RN to MSN recomendations?

i can only offer you my opinion; this is a question that will yield many answers/suggestions.

i began my rn-msn search about 2 1/2 years ago, and like you wished to "skip" the bsn portion as i had been a nurse for over 10 years with much success in my respective fields. as such, there was little a bsn could offer me that i hadn't already accomplished. after extensive research i narrowed my decision to chamberlain and excelsior, ultimately enrolling in excelsior college. i chose excelsior based on the curriculum, rollingenrollments, lack of gre requirement (which was essential for me) and interaction with advising staff prior to enrollment. i officially enrolled july 2010 and will be graduating from both programs next month (july 2012) with a 4.0 gpa.

the classes are typically 15 weeks, with a few consisting of 8 week intervals. for asn or diploma prepared rns, there is also the opportunity to test out of several bsn "fundamental" courses as well as prerequisites that may be lacked. this saved me much time as i tested out of 4 bsn classes and the humanities prereq i lacked. classes require a weekly post (short essay supported by research) with at least 1 or 2 responses to your peers’ posts. there are no midterms or final exams, replaced instead by research papers typically of your choosing within a given generalized category (example: ethics, theory...). typical course load per semester is two classes; however, i averaged three with a couple semesters of four courses (one of which was always only 8 weeks in duration). it should be mentioned that i stopped work to become a full time student and have no obligations outside of a somewhat self reliant husband whose job requires extensive travel. i found the classes not only engaging but also relevant to the healthcare arena in general. nearing completion, i also feel confident in my education and overall leadership abilities.

the advising staff was always readily available and helpful in an encouraging and positive way. excelsior is not "pushy" nor do they employ a sales department. when i made initial contact for advising purposes i was able to send over unofficial transcripts for review and essentially better guidance. as a result, there were no surprises in my overall course requirements. excelsior is not only 100% on-line with any campus time required; they are also cognizant of various times zones with the advising offices open late on mondays and wednesdays to accommodate. all advising sessions were always followed with an email summarizes the questions and recommendations.

i cannot speak of enrollment fess or tuition costs as i utilized my husband's gi bill. however, from what i have heard (heresy) excelsior’s fees are substantially less than most academic institutions. excelsior does have some difficulties with initial rn credibility within certain state boards, but there seems to be no difficulties with rn's seeking employment with advanced or bridge program educations.

overall i have been very happy with my academic journey and would honestly recommend excelsior college. if they offered a dnp program i would in all honesty continue my educational journey within their domain. i hope this helps.

I, highly, recommend Chamberlain College of Nursing. Recently, I graduated from the MSN online program. Nursing education was my focus. The program was very well organized. My professors were very interested in my success and they were consistently available to me should I have concerns or questions.

I can't say enough about the admission process. Both the admissions and financial services representatives were so efficient. The application process did not take much time at all. My student advisors kept me on track with a customized plan.

To be honest, I am glad I obtained my degree but I miss going to class and participating in the online discussions and working with my instructors. The course objectives are very clear and they offer great online learning activities and numerous resources to help the student understand the content. Students receive individualized attention at Chamberlain!

Chamberlain has an over 100 year history and is a very established and reputable program. I am very proud to say that I graduated from Chamberlain.

You have a wonderful background with your nursing and psych education. Chamberlain is definitely worth considering. They have various programs including an RN to BSN and several MSN options such as informatics, education and nurse executive to name a few. As mentioned, I pursued my education online but they also, have campus in several locations nationwide. If you would like more information you can go to chamberlain.edu. I wish you well with your plans to further your education.

mbsak