75495RN

Remember--and I'm not saying this is the case, necessarily--any school with an online program makes their money by having large numbers of students. Admissions advisers are basically sales people. Sometimes they are honest and knowledgeable, sometimes honest but don't realize when they are wrong, and sometimes they'll tell you anything to get you to sign up. Go on facebook, root around allnurses, chat with other students on Walden's site (it is monitored by university staff, but they can help assure accuracy, I hope!), google and see if you can find any NP's in your area who graduated from Walden (or whatever school you are checking on). The more you know....like they say on CBS, lol....

Hi, Adventure780--good question! I'd make two phone calls, one to Walden and one to Connecticut's state board of nursing. Between the two of them, you'll get the straight story. You can also contact an admission adviser (I just called the number on Walden's school of nursing website) and they'll send you an email with a link so you can join the message board. There are TONS of students there, and alot of nursing students. I'm feeling pretty positive about Walden, myself. Good luck!

I am looking at Walden University as a means of earning my MSN with the goal of AGNP. Everything I see on their site looks encouraging (of course!). I'd love to hear from any current students or alumni about their experiences and whether they would recommend the program, and.... How is pathophysiology taught there? Did you have any difficulty getting preceptors? Did you find yourself well prepared once you got to clinicals? To boards? To practice? If any of you are in the DFW area (specifically NE of Dallas to include the area from Greenville in an arc to Gainesville (Bonham, Sherman, Denison, etc.) and would be interested in precepting or know someone who would (preferably with a potential for employment after graduation for an AGNP), I hope you will reach out. Thanks!

I'm adding this after the fact: if I am wrong, I offer my apology. But this is the best I know.... OK, now to my reply post... I see no one has posted a reply (I just hate it when that happens), so I'll wade in. I don't know of any NP program that will accept anyone who isn't an RN in good standing with two years experience. They may be out there, but I would wonder is this doable? Becoming a nurse and an NP and getting an MSN, all in one swoop? I cannot imagine being able to accomplish what you would need to pass boards let alone be really good at your job, in one program, unless it took about six years, in which case there are better and less expensive options. I went back after a bachelor's and a master's and picked up an associate's in nursing. After a few years, I entered a master's program which did not require the BSN but did require a bachelor's in something. I think my master's was superfluous, as far as acceptance was concerned. My course was interrupted by family illness, which really wore me out emotionally and physically, and my next step was to take a few steps back and earn a BSN like a running start. I figured, if I can do the BSN, I can get back into the MSN somewhere. So far so good. There is money for a second bachelor's, or you can take an alternate route, earn your LPN (or LVN, depending on the state you are in) and "bridge" to an RN and a BSN and then do an MSN. The advantage is, you can work as soon as you get the LVN/LPN. I hope this is helpful. I guess the thing I'd like to add is this. People do not realize that nursing is a complete profession unto itself. We have a descrete body of literature and research, we have bonafide theories of various level of abstraction or concreteness, and you can't just take a couple of courses and get that. While I have found nursing education to be overpopulated with instructors who have little insight and big personality disorders (not all of them, just enough to make the experience potentially damaging to your soul), it is the only way to be a nurse. There is no short fast way to get from batting to home without rounding the bases. I wish I could be more encouraging. I am always eager and in a hurry to meet my goals too. But there is no fast way to do this. All this said, if you can get into Vanderbilt and they have this kind of program, go for it. And keep us posted! Good luck-- Christine

