Academix (2.0)

What to Consider When Choosing a GRADUATE School of Nursing

Academix (2.0): What to Consider When Choosing a GRADUATE School of Nursing

So, a quick recap of my blog Academix for pre-Licensure students… because some of that also matters here…

Just as the entry into practice the nursing graduate programs (MSN, DNP, PhD) also have various points of entry!

• RN-MSN

• ADN-MSN

• ASN-MSN

• BSN-MSN

• ELMN/ MECN (for those with a bachelors degree or higher in other disciplines)

  ———————

• BSN-DNP

• BSN-PhD

• MSN-DNP

• MSN-PhD

• Things you should have learned by choosing your initial program into nursing:

• Needs to be accredited.

  • Check your State Licensing Board (Board of Registered Nursing) and whichever other body that accredits the program (ie. CCNE or NLN)

    • It should be noted Ph.D. programs do not have a State or national governing body.

• Needs to provide clinical experience AND hopefully do the clinical placement for you.

1. The other things you should look at is:

   1. National Board Certification pass rates for clinical routes (Nurse Practitioners).

      • Hopefully its greater than 90% pass rate.

      • Most grad schools with high pass rates will post them on their website.

   2. Look at the schools national ranking (This is an indicator of the work the program and their graduates are doing. Keep in mind private and research based universities may rank higher because of the research / publications focus, and grant funding available to faculty that supports them)

   3. CO$T! Make sure you understand the fees.

      • RED FLAG 🚩- Schools that promise you your cost will be offset by all the loans they can get you. Do your homework and know what kind of debt you’ll have after you graduate. Most of you won’t qualify for any type of grant because you’re probably working as an RN and making a decent salary. HOWEVER, there are still scholarships and some grants out there that you do qualify for. (ie. HRSA grant if you’re planning on serving an underserved community or scholarships through various organizations.)

      • Also don’t forget to ask what type of assistance your work will provide. (ie. tuition assistance, paid time off, contracts with schools for lower tuition…)

      • Find out all the grants, scholarships, and free stuff (ie. books, equipment, services…) you’re eligible for.

   4. Attendance:

      • How many days a week?

      • Semester vs. Quarters? Self paced? Monthly? Year round?

      • How many days a week for classes?

      • Part time vs. full time

   5. What’s the workload in the program?

      • Can you work?

      • How many days a week do you have to be in clinicals

      • How many days of in-person and/or on-line work

      • Try and go to an open house and if possible talk to some current students!

   6. Environment

      1. Take a look at the campus:

         • Classes, equipment, technology, simulation lab

         • class sizes

         • diversity in both faculty, staff, and students

   7. Majors

      • You should do your homework on the Specialty you wish to pursue your nursing career through

        • here is my personal bias… Education specialty is fundamental to all specialties. Especially if you’re going to do ANY teaching. So, just my opinion, a post master's certificate for Nursing Admin & NP’s in Nursing Education, or an MSN in Nursing Education with a post masters in admin or a clinical NP specialty is the way to go.

      • So what specialties are out there:

        • Nursing Administration/ Leadership

        • Nursing Education

        • Informatics

        • Gerontology

          • Acute

          • Primary Care

        • Midwifery

        • Pediatrics

        • Nurse Anesthesia

        • Psychiatric/ Mental Health

        • neonatal

        • Family Nurse Practitioner

        • Emergency

        • Orthopedics

        • Clinical Nurse Specialist

        • Nursing Informatics

        • DNP (typically 2 years)

          • have various routes. Some programs have a clinical specialty while others focus on executive leadership or translation of evidence into practice)

        • Ph.D. (typically 3+ years)

          • Research focus

            • make sure the research you wish to do can be supported by the institution you are applying to.

            • Some institutions will attach you to existing research, while others expect you to start from scratch!

      • As a point, there are other programs out there, but this is most of the specialties. You may see some hybrids out there in the form of:

        • MSN/MBA

        • MSN/MPH

        • MSN/MHA

        • MSN/MPA

      • As I’m writing the list of these specialties in Nursing, I just want to be clear, these areas are not your only choice. You have other options! What are they? Anything you want to get your Masters in and you qualify for. Just make sure your next professional move up the ladder doesn’t require you to have a Masters or Doctoral degree in NURSING!

        • other natural moves for many Nurses

          • MBA (This really excites many Ambulatory care orgs)

          • MPH

          • MPA

          • MHA

          • …

Do your homework on the specialty you want or think you want. Shadow a person in the specialty you want to pursue. See if it’s really what you want. Although some Universities will allow you to change your specialty, NOT ALL WILL!

Lastely ask what the school is looking for when they admit students and make sure you have everything checked off. Have all your prerequisites and requirements, experience, and any other hoops you have to jump through completed. For example, it is unlikely you will be accepted into a CRNA program if you have no Critical Care Experience! So know what is required (prerequisites, type of clinical experience, letters of recommendation… ), sharpen your writing skills, and plan ahead! In a couple of years you can either have a graduate degree or wishing you had started your graduate program a couple of years ago… Best of Luck!