wanting to know more about online BSN

llg, PhD, RN · Jun 17, 2010

I'll give you the same 2 suggestions I give everyone else on this topic:

1. Choose a school with a good reputation and a long history of producing respected graduates. Usually, that is a "brick and mortar" school that also offers an online version. As you suspect, there are a lot of new programs out there that are opening up and some of them are not as high in quality as you might like. Also, you want a school that other people have heard of and think highly of so that your credentials are not in doubt. If you get a degree from "Brand New Online School That Nobody Ever Heard Of, " it sounds suspicious and may be questioned by a future employer. If you get your degree from "Well-Known Respected University That Has Had a Strong Nursing Program for Years," you will get not only the official degree, but also the benefit of that long-standing positive reputation. Many well-respected major universities now have online programs for BSN completion students. There is no need to gamble on an unknown school.

2. If possible, go to a school where you know someone who graduated from that school -- or who currently attends that program. It can be helpful to have someone you can talk to who knows the "ins and outs" of a program.

I have mixed feelings about online education -- and I teach in an online BSN completion program, so I am not some old fogey who refuses to keep up with the times. They have their advantages, but also their disadvantages in that it is much harder to establish strong relationships with your faculty and classmates. Those relationships can contribute a lot to the education experience.

Also, classes online tend to be less flexible and less tailored to the individual needs of the student -- because the faculty member has less freedom to "change the plans for class that day" on short notice. Online courses are usually more standardized and rigid than face-to-face seminars.

But their scheduling and location flexibility make them desirable for a lot of people.

Multicollinearity, BSN, RN · Jun 17, 2010

The RN-BSN program I'm about to graduate from fits llg's "desired" criteria. I like the idea of my (mostly) online RN-BSN degree coming from a well-respected brick and mortar university that has been around since the last century. I'm fortunate this was an available option & I qualified for in-state tuition.

Some programs are hybrid; this may be worth looking into. I almost passed over the program because it wasn't entirely online. My RN-BSN program required a few trips to the university for one course, and it requires a couple clinical projects (public health, leadership) that can be done in the student's home city. The rest of the courses are online. I found this to be worth it due to the quality of the education, reputation of the school, and by extension, the value & reputation my degree will have.

happy2learn · Jun 17, 2010

Definitely be wary. Many of them are for profit and just seem to be out for money. But there are real online programs. My local university allows the RN-BSN students to take the lecture courses online, but you have to meet in person for clinicals. There should be clinicals in the RN-BSN program so keep that in mind, it will never be 100% online.

llg gives good guidance to consider when looking at these schools. If you follow their advice, you shouldn't be ripped off.

Multicollinearity, BSN, RN · Jun 17, 2010

Definitely be wary. Many of them are for profit and just seem to be out for money. But there are real online programs. My local university allows the RN-BSN students to take the lecture courses online, but you have to meet in person for clinicals. There should be clinicals in the RN-BSN program so keep that in mind, it will never be 100% online.
llg gives good guidance to consider when looking at these schools. If you follow their advice, you shouldn't be ripped off.

IMHO, I think there are good RN-BSN programs that do not require clinicals. Most RN-BSN programs I've seen don't require any clinical component because students have already done this in their ADN programs. I think other factors are more important.

happy2learn · Jun 17, 2010

IMHO, I think there are good RN-BSN programs that do not require clinicals. Most RN-BSN programs I've seen don't require any clinical component because students have already done this in their ADN programs. I think other factors are more important.

Must just be my area then. All of the local RN-BSN online programs have in person clinicals because there are two that are not done in the ADN program.

Good to know.

Silverdragon102, BSN · Jun 17, 2010

Moved to the distant learning forum

caliotter3 · Jun 17, 2010

Do your homework. Don't just take the first program that appears to you. An easy criteria is to look into the programs associated with major universities, for example, The University of Southern So and So online program, where Southern So and So is a big name school, easily recognizable, and a traditional program is available along with the online and/or a hybrid program. Look at several programs and compare them before you choose the one that is best for you.

Lindsay S · Jun 18, 2010

Thank you so much for replying..i'm new to this site and didn't know if anyone would reply at all. My co-worker and I are both under the same user name so this question was for her. I am trying to talk her out of the "no name online college" she is thinking of attending. First of all, a good school isn't going to try to "recruit" you...they don't have to ...but this one is....i'll pass the info along. Again, thanks so much.

Lindsay S · Jun 18, 2010

Thank you so much for your reply...this question was for a fellow nursing student (my co-worker). I'm trying to talk her out of doing the online thing, even though it is convenient. I think the reputation of a school is very important...and unlike this school, most don't need to "recruit" new students. Again, thanks so much.

llg, PhD, RN · Jun 18, 2010

First of all, a good school isn't going to try to "recruit" you...they don't have to ...but this one is....i'll pass the info along. Again, thanks so much.

That's true. Good schools will do a little recruiting of top students ... but won't "pursue" students aggressively. The ones that are the most aggressive with recruiting and who fall all over you trying to "get you in" are generally the ones out to make money off of you. They are generally more interested in getting your money than they are in the academic aspects of higher education.