I wonder if you were licensed in MA if you could've gone there for clinicals? I hate that you weren't able to do what you wanted to do, but the idea of a post MSN certificate might be just what you need to be able to set up your clinicals and then start the coursework. I'm with ya on the 45 minute drive and then sitting in a classroom! I wish the closest one would only be 45 minutes away! There are three, maybe four schools that offer the MSN, and they are all through the absolute worst traffic! (Like I need to crank up my cortisol and adrenalin!) I've been a believer in online learning for ten years--got my AASN from Excelsior, followed by my BSN through UTA online (it's not really UTA, but that's a whole nother issue!), and now this. I did start the MSN 6 or so years ago, but husband got sick (metastatic lung ca--survived and is fine now, just working on replacing all his lower teeth, lost to radiation and ... well, average dental hygiene is not nearly enough and he didn't believe he needed to be better about it til his teeth started rotting, and now, nearly 50 grand later... so I don't mind spending a little on myself for school). Anyway, back on track. I started this 6 years ago at Baylor. There were some classes that were meaty, organized, and from which one really developed. There were other really stupid, disorganized and goofy (at 2 grand an hour!!). Example: pathophysiology: "You are masters' students so I shouldn't have to stand up here and spoonfeed (teach) you." Assessment: arrived to a class exactly on time, but the clock was four minutes fast. Not a big deal but there was a "pop" quiz, the door was locked and we--four of us--were made stand outside and listen to everyone get 100% answering questions which, if they didn't know the answers, they could "ask a friend" (like some TV show? maybe that millionaire thing, I don'tknow, I don't watch that stuff). Everyone inside the room got 100. Everyone who was on time but not early, got a zero. Nice? Professional roles course--one student's presentation--we were teaching ourselves by dividing up the objectives, researching and presenting--one presentation consisted of "oh, we touched on that in (whatever the other course was) so you all know already..." and never answered the question. She was a charming woman, beautiful, from somewhere in Africa, melodic but nearly un-understandable accent: applause and 100%, so full credit for nothing. There's more but you get the idea.... I've so far found only a few of those inconsistencies like you describe. The instructor was kind of weirded out because only one person showed up for the interactive conference session. First, it wasn't announced, second, where she put it (in her introduction, which I actually read) she called it "office hours." So I was trying to find out if she'd post a schedule (because the conferences aren't scheduled and when you look it says there are none upcoming!). And that first conference, she just read the syllabus (12 pages or something like that??). Slowly. And she still had half an hour left after she finished. One student was there, but the prof keep muting her because she seemed not to know how to keep from getting loud feedback. So it was a little bit of a fiasco at worst, and nothing new at best. Enough of my whine!! It does sound like the M'ville program prepared you well, if so many passed boards. I am surprised you can get the permission to test before graduating, but... Thanks for writing again--if you'll put how you do on boards (and any other little thing that might come up and be of interest!) on this thread, I'm subscribed. Not sure how to find your posts otherwise, since I am not a paying member. (Ads or fees but not both. And probably not fees either. rofl)

I am a current student. I appreciate all this detail! I started in spring semester but, like you, sensed they admitted everyone. About half my class of 20 or so were illiterate--they could not string three words together without grammatical errors, they tended to be arrogant and lazy, and, when asked to do their share, hostile. I felt the coursework might be dumbed down. I was also concerned about plagiarism--two of my small group posted exactly the same post, word for word, and no one seemed to notice or care. I made a big deal of my concerns before I left for University of Texas at Arlington--big mistake, out of the frying pan and into the fire. UTA has basically no program; the pathophys instructor (I will not call him a teacher or professor, he is neither) is pretty much a Nazi, and the fail rate for that course is--I am told from MULTIPLE classmates--about 70%. Who has a weedout course at the master's level???? Oh, and the instructor is a close friend of the director, duh. The worst thing about UTA is you think you are at UTA but what you are really doing is a private, limited, expensive program--there is a very doable pathophys course which is completely online (or one section is) but "AP" students (the online program is really a private for profit money mill called Academic Partners) are barred from taking any course in the "real" university. I am working on pushing to get that changed, even though I am no longer there (UTA/AP doesn't know I've left, so shhhh, don't tell!). For the moment I am just being ignored but I have already been talking to Austin, and I don't think they are going to be able to continue this. Frankly, I'd like some compensation--they are a big bait and switch school..... at least the AP part is. The degree says UTA but you can't take UTA courses.... hmmmm. Anyway, I like canvas and started with the other one, so it might be a matter of taste and habit. I'm not worried about getting clinicals, but I am not in a tiny state either and am close to Dallas. I don't think the state of Texas is too worked up about what constitutes presence, although I know several states are; I was told by my adviser that this is why they are mixing up the classes, but she told me that when we were discussing my worries about being stuck with stupid classmates for the whole two years. So far, knock on wood, I seem to be in a class of about 20, all of whom are pretty smart... I hope it stays that way. Good to know about the testing situation. I do not mind not being able to see others' posts before posting my own, but for the moment (and maybe this is professor chosen), they say you can't edit your posts or replies, but I have been able to do so. The only thing that can't be edited is email. You can even edit your "announcements" on canvas (one of our group thought that was email, lol)..... I appreciate knowing that you completed the program--let us know how you do on boards! That's coming up soon, I'm sure.... Thanks for sharing in such detail and with such candor.

