writing sample. Look at the Student Handbook (http://nursing.ua.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/graduate_handbook.pdf pg 70) for some additional information and ideas. Good luck!

I am not familiar with Maryville. However, both universities appear to be private and are expensive. Maryville is >$12,000 per semester? Walden is private and for-profit and I agree would not hold the reputation to employers as another school. I personally would not chose either of these options. Is there a state school in MD that has an online program and offers a less expensive and more credible route to this degree?