Semi-online RN programs?

Discussion in 'Nursing and medical-related degrees' started by Griffin, Mar 1, 2009.

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  1. Griffin

    Griffin Crazy About Psychology

    I know that RN programs aren't fully online, because there is a clinical experience aspect. But I am looking for a semi-online RN program where you do not have to be an LPN or Paramedic first.

    I am a psychology student first and foremost, but I also have had a passion for medicine for many years. After a long time of soul-searching and weighing the options, I've decided to become a Nurse Practitioner. I can stagger my learning so that my BSN is concurrent with my BA in Psychology, but first I will need to become an RN.

    I found Rio Salado, but their site has conflicting info: There's no waitlist, but it takes 2 semesters - 2 years to get into, You can do your clinical outside AZ, or maybe you can't. I've requested clarification from them. :)
     
  2. Ian Anderson

    Ian Anderson Active Member

  3. Griffin

    Griffin Crazy About Psychology

    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 1, 2009
  4. GeneralSnus

    GeneralSnus Member

    Chamberlain College of Nursing offers an online ADN, though it does require a few days on campus at the end of most semesters for clinical skill validation. It might be good if you are able to go to Columbus, OH, Chicago, Phoenix, or St. Louis for the validation.

    The school was formerly known as the Deaconess School of Nursing until it was bought by DeVry a few years back.
     
  5. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

    >>

    Finding out about RN programs has been my obsession this month, I might be able to help you a bit. In a nutshell, you have to do your RN on campus somewhere. BUT, what you can do (depending on the school) is take your Gen Eds online (and or use CLEP). For example, you if you do a ADN, you still have English, Psych101, A&P 1 and 2, micro, math, etc. Your school will have this laid out somewhere on their website. If you enroll in a BSN to RN, you will have roughly 60 gen eds. That leaves a lot of options for online classes.
    Anything you find that is online (the BSN or NP programs) will all require an RN for admissions - so you pretty much need to do that any way you can. The up side- is once you get your RN, you can usually skip the BSN and go into bridge program for your NP. Once you grab that RN, there are MANY online options- and if you need to work as an RN in order to apply for NP school, your hospital may foot the bill. Tuition reimbursement seems more an more common.

    There are 4 nursing programs in my community- and they are all so different, yet they share similarities too. For starters, there is an element of competitive admission. In some schools, they take a wait list. The school I am looking at uses a formula to compute a score- top 32 scores are accepted, the others are dumped- and you reapply next semester. There is no wait list. For those 32 slots, they will get 80-120 applications. People use those classes to kill time while they wait- and because I have been cautioned by about 100% of the people I asked "take your sciences first, you won't be able to handle both" and so while I don't yet know if that's true- these are bright people who told me this- so I'm working that path.

    SO, what I have found that most people do, is what's called "pre-nursing" courses. This may or may not be a formal designation at your school, but it means- taking sciences. If you have science and electives left on your psych degree- try to get them now. While nursing might only be 4 semesters- the classes inside the program have prereqs that can take up to 1+ years to complete!
     
  6. Griffin

    Griffin Crazy About Psychology

    There's a school I'll be local to that has an RN program. What they've done is set up a Nursing Entrance Test that is specific to their school that's basically accuplacer + tests your "stress level" and "learning style." Huge wait at the school it seems, but it could be worth it to register and then wait it out while finishing my BA.

    The cool thing is that I can complete my Psychology BA, half of my RN and 75% of my BSN at the same time (which you touched on as well). Instead of filling up on CLEPs or FEMA courses for my free electives, I'll be taking nursing classes or required sciences.


    Based on Chamberlain's ADN (online) chart, here are the 10 non-nursing courses:
    • English Composition
    • College Algebra
    • Anatomy & Physiology I w/Lab
    • Anatomy & Physiology II w/Lab
    • Interpersonal Communication
    • Foundations of Microbiology/Chemistry w/Lab
    • Pathophysiology (which is a biology course)
    • Developmental Psychology
    • Humanities Elective
    • Culture and Society (sociology course)

    Those plus 12 specific Nursing classes make up the required courses for the ADN. 7 of the above I'd be taking anyway, so I'd be adding three lab science courses (or taking them with the 12 nursing courses). They say that they can't guarantee the transferability of any given course, which is in line with every other school it looks like. :D

    For the TESC BSN, there are 28 additional nursing credits that have to be filled with specific nursing classes. Of those, 3 are graduate courses that can apply to their MSN. You get 48 credits for the RN license and 20 for prior nursing experience applied to the BSN.

