University of Wyoming Online

orrnlori, RN · Apr 8, 2004

I have all of their information concerning the RN-BSN and their MSN program. I have applied to the MSN program, will know November 15 if I made it. I can't tell you about the classes but the people at the school are FANTASTIC. Very kind, helpful and informative. It's the best distance program I've found and the prices are excellent.

c.wicks · Apr 8, 2004

Online Degrees and Programs

http://ecampus.uwyo.edu/index.real?action=Degrees&subaction=RNBSN

RN/BSN Completion Program

About the Program

The online RN/BSN completion program is designed for nurses who have graduated from diploma or associate degree nursing programs and have current, active RN licenses.

Students complete 43-44 credits of prerequisite courses before they are admitted to the nursing major, and they complete 19-23 credits of general elective courses before graduation. Transfer credits may meet many of these degree requirements. Acceptance to the university does not guarantee admission to the nursing major. There is a separate application and fee for admission to the Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing. The application packet is available online at http://www.uwyo.edu/nursing. RNs may take up to seven nursing credits (NURS 3020, 3040, and 4150) in addition to NURS 3010 prior to admission to the nursing major as long as specified prerequisites have been met. The nursing major begins in the junior year and consists of 21 credits. A total of 120 credits hours are required for the degree.

The RN/BSN is delivered nationwide via Online UW, with no on-campus time required. Theory courses are completely online. One clinical course is completed during the last semester of the program in a public health nursing setting. Contracts, preceptors, and malpractice insurance must be in place before the clinical can begin. Plan early for clinical courses.

All programs offered by the Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and approved by the Wyoming State Board of Nursing.

General program information

Claire Hitchcock

Fay W. Whitney School of Nursing

University of Wyoming

Dept. 3065

1000 E. University Avenue

Laramie, WY 82071

307-766-4291 or 1-800-448-7801

e-mail: [email protected]

Advising

Susie Hager MS, RN, FNP

UW Outreach Building

951 Poplar, Suite 115

Casper, WY 82601

307-472-4135 or 1-877-264-9930

e-mail: [email protected]

CindyJRN · Apr 8, 2004

Just want to mention that accreditation is very important when choosing a program. The University of Texas System is planning their online programs for fall startup. I do not wish to discredit any program out there, but for those of you searching for a program please be careful, ask questions, and look at the whole picture (length of program, transfer credits, cost, etc.)

paula77720 · Apr 10, 2004

I have all of their information concerning the RN-BSN and their MSN program. I have applied to the MSN program, will know November 15 if I made it. I can't tell you about the classes but the people at the school are FANTASTIC. Very kind, helpful and informative. It's the best distance program I've found and the prices are excellent.

hi lori,

what made you decide to take their MSN program? I am starting the rn-bsn this summer but i am also considering their MSN program for RN with non-nursing bachelor graduates. Only an additional year and you can have your masters instead of BSN. But my dear hubby is cynical about it -- says ok for BSN but not for MSN coz it will not look good with hospitals when you apply.

what do you think?

orrnlori, RN · Apr 10, 2004

hi lori,
what made you decide to take their MSN program? I am starting the rn-bsn this summer but i am also considering their MSN program for RN with non-nursing bachelor graduates. Only an additional year and you can have your masters instead of BSN. But my dear hubby is cynical about it -- says ok for BSN but not for MSN coz it will not look good with hospitals when you apply.
what do you think?

Hi Paula - Well, I work at the University of Kentucky Medical Center and there are no bigger snobs about higher education than hospitals attached to universities. BUT, I've also found that a BSN is a BSN no matter where it came from (as long as it's accredited of course), they just like those letters behind your name, doesn't matter that they only pay a whopping .50 +- more an hour and it means nothing on the floor to anyone. If the hospital truly felt the BSN was a big deal they would pay for the difference, they don't. And the doctors don't care either.

With a BSN, at my hospital, I can maybe be a charge nurse, who wants to do that? That's just nursing with more pains attached. :rotfl: But an MSN will let me do lots of things at the hospital, research, staff education, nurse recruitment, manage clinics within or attached to the hospital, etc, etc, etc. I've talked to different managers and the head nurse recruiter (who knows I'd like to have her job). She's very very encouraging about the MSN. Distance degrees are becoming so common that they are highly acceptable where I work. Again, it's a matter of getting the letters behind my name. Plus the MSN positions pay so much more than .50/hour. Substantially more.

So for me it came down to either going for a BSN (I have another degree so I've already played the higher education game), needing 9 classes, or going for an MSN, needing 14 classes total (4 BSN classes are needed prior to or concurrent with the MSN application and the MSN has 10 classes). Since my employer will pay for the whole thing (must be okay if they will pay for it) why not do that. At 48, I don't have time to go two years+ to get the BSN and then 3 more years for an MSN. To me it just boils down to why go for the silver when you can go for the gold. And if I don't get in this November, I'll have time to finish the BSN while I wait for another year to try again. Either way I'm making progress.

And by the way, I happen to believe their is NO difference between the ADN and the BSN and my heart will always lie with the ADN's. In my neck of the woods, a BSN has NO MORE nursing classes than the ADN, they just have more liberal arts. Doesn't make a hill of beans difference, both are professionals, neither is "better" than the other. Everytime I read a 22 year old BSN student's post about BSN's being the better nurse and how they will change the world because they will be the professional (their BSN instructor's told them so!), I just laugh. After you've been a nurse a while, you discover it makes no difference (you probably already know that). You just slog along beside the ADN's and LPN's and do the job. Whatever!

Don't let your husband discourage you. Call UW. They are wonderful! Just don't take my spot in the program. :chuckle Good luck!

paula77720 · Apr 10, 2004

[so for me it came down to either going for a BSN (I have another degree so I've already played the higher education game), needing 9 classes, or going for an MSN, needing 14 classes total (4 BSN classes are needed prior to or concurrent with the MSN application and the MSN has 10 classes). Since my employer will pay for the whole thing (must be okay if they will pay for it) why not do that. At 48, I don't have time to go two years+ to get the BSN and then 3 more years for an MSN. To me it just boils down to why go for the silver when you can go for the gold. And if I don't get in this November, I'll have time to finish the BSN while I wait for another year to try again. Either way I'm making progress.

Lori,

thanks a lot for a very thorough explanation. You're absolutely right -- MSN is a hundred time better option for people like us with second bachelors degree. But i haven't worked longer in the field yet (graduating this June), although currently working as a nurse tech and my specialty choices change from time to time. I am thinking of getting into a nurse practitioner program specializing in adult/geriatrics or pain management but at the same time i am considering MSN for a bigger, more flexible option. If i go for the former, then i definitely have to enroll in a traditional school.

If you are in the MSN program, will you be getting both titles, BSN, MSN if you graduate or just MSN?

thanks a lot

orrnlori, RN · Apr 10, 2004

If I am accepted in this winter then I will not obtain the BSN. I will be completing 4 of their BSN classes because they are required prior to starting the MSN in August 2005. If I don't get in in November, 2004, then I will just complete the rest of the BSN classes (there will only be 5 left at that point so why not?) while waiting to apply again next year. So I'll either end up with an AAS, BS, MSN, or an AAS, BS, BSN, and MSN. I"ve been a nurse for 6 years so I don't have the lack of experience factor that someone fresh out of school will have. They do require a resume with the master's application and I think they want some experience in order to get into the MSN but I think nearly all MSN's require experience for entrance.

If you want to do FP, then you are right, you may need a brick and mortar school. But there's no reason for MSN programs that stress healthcare administration, educator, infomatics, etc., you can't do them by distance.