You got my attention and even though I was accepted at Maryville, I'm looking at Troy. The cost difference alone (assuming it won't take me an extra year or something like that) is reason enough. Might see you there.... Thanks for the post. :)

You'll be assigned to a class, and within that class, assigned to your group team for a particular course. Likely the first one will be Evidence Based Practice. I loved that course! I did not particularly care for my three team mates, since they were essentially illiterate (educated in the US, too). You may have to do what I did: choose to not look at the assignment submitted which will bear your name or write/rewrite the whole thing yourself. The professor I had for that course was amazing. She provided an email address and her phone number. She was available, not just for technical questions for assignments, but also for angst. I was very worried about the effect my teammates' ineptitude would have on my grade (I am Sigma Theta Tau, Phi Beta Kappa and a couple of others--and very particular about excellence). She said a) she could tell the difference between my writing and theirs and not to worry and b) that her job was not to punish me/us but to nurture us to excellence, a la Benner. If the other profs are like her, there should be zero problem! But you won't get to pick your colleagues....

Google the name of your school and the name of the course and the word "syllabus." You should come up with syllabi for the course at your school for each professor who teaches it. If you know who's teaching your section, you can see what books they assign and what chapters they start with.

And so, like, where did you go and would you recommend it?

If you have a good explanation for why your GPA is low, you may be able to get accepted anyway. I had some very stupid (no offense to present company) classmates at Maryville, which is why I initially left. Cost is in the 30's. Classmates are more literate at UTA, but you'll probably have difficulty with the pathophysiology course as most do and it is designed for you to fail if you have a family, take another course or work!!--and they don't tell you this, but even though there is a very doable pathophys course that is 100% online, if you do the "online" program, you are prohibited from taking other courses there. I suspect that's not legal but who has time to fool around with that....? The rest of the program is pretty good. And the cost is in the thirties as well. I suspect that if you are a foreign grad with a low GPA but that it is a matter of method of calculation, it may be because your max is not a 4 (or as in the case of a very few schools, a 5), but something less, which would make excellent grades look not so excellent. Get your transcript translated and your GPA calculated so that it is comparable to a US grad. If it truly is a matter of numbers and not achievement, it should be easy to demonstrate-- Anyone else here who graduated in the same country? How are they managing things?

And at $90,000+, quite expensive. So is it's sloppy seconds school, Simmons.

I don't think it is about pay. I think it is about scope of practice, if you were to compare NP's and PA's. My personal thought is that it is turfy and has more to do with physicians and their sense of competition, all dressed up in superficial safety arguments. It will be nice if it boils down to which states allow or require the DNP.

For ninety grand, you better be able to practice in all fifty!

I heard from my adviser there that this class is pretty big, and they were working on acceptance decisions last week. The DNP requirement is for people who start school after it is in effect, January '15 I think. So you are good if you can get into a program before then. I'd apply to several schools--though I would not recommend UTA, it is an option that might help. My preference is for Maryville--I'm waiting on a readmission decision but am told it is very likely. If you call Maryville, you can get good info from them. They seem to be more honest and open about their program than some other schools....