    You're totally right about the bridge program, but I am not sure if you can be an NP after TESC's MSN. There are lots of other MSN programs that I am looking into though.

    http://www.npcentral.net/ce/np-progs.shtml


    Sorry, I didn't mean to write War & Peace! :cool:
     
  7. Griffin

    Griffin Crazy About Psychology

    Well, fudge. :mad:

    "Students who reside outside of the states of Missouri, Illinois, Arizona and Ohio are not being admitted to Chamberlain College of Nursing Pre-Licensure Nursing Programs at the present time."

    I think it might be worth it to put my name in the hat for a (soon-to-be) local program. With any luck, I might get in before I finish my doctorate LOL.

    I'm still on the look-out though!

    Also, I found out that Kaplan has online RN programs. The only place they do clinicals is in southern Florida. The total cost for the 2-year program is ~$34'000 :eek:
     
  8. Delta

    Delta Active Member

    My journey from EMT to DNP

    Fortunately for me, when I went down this road 10 years ago, Excelsior College accepted the EMT. Now their admission requirements are open to:
    " * Licensed Practical/Vocational Nurses,
    * paramedics,
    * military service corpsmen,
    * individuals who hold degrees in clinically oriented health care fields in which they have had the opportunity to provide direct patient care (e.g., physicians, respiratory therapists, and physician assistants)."

    From what I read in your posts, the only option to you is an online program? I noticed Independence University offered an Associates degree in Respiratory Therapy that is available online. I believe they are DETC accredited so credits earned may not transfer to Excelsior College. However, the national certification and subsequent licensure as a Respiratory Therapist should meet the entrance requirements. Check with Excelsior.

    Once you begin Excelsior you need to remember they have a 50% failure rate on the clinical skills exam.

    Okay, now you finish an ASN from Excelsior and pass the NCLEX RN exam and become licensed. Remember, not all states will license Excelsior College graduates so check with your state!

    Now you attend a BSN program or obtain a BS and "bridge courses" to enter an online MSN - Nurse practitioner program. There are a few that offer the program partially online with the ability to obtain clinical rotations in you community. Problem is, if you don't start soon, all nurse practitioner programs will be doctoral level by 2015. That means some schools are already jumping the gun and implementing doctoral NP programs now. Now the Np program becomes a 4 year program post BSN. I am currently enrolled in a MSN to DNP online program and realistically, the time frame is more like 5 to 6 years from BS to DNP with the MSN in the middle. This is not an easy route and it appears this pathway will present more obstacles commencing in 2015.

    I will be very interested to see which schools will be able to offer online BSN to DNP programs for the nurse practitioner track. I do not believe it can be done in 4 years! In my humble opinion, only a 4 year full time on campus program could accomplish such a task.

    You may consider obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree from one of the "Big Three". Make sure you have Organic and Inorganic Chemistry, Physics, MIcrobiology, Anatomy, Physiology and other pre-requisites, then apply to a 2 year Physician Assistant program. Although, no PA programs are online, this would be a faster track to becoming a mid level provider.

    Best of Luck!

    Leadsled
    EMT to RN to FNP to DNP
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 1, 2009
  9. skidadl

    skidadl Member

    I'd be interested in seeing what DL/semi-DL options there are to become a paramedic in TX.
     
  10. Griffin

    Griffin Crazy About Psychology

    I'm married to the idea of being an NP, but not to the online aspect. I figured it was worth a try -- and it is, I just may not be able to take any RN nursing classes online. If there were one online that fit my needs, I would go for it just because of the waiting list factor.

    Based on estimated waiting lists, if I'm lucky I'll have a slot this Fall or right after I complete my BA in Psychology. If I'm not lucky, I'll get in during my MA in Psychology and then I would probably have to defer or decline the invite at that point.

