RN to MSN Online Program: Fast Tracking Your Nursing Career
The following is an excerpt of the NurseTogether.com community members’ online chat (July 6, 2010) with Dr. Catherine Garner, dean of health sciences and nursing at American Sentinel University.
NT.com: What if you already have your BSN?
Dr. Garner: If you have your BSN, you can enter right into our MSN program which is 36 credits or 12 courses. Case Management, Informatics, Education, Management and Organizational Leadership, and Infection Prevention and Control.
NT.com: Are there clinical rotations involved?
Dr. Garner: There are no clinical rotations like you had in your pre-licensure program. You are already registered nurses.
NT.com: What if you have your RN and also have a BA?
Dr. Garner: If you have your RN and BA, you will need to take the 7 BSN courses and then the 12 MSN courses.
NT.com: How long will it take to go from ADN to MSN?
Dr. Garner: The time line should be no more than three years, but you can double up classes to be done sooner.
NT.com: I owned a senior care facility and worked as a manager, dietician, nurse, etc. Would I receive credit for this?
Dr. Garner: We would look at your life/work experience for credits.
NT.com: Are your programs strictly MSN or are there NP programs as well?
Dr. Garner: We do not have nurse practitioner programs.
NT.com: Can you tell us about American Sentinel University’s accreditation?
Dr. Garner: American Sentinel is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
NT.com: Do you take transfer credits for an RN who has several MSN classes?
Dr. Garner: You are welcome to contact our admissions department for specific questions regarding transfer credits, costs, etc. We do have a liberal transfer credit policy.
NT.com: Is the RN to MSN program self-paced or are there specific times/dates classes are held?
Dr. Garner: All classes are eight weeks in length and you can be online whenever it suits you during the week. There are no “live” chat times.
NT.com: I am currently looking at a MSN program. What should I be looking for in the program?
Dr. Garner: When choosing a MSN program, first look at what specialty interests you and whether you feel the program meets your career needs. Then, decide whether you should take it online, on-ground, or a combination of both. Look at the accreditation!
NT.com: What are the 7 BSN courses you need to take before transferring into the MSN program?
Dr. Garner: Professional Communications, Nursing Research, Nursing Leadership and Management A and B, Public Health Nursing A and B, and the capstone project. Then onto the MSN.
