What do you suggest?? online or tradtional?

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OK I know the main answer to my question is going to be...."It all depends on YOU and how well YOU would do as an online student." I know THAT much ;) And I have no doubts as to how well I would do (as far as online learning goes) because I did distance learning for 3yrs and maintained my A avg. So, that part I'm not worried about. What I am worried about is........

(and this is all 'planning ahead', exploring my options, etc.)

If I decide to continue on with nursing (leaning that way)....I will want to eventually get my MSN, most likely. So that means LPN-RN, RN-BSN, BSN-MSN (or any variety of options, whatever, that isn't really the point lol) BUT--another route would be to take traditional pre-req science classes, which means taking forever just to get the RN (since I am missing A&P 1, A&P2, BIO 1 &2, Chem, and Micro.) I have an Assoc. of Arts, not AS. Well, makes more sense to me to just go all the way with an online program, such as Excelsior, and go RN, BSN,MSN, because it'd be quicker. But then I wonder.....which would LOOK BETTER to a potential employer?? Degrees from Excelsior or degrees from "such and such State University"?? If I want the "such and such State Univ." degree, I'm gonna have ot spend years working on the science pre-reqs....and my goodness, by the time I finish those science pre-reqs, I could at least have a BSN from Excelsior. Get what I'm saying? I would LOVE to just do everything online, because that is sooooo much easier with having a family/children to support. But I'm scared to spend all the time and money on Excelsior degrees, if when I go to apply for a job position they are gonna go "humph! online BSN/MSN?? sorry, you don't get the job."

Maybe I'm just used to the whole "who went to what Ivy League school and what's the ranking of that school" mentality I've always had...maybe it's different with nursing......or maybe it's NOT different. ??????

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I don't think there is an online program for LPNs. If that is route you are going. I just got my MSN online and found it challenging. Alex

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Potential employers won't care about Excelsior. Some graduate programs, however, will NOT accept courses that were "tested" or "challenged" as are many of Excelsior's.

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Actually, I think that once you have your RN you can then go through an RN-MSN Program. I don't think that you necessarily have to do the RN-BSN Program.

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Ivy, you're right--you can do RN-MSN at Excelsior if you want to.

Sue, you are absolutely right though, which is why I have decided to go the traditional route after all. It seems no matter what ideas I have that I may want to do in the future, where I want to go to school, etc...it ALWAYS comes down to them wanting science classes WITH labs, which isn't what you get at Excelsior.

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Specializes in Acute care, Community Med, SANE, ASC.

What about a local online program like a community college. I took science classes online and had to attend lab on campus once a week or every other week.

Another thought I had for you is that there are programs out there for folks with a non-nursing bachelor's degree that take you directly to MSN. I live in Ohio and OSU offers a three-year program that does this--you get your RN along the way and then go straight to MSN. My understanding is that it is not easy to work and go through this program.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

Good luck to you.

I don't think it's going to make a difference in this day and age if you get your degree online or not. It's 2006 and more and more schools are utilizing the internet.

When I apply for jobs I list my degree and college. There is no footnote "and he got it all online". Just the name of the college will do.

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