Psych DNP Programs- Does Prestige Matter?

FullGlass, BSN, MSN, NP · Mar 7, 2019

Yes, it does matter. There is a shortage of mental health providers in California IN CERTAIN AREAS, not everywhere. If you plan on working in an area where the job market is competitive, like San Diego, then go to the best school you can. You don't have to go to Hopkins or Yale, but a good solid state school or reputable private school are a must. Any UC or California State College or Univ, schools like Univ of San Diego Hahn School of Nursing, etc.

thaifood122 · Mar 8, 2019

On 3/7/2019 at 10:52 AM, FullGlass said:
Yes, it does matter. There is a shortage of mental health providers in California IN CERTAIN AREAS, not everywhere. If you plan on working in an area where the job market is competitive, like San Diego, then go to the best school you can. You don't have to go to Hopkins or Yale, but a good solid state school or reputable private school are a must. Any UC or California State College or Univ, schools like Univ of San Diego Hahn School of Nursing, etc.

Thanks for weighing in on this! I'm also hoping to pursue psych NP. I got accepted to UT Austin and Columbia and am wondering if Columbia's prestige is really worth the additional cost. I always planned to settle in a major city, possibly on the West Coast, which tends to have more competitive job markets. Would you mind weighing in on my decision between the prestige of the two programs?

umbdude, MSN, APRN · Mar 8, 2019

Generally prestige does not matter in nursing. Is going to UCSF or UCLA going to give you an edge over Cal State based on the name alone? No, absolutely not, particularly not after a little experience as a PMHNP. However, there are certain online programs that are perceived as poor quality and I think it would be wise to avoid those.

There are differences among individual programs and the level of support they provide. I think those are more important than just looking at prestige alone.

FullGlass, BSN, MSN, NP · Mar 8, 2019

2 hours ago, thaifood122 said:
Thanks for weighing in on this! I'm also hoping to pursue psych NP. I got accepted to UT Austin and Columbia and am wondering if Columbia's prestige is really worth the additional cost. I always planned to settle in a major city, possibly on the West Coast, which tends to have more competitive job markets. Would you mind weighing in on my decision between the prestige of the two programs?

Congratulations on getting into 2 good schools!

Columbia is obviously more prestigious. However UT Austin is certainly a reputable school. Look at the whole package. What kind of financial aid package is each school providing? How do the programs compare in terms of the actual education - take a look at the curriculum, clinical hours, etc. What kind of alumni network, career development, etc services does each school provide? If you want to live and work in Austin, then UT would likely have a great alumni base there, plus your clinicals would be in Austin, which would make it easy to get a job there.

Don't rule out Columbia just on cost until you factor in financial aid. I went to Hopkins, but it didn't cost any more than UCLA because Hopkins has a lot of great scholarships. In addition, Hopkins students have very high acceptance rates for HRSA and Nurse Corps scholarships and loan repayment.

Good luck.

FullGlass, BSN, MSN, NP · Mar 8, 2019

1 hour ago, umbdude said:
Generally prestige does not matter in nursing. Is going to UCSF or UCLA going to give you an edge over Cal State based on the name alone? No, absolutely not, particularly not after a little experience as a PMHNP. However, there are certain online programs that are perceived as poor quality and I think it would be wise to avoid those.
There are differences among individual programs and the level of support they provide. I think those are more important than just looking at prestige alone.

Prestige does matter for advanced practice nursing. Who hires most NPs? MDs and doctors will certainly take notice of one's school, just like medical schools matter to doctors.

I agree that prestige is less important than actual quality, but the two generally go hand in hand. Hopkins is prestigious because it provides a high quality education. They also really care about their students and will bend over backwards to ensure every student graduates. In addition, the school has a great alumni network that is national in scope. They provide excellent support to students in developing resumes and portfolios to get that first job, along with extensive coaching and advice on getting one's first job, not to mention many employment opportunities within the huge Hopkins healthcare system. Hopkins also finds all preceptors and clinical placements. I'm not just trying to sing the praises of Hopkins, but to point out there is a reason schools have reputations and rankings. After reading all the complaints on this forum by students and alumni of various programs, my belief is go to the best school you can! As for cost, 1/2 of Hopkins students are from California because the cost of a Univ of Calif education is now the same as for Hopkins, which is a private school!

Any loving parent wants their child to go to the best possible school. I do not understand why nurses and nurse practitioners don't feel they deserve the same for their own education. Pre med students bust their rears to get into the best possible med school. If we want NPs to be respected, then we need to develop a culture of excellence.