Whats the best online school ?not sure i trust them

Published

Hi all, I have been thinking of getting my RN to BSN online? Since i am an associate degree RN .any one ever tried?

i enquired of kaplan online but its expensive and they appear to be hunting me down daily which makes me suspicious

i read reviews online and lots of dissatisfied students

any advise in this slumping economy i am in NY

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER,Med-surg,tele,postpartum.

hi ! with all those classes out there its hard to decipher , me too.... Online we are always going to pay more but its the convenience of no clinicals and we can work on it anytime ... I am going with South university there is no one perfect university but its great to get everybodys output... Im scared to begin this venture, 2 kids at home still young and a cat and sports and jobs, let me know what you think:D

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ER.

There are many reputable online schools. Best bet is to go with a school that has a regular, traditional brick and mortar campus.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care, Cardiac, EMS.

I'm in the midst of my RN-to-BSN program with an online school and very satisfied. The important things to look for, IMO, are accreditation - are they accredited by the NLNAC as well as the local college accrediting agency (and make sure it's a well-known accrediting board; some schools have been known to be "accredited" by boards that are less than reputable, so some homework is needed). My school is accredited by the NLNAC and by SACS. They are also licensed/authorized by the State BON to provide a course of education in nursing.

As PAERRN said, having a brick and mortar campus is important as well - you know that there is a physical place you can go for questions, information, and to speak to an advisor, administrator, or instructor if needed. It also shows that the school has to jump through some more hoops than an online school run out of office space would.

Reputation - not saying that a new school or a new program cannot be good, but it does help if the school has been around for a while and has a reputation for quality education. While you are paying for a degree and not a pedigree, it is still important to consider the track record of the school itself before devoting your precious time and hard-earned money to it.

How much of your past education and experience are they willing to give you credit for? It may not be such a good deal to go to a school that costs a little less per credit hour, only to find you have to retake courses such as Chemistry or Biology - or to discover that they won't offer you learning credit for your previous experience and you'll be paying for 60 credit hours instead of say 34.

Pre-requisites and co-requisites. Find out about these - you want a school that requires a minimum of these to be taken through them. If your school won't give you credit for classes you already have, or credit for taking a pre-req from say a local community college, it may be a red flag.

These are just a couple of thoughts that I used in looking before I selected the school that was the right fit for me. YMMV.

HTH, and good luck with your journey!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

I agree with the above -- start by looking at colleges/universities in your local area and see whether they offer all or part of their RN-BSN program online. Many do.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Several SUNY schools have online RN to BSN programs. SUNY-Delhi, SUNY-Canton, SUNY-Plattsburgh, Suny-Empire (just to name a few). All have SUNY tuition, too, which isn't bad (mine is something like $225 credit hour but that also includes fees). Clinicals are generally done at a facility close to you but check with the school you want to attend to verify that.

GOOD LUCK!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I would limit my choice to a traditional school that also has a brick and mortar program to avoid disappointment. If a reputable school with a brick and mortar program also has a distance program, chances are high that the distance program is worth the cost.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

thanks for the advice all

has any one ever used kaplan online?

i filled out a fafsa online but changed my mind after i read all the bad reviews

how can i cancel a submitted fafsa?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Adult Health.

I got my BSN through SUNY Stonybrook and am working on my MSN from there, both through distance learning. I have not ever had a moment where I have regretted it. I found that the classwork was more than comparable to a brick and mortar classroom and that having to be responsible for my own learning to a higher degree than if I attended classes made me more appreciative of it.

When I looked, I wanted an NLNAC accredited school with a solid reputation and a brick and mortar program. I got what I wanted but I looked long and hard for it.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I myself graduated from Indiana Wesleyan's RN-BSN online program. They are a traditional school located in Marion, Indiana and also have campuses in Ohio and Kentucky. They offer both traditional classroom as well as the online program. The program was excellent and had a Christian platform, which I found comforting. I was so impressed with my RN-BSN program that I am now enrolled in their MSN program for Nursing Education.

I agree you should check the reputation of the school out. It is important to know their certifications! Also, remember 100% of your course work in an online program is written! If you are a weak writer, the online programs may pose a challenge for you. I was a journalism major at one time, so this never intimidated me like so many others!

I wish you nothing but success !

DayOhioRN:yeah:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I'm in the midst of my RN-to-BSN program with an online school and very satisfied. The important things to look for, IMO, are accreditation - are they accredited by the NLNAC as well as the local college accrediting agency (and make sure it's a well-known accrediting board; some schools have been known to be "accredited" by boards that are less than reputable, so some homework is needed). My school is accredited by the NLNAC and by SACS. They are also licensed/authorized by the State BON to provide a course of education in nursing.

As PAERRN said, having a brick and mortar campus is important as well - you know that there is a physical place you can go for questions, information, and to speak to an advisor, administrator, or instructor if needed. It also shows that the school has to jump through some more hoops than an online school run out of office space would.

Reputation - not saying that a new school or a new program cannot be good, but it does help if the school has been around for a while and has a reputation for quality education. While you are paying for a degree and not a pedigree, it is still important to consider the track record of the school itself before devoting your precious time and hard-earned money to it.

How much of your past education and experience are they willing to give you credit for? It may not be such a good deal to go to a school that costs a little less per credit hour, only to find you have to retake courses such as Chemistry or Biology - or to discover that they won't offer you learning credit for your previous experience and you'll be paying for 60 credit hours instead of say 34.

Pre-requisites and co-requisites. Find out about these - you want a school that requires a minimum of these to be taken through them. If your school won't give you credit for classes you already have, or credit for taking a pre-req from say a local community college, it may be a red flag.

These are just a couple of thoughts that I used in looking before I selected the school that was the right fit for me. YMMV.

HTH, and good luck with your journey!!

A Nursing program can be either ccne or nln accredited it just depends on what degrees they are offering. You will find that a lot of colleges that still carry adn programs are NLN accredited as opposed to CCNE accredited. However it does not matter because they are both nationally accredited.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU, CVICU, Case Management.

I agree with the others. There are many brick and mortar schools offering online classes.

Make sure the school is NLNAC or CCNE accredited. In NY, the SUNY schools are great for online and you can't beat the tuition.

My sister attended SUNY Stonybrook's online nurse practitioner master's degree program. She graduated in 2006 and passed the NP certification boards on the first try.

I am attending Indiana Wesleyan Univ's RN to BSN online. I finish in June 2010. I have enjoyed the entire experience.

Be prepared to manage your time well, discipline is definitely required to complete an online program.

As a previous post stated, there is a good amount of writing involved, some classes have timed quizzes or tests.

Whatever school you choose, good luck and I'm sure you will do well.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion