~So much competion between programs it's now a political game~

[NurseCubanitaRN2b, BSN, RN]

I've been doing some research regarding distance education. I've come to the conclusion that it's nothing more than a political game between nursing schools and those schools using the Boards Of Nursing as their referee.

I just read on the Indiana State University website (LVN-BSN or RN-BSN) that they're not accepted in New York. It seems to me that NY BON isn't responding to their proposals. Hmmmm, I wonder why, could it be because Excelsior College has the NY BON wrapped? CA did the same exact thing to Excelsior. But yet Indiana accepts Excelsior graduates and there are no additional requirements that need to be met.

IMO, I believe that the nursing schools whether they're traditional or via distance are trying to monopolize the market and force us to only apply to those that we know for sure would be recognized and of course most of them are in state nursing programs. I also believe what they're doing is using the in state Boards of Nursing as their link to prevent us "the consumers" from going out of state in order to obtain our nursing education.

If that's the case, then I think that's wrong and unethical. What do they teach us in nursing school? We must be ethical in practice, but yet these schools are doing the opposite of that. We can't manipulate the patients and reduce their choices. But yet it seems that the nursing schools/BON can manipulate us and reduce our choices.

None of what I'm saying is factual. I'm just going by what I'm reading and drawing up my own conclusions. If anybody else has something to add please add your experiences.

[llg, PhD, RN]

None of what I'm saying is factual.

Well ... on THAT one point, we can agree. I know it is frustrating for students and the nursing profession debates the proper educational credentials necessary for professional practice. But it is wrong to assume that none of the nurses involved in the debates have the best interests of the profession and the public as the primary motivation behind their positions.

Many people involved in these debates (on both sides) truly believe in the positions they are advocating. For example, some people truly believe that supervised clinical practice in the RN student role is a necessary for an RN education -- others do not. That question is at the heart of many of these debates. Some of us are affiliated with NO schools, and yet we still have opinions on that question.

As for some of it being political ... sure ... that's a part of it, too. But it is by no means "all" political. Politics is a part of all human interactions and there is no reason to expect that this issue would be any different.

[NurseCubanitaRN2b, BSN, RN]

I am one of those who believes in clinical instruction. But at the sametime I don't believe in CAs requirement of clinical instruction in concurrent with theory. I believe that a clinical preceptorship before initial licensure should be acceptable. But there you have it, for CA it's not.