Master In Nursing Online Degree

Q: I'll be graduating shortly with a BS degree in electrical and computer engineering. I'm trying to get into nursing. However, I noticed that the University of Phoenix is offering a BSN online. I'm often wary of online education, as some people don't fully acknowledge. Then again, Phoenix is a major, accredited school, unlike some of those for-profit online institutions. Also, my ultimate goal is to get into nurse anesthesia, as quickly and cheaply as possible. Any feedback on Phoenix's program? Am I barking up the right tree for nurse anesthesia?

A:There is no easy route to getting a nursing degree. There are several hundred hours of clinical experience (lab time) involved. I believe that the Phoenix BSN program is for people who already have an RN license from a two or three year program and who do not need clinical experience, or who can arrange it on their own. Contact them for exact details. Since you are not already employed in nursing, I would advise against it. With your degree in EE/CS I think that you would find undergraduate nursing courses to be excessively elementary and slow paced for you. I suggest that you apply to a graduate program instead. Note that CRNA requires a master's degree anyway. This school http://www.nursing.yale.edu/index.html is close to where you live and has excellent master's and doctorate of nursing programs. I don't know of any CRNA programs that would accept a non-nurse. AFAIK, they all require RN licensure and critical care experience, and the slots are extremely competitive, at that. Also, AFAIK, Yale does not have a nurse anesthetist program (I live nearby). Why would a basic nursing program be too elementary for him? Are engineers (and he apparently has no practical experience in any field, as a new college grad) inherently superior to the rest of us who had bachelor's and master's degrees (and considerable work experience) before entering nursing school? I do agree with your statements regarding UofP. I am not aware of any online generic nursing programs, although some may accept LPNs who are transitioning to RN.

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