RN to BSN

TooterIA · Aug 29, 2004

Which price lists were you looking at for each school? I saw Canyon's BSN is $400/credit and Masters is $450/credit. For nursing, Phoenix is $385/undergraduate, $430/graduate. To me this price difference is not much. I am in RN-BSN through University of Phoenix and it is great. I have never really done research on the Canyon College, but I chose to go to University of Phoenix because of the great things I have read and the people I have talked to that graduated from there. Do lots of research before making a decision!

Jessica

Trauma Columnist · Aug 29, 2004

I second Tooter's post - ensure you research everything, especially the accreditation part. Good luck - its wonderful that you are pursuing your education.

steve_80 · Aug 30, 2004

Tooter,

Canyon prices are $400 a course, not a credit. Each course contains 4 credits, so 1 credit is $100.

Canyon is accreditated with:

1. Central States Consortium of Colleges and Schools

2. The National Board of Education

Is this accreditation alright? I have no idea which accreditation is OK and which isn't!:uhoh21:

Thanks :balloons:

UCDSICURN · Aug 30, 2004

These are the two big accrediting bodies, National League for Nursing (NLN) or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing education (CCNE). Will you need an accredited degree for later or are you just after the BSN? Some masters programs require a specific accredidation and the two I posted above are widely accepted.

Hope this helps.

Donn C.

chris_at_lucas_RN, RN · Aug 30, 2004

This school is NOT accredited by either the NLN or CCNE. The closest it gets is being accredited by a group of naturopaths.

Not good for a nursing degree.

Also saw in their FAQ's that they give "college credit for life experience." This is treading the line of legitimacy as far as higher education goes.

If you are going to spend that kind of money, you deserve something you can be proud of and not something you hope no one will look too closely at.

Unless you are in California, or plan to practice there (at least until they change their minds again), you should investigate Excelsior College (clickable link) in Albany, NY. I just finished my ADN (already have a BA and masters from traditional programs in a state university). Excelsior is a "real" school, in that it has a campus, students who show up for class, etc., as well as a huge distance learning program (I think I read it was the first, it is certainly the largest for nursing students). It is NLN accredited and also accredited by the New York State Board of Education--it is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. I'm not sure about the CCNE.

The cost was extremely reasonable, IMHO. Tuition is by the year (about $850) and the course costs were by exam, one exam per course (usually 3 credit hours, sometimes 4), which was about $155 but is now up to $200. Tuition for subsequent years is something like $450. (Much, much less expensive than Univ of Phoenix Online or Canyon College, either one.)

You are not limited to the number of courses you take in a particular period of time, it is entirely self scheduled, and your degree is "real." I finished my ADN in 3 months (not counting the first five months when I was terrified I would fail my first exam and unable to get moving).

Was it easy? No, not by a long shot. But with hard work and focus, it was definitely doable.

I have no reason to think that their RN to BSN and their MSN programs are any less legitimate and solid.

Good luck!

Trauma Columnist · Aug 31, 2004

With Excelsior - you need to be careful - Illinois is another state that doesn't recognize it.

chris_at_lucas_RN, RN · Aug 31, 2004

With Excelsior - you need to be careful - Illinois is another state that doesn't recognize it.

You know, not to be argumentative or anything, but I have seen that posted about Excelsior grads and Illinois licensure only on this BB and every time I try to find anything to substantiate it, I come up with nothing but disinterested third party sites (such as those that list nursing programs by state, etc.).

Never anything that says EC graduate nurses cannot be licensed in Illinois.

Can you post an URL for an official Illinois site that specifies that EC grads need not apply? Just for the record?

Thanks!

Trauma Columnist · Aug 31, 2004

No problem - let me get it....

A) Include, at a minimum, concepts in anatomy, physiology, chemistry, physics, microbiology, sociology, psychology, communications, growth and development, interpersonal relationships, group dynamics, cultural diversity, pharmacology and the administration of medication, nutrition and diet therapy, patho-physiology, ethics, nursing history, trends and theories, professional and legal aspects of nursing, leadership and management in nursing, and teaching-learning theory;

B) Not preclude a flexible curriculum that would provide appropriate integration of the nursing subject matters;

C) Provide theoretical and clinical instruction in all areas of nursing practice in the promotion, prevention, restoration, and maintenance of health in individuals and groups across the life span and in a variety of clinical settings;

D) Incorporate the nursing process as an integral part of the curriculum;

E) Prepare the student to assume beginning level professional nursing positions;

F) Be at least 2 academic years in length;

G) Prepare the professional nurse to start intravenous therapy;

AND the biggie:

The Department has determined that nurse programs approved through the National League of Nursing or the Commission on Collegiate Accreditation meet the requirements set forth in this Section, except for those programs whose curriculums do not include a concurrent theory and clinical practice education component as required by Section 10-35 of the Act.

This is from the Illinois Nurse Practice Act section 1340 found at the website of the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation.

In Illinois - if a nursing program does not have concurrent clinical and theory classes - a nurse will be refused licensure.

chris_at_lucas_RN, RN · Aug 31, 2004

So it doesn't eliminate Excelsior grads per se, it eliminates students of nontraditional programs without a concurrent clinical component.

Maybe I'm being picky, but I don't think those are the same thing (e.g., there are other nontraditional programs whose graduates would also be excluded, not just Excelsior).

Thanks for posting this. It does clarify the statement about Illinois "not recognizing" Excelsior graduates.

Trauma Columnist · Sep 1, 2004

No problem Chris. The entire part does not name names of institutions that it doesn't allow. The reason that I absolutely knew this was because when I moved to Illinois in 1996 - I went to orientation at the hospital where I work with an Excelsior grad and when she found out that she couldn't be licensed here, she moved.

steve_80 · Sep 2, 2004

Can anyone recommend a nice and not very expencive online/distance learning RN to BSN program accreditated by National League for Nursing (NLN) or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing education (CCNE).