    I'm applying to a program near where I'll be in NJ, where a close friend of mine adjuncts oddly enough. It seems fairly inexpensive actually, especially if I take all the pre-reqs and gen-eds with TESC or elsewhere.

    Thanks for the heads-up that the NP requirements might be changing. :) I am very happy I'm starting the process now. My own NP got her doctorate last summer and her practice is booming currently (took me three months of waiting to get in to see her). I probably will have my MSN in four to five and can get the ball rolling to become certified.

    I'm thinking about going for family practice NP specialization instead of (or with) mental health because I think it opens more doors to a broader-based practice.
     
  11. Griffin

    Griffin Crazy About Psychology

    Also, I noticed while browsing a local college's site that they off a "One day per week" nursing program. With that, you take all nursing and GE classes online, and have in-person clinical experience one day per week. It looks pretty good, seems like a good way to handle the lack of space.

    For me, it's quite a schlep. But if you live in southern ocean county, NJ, it is a good option to look at. :)

    http://www.ocean.edu/academics/programs_of_study/Nursing/NursingAdmissionsODPWP.htm
     
  12. AV8R

    AV8R Active Member

    An even more lucrative nursing field than being a nurse practitioner is to be a nurse anesthetist. Those guys are making as much as family practice physicians! Just Google "nurse anesthetist salary" and you'll see what I mean.
     
  13. skidadl

    skidadl Member

    Dang. I wonder what the working conditions/hours are like for those guys.
     
  14. AV8R

    AV8R Active Member

    I used to work for a very small, rural hospital when I was in my early twenties. There was one nurse anesthetist on staff there. The ER nurse supervisor once commented how high the nurse anesthetist's salary was. That's how I first became aware of that career path.

    The nurse anesthetist worked with a surgeon at that hospital. He came in pretty early in the morning, about six I think and left early in the afternoon. It was a Monday through Friday job; no weekends. I'm sure the hours vary depending on where one works.
     
  15. AV8R

    AV8R Active Member

  16. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

    >>

    I have followed several threads over at allnurses- getting into a program is insane, and it is more competitive than the PA schools. I'm looking at advanced practice nursing as well, but I'll be pursuing a CNM (if I ever get through the zillions of sciences, and ever get IN to the nursing program of course... somehow it seems harder to get in than get through! LOL)

    Oh, I wanted to add, my son had his tonsils out last week. At the surgery center was a private anesthesia group that serviced the center (among other centers I'm assuming) my son's surgery under general was 100% done by a nurse anesthetist.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 2, 2009
  17. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

  18. skidadl

    skidadl Member

  19. Griffin

    Griffin Crazy About Psychology

    At my plastic surgeon's office, they use a nurse anesthetist. The only problem with that is that for totally-elective procedures, they can only work up to a certain BMI (35 for her).

    I'm really impressed by midwives. Women seem to be going to them more and more, so you'll probably have little problem finding work :cool:

    At least they have a big list of where you can do the clinicals :) What scares me is all the schools that have one place to do clinicals at. :eek:

    This is an overview of NP salaries:
    http://www.nurse.net/cgi-bin/start.cgi/salary/index.html

    My MIL has been an RN for going-on 25 years now and is retiring next year. My GF and I are trying to keep the nursing program a secret at least until we move in September. :D
     
  20. cookderosa

    cookderosa Resident Chef

    My MIL has been an RN for going-on 25 years now and is retiring next year. My GF and I are trying to keep the nursing program a secret at least until we move in September. :D>>


    OH! You are kidding!! I have to laugh- my mom retired from nursing in December- she was a nurse for 40 years. My best friend was a nurse before kids/homeschooling....and I only "just" told my mom my plans this past weekend. I still have not talked to my friend LOL. They think I'm crazy, they thought I lost my mind taking a class over at Harvard- and now if I tell them a new plan, I look a little dysfunctional LOL.

    For me, I didn't want to tell anyone because of the science requirements, I'm pretty nervous about doing well. If I end up with low B's, I might not even be able to get in. I wanted to wait until (if) I actually got accepted before saying anything.
     

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