I recently wrote an article about my experience on attempting to find a nursing instructor position at a traditional four year university. The school I attended was called into question, because it was unknown to a member of the hiring board.
The school I obtained my Masters of Science in Nursing Education from has five traditional brick and mortar institutions with a large online program as well. The university is non-profit and focuses solely on the success of the students. They are not well known amongst most universities in my area. I was told that since this program is unknown to one of the hiring board members that I would have a hard time finding a job in nursing education at this institution and at other universities in the area as well.
The article sparked a level of debate that I did not foresee occurring. However, it brought forth many opinions that were valuable. Some of the comments were very interesting and stimulated thoughts for me that I had never considered. The Sad Truth article is the opinion of one person's experience with a local traditional university.
The idea of being bullied by these individuals was probably a wide stretch. However, I have seven years of great experience working in the emergency room, medical/surgical, psychiatric, long-term care, hospice, and now clinical instruction. In the majority of these settings, the facilities are located in an extremely rural area. The medical/surgical floor was the ICU, Oncology, Pulmonary, Progressive Care, OB, Nursery, Trauma Unit, Detox Unit, and much more.
It is an interesting point that at this particular university several of the instructors are known to just read from the PowerPoints, even in my ADN program I had instructors who did this on a daily basis. These same instructors have several degrees that they obtained at this same institution. There is even one instructor who graduated from their BSN program and then one year later started the Nurse Practitioner program. She was hired to fulfill the instructor role soon after graduating. Academic incest? There are several of these professors at this intuition that obtained their BSN, MSN, and DNP from this university. One commenter talked about academic incest from major online institutions. There must be a difference when it is from a traditional brick and mortar university, kind of like your second cousin I guess.
I am not talking about all universities in the nation. This is one person's experience with a local university. I may have tons of excellent nursing experience. I have a known history of excellency in nursing, and I have worked hard to build a ton of interpersonal relationships with families and patients. I was not even considered for employment simply because I have a degree from an unknown fully accredited institution. I understand that it is up to the universities to set standards and qualifications, but to judge a book by its cover is something that just simply should not happen in the 21st century.
Everyone has an opinion on everything in today's world. There was one commenter who said, "online programs are considered inferior to brick and mortar programs, because online university faculty, only produce a small amount nursing research, that is worthy of publication in peer reviewed nursing journals. Whereas brick and mortar faculty produce a large amount of nursing research that is worthy of publication."
I am not sure for other brick and mortar institutions, but for this one that I have been dealing with there is pretty much zero amount of research published by the school. This logic is insubstantial as well.
As far as bullying is concerned, one commenter stated, "The fact that they demand a traditional degree may seem unfair, but in order to bully you they need to actually hire you and then treat you badly."
So this logic states that the only way a person can be bullied or intimidated is if you work for someone, with that said "I see no logic in your conclusion." People are bullied every day in all situations by people who think that they are better than someone simply because they hold a higher social status.
In another comment from this healthy debate:
"You wouldn't get hired by the BSN programs in my state mostly because you are not doctoral prepared, MSN in nurse education is sufficient for ASN programs but not for BSN or graduate nursing programs. It's not bullying it's BON and DHE requirements. My sister is a BSN professor now. She knew where she wanted to go in her career and ensured she had the correct educational credentials.
If you don't meet the employer's minimal requirements I fail to see how that is bullying."
In your state, that may be true. In the state that I reside in, more than half of the professors were hired with their MSN. The goal is for them to obtain their terminal degree within the next 5-10 years or they will be let go. I understand that logic my friend, but in my state it simply doesn't fit.
I really enjoy this comment and the logic that ensues, "I really dislike the title of this thread. This is casting a large shadow over an entire industry (online education) from one person's experience. One experience does not a 'truth' make. Oh well, I guess that's the point of online forums. Everyone gives their own experience."
So what we are saying here is that one person cannot speak the truth? What kind of logic is that? I must have hit a sensitive spot for this person. The goal of debate is for us to voice our opinions. Some bring great truths and reason in their words, others bring a sword because they are unhappy with how the words make them feel, I am a little guilty of this at times as well. I guess the title of my article should have been "The Sad Experience of One Person's Debate on How They Obtained Their Degree from an Institution That We Do Not Know, Therefore We Will Not Consider Them for Employment, Even Though They May be More Qualified. The End"
This article remake has been fun. We are all adults and able to discuss and debate on an online forum. The Sad Truth article was written from my heart. The commenters were rough at times, but I am a big boy and I wear my big boy pants! Do not worry fellow commenters, I have plans to pursue a terminal degree from a more traditional local university to help guide me into future employment in higher education without the stigma of "What school is that?", "Such and Such University", and as Jimmy Fallon would say, "Ew!"
*shaking head* OP seems intelligent & motivated - wonder why she wants to dive into "academentia" *shudder*.
Srsly, workplace education (professional development) is where it is at! Our jobs are more challenging, diverse, creative - and remunerative - than our poor academic colleagues trapped in a never-ending cycle of faculty committees. Of course, our jobs tend to disappear with astonishing regularity whenever a bean counter needs to squeeze the budget.... but heck, no job is perfect.
Hmmm - maybe someday, when I'm in my dotage, strapped to my assisted-living Segway I'll be ready to drone on about nursing theory to a gaggle of disinterested students . . . nah, what am I thinking.
I can understand why you're sharing your experience. I see that you are pointing out the fact that it shouldn't matter where you get your degree, as long as you have the credentials, you shouldn't be shot down before you apply. You are pointing out that your credentials match up and/or exceed those who've graduated from traditional universities, based on your experience. That is your opinion and you are entitled to that, as well as everyone else. What I don't understand, is the fact that a person would be so negatively invested in your post, that he or she would share their opinion & comment on both posts to tell you that you need to move on. I feel that is contradicting of them. But of course, all entitled the their own. Glad to know I'm not the only one sensing the tension.
*Hmmm - maybe someday, when I'm in my dotage, strapped to my assisted-living Segway I'll be ready to drone on about nursing theory to a gaggle of disinterested students . . . nah, what am I thinking.
Lol, as God is my witness this chick will be retiring at a respectable age when I'm still lucid enough to realize that my game is slipping and it will definitely be before the segway with attached oxgen tank comes into play.
The only people needing DNPs are for people high up on the education food chain like deans and chancellors. Seriously, they don't have enough nursing instructors as it is now. If you've got your Masters, you can teach BSN students at any four year university in Texas. Plus, they have an amazing state retirement for when you are eligible for retirement. Stick with it.
It makes a difference if this candidate was told that his degree held no merit. I agree that if that is in fact why they did not hire you, it is discriminatory. That being said, the sad truth is that it isn't covered by any known entity, law, or regulation. There is no law that states "we will not discriminate due to age, sex, color, race, creed, religion and an online degree from an unknown university." they have that right, I suppose, but would you want to work with these individuals anyway or for a university that condones that? Hell, if they offered me a free ride scholarship, I would turn it down. Look, we all know what went on there. They are looking for one of their own to keep the family together. Incest... yep you are correct. That does not make it an excellent program, it makes it a suspect one. In my world an equal degree would mean that you are in the running. After an interview, you will have to "show me" "impress me," In other words, each candidate will get 1/2 day to show me how they would run their area. Compensation for that time would be minimum wage. Then there would be a second interview with the other staff in attendance. You are right, its not right, its unethical, and its immoral but its not illegal.
Exactly.There is no law that states "we will not discriminate due to age, sex, color, race, creed, religion and an online degree from an unknown university."
For instance, the restaurant chain Hooters won't be hiring me into a waitstaff position anytime soon because my appearance isn't what they're seeking (read: my boobs aren't big enough and my tummy isn't flat enough). However, no laws are in existence to prevent employers from discriminating against body types that deviate from the ideal standard of beauty.
Some types of discriminatory actions are lawful. Employers can choose to reject applicants who are too short, too tall, too smelly, too underweight, too overweight, too tattooed, too toothless, or any number of non-protected reasons.
I was going to post on the original and time got away from me. I did my AS at a community college in my hometown. My RN-BSN was online. We did have clinical hours for that degree. My MS is from a state school that is very well known and the courses were online. No one has ever questioned me about whether the coursework was online or in a classroom.
I'm going back for my PhD this year. The two programs I applied to are online. They both have a requirement to spend a week on campus every year. The rest is online. They are both very well known state schools. I am sure that I will have no problem obtaining a job.
I always say I want to teach. I currently work in research (the focus of my MS degree). I've applied for teaching positions and haven't heard a thing. I will most likely end up working in research on the sponsor side. I'm okay with that. It's a lot more money. I can guarantee you that I won't be turned away because my PhD was done with an online format. They are going to look at my years of working in research. I worked with someone from a big device company. She was told she had to have a doctorate to keep her job. They didn't even care what the degree was in. Her manager told her it could be in underwater basket weaving. Once you have a specialty a company will overlook things like where you obtained your degree.
I've had many jobs I was rejected from in the past. Looking back I always had something better come up. Hopefully, you will be able to say the same thing a year down the road.
xoemmylouox, ASN, RN
3,150 Posts
I thought the original thread was a good read. It provided another experience of frustration that a fellow nurse had. It might have impacted other nurses to change their minds about a particular school to "attend" or change their ideas of where they will end up once they graduate. I know of plenty of schools that hire BSNs to teach ADN & LPN programs.
We all know that there are schools out there who have the "highest of standards" when it comes to staff. However their football players get away with rape or a student dies, the family gets paid off and all is forgiven by the community.
I trust most higher education institutions as far as I can throw their buildings. They are just another business looking to make a profit. I will attend to better myself, shoot I will even teach, but I won't let them bring me down or make me feel like I am less because my ACCREDITED college does not meet their standards. Their loss not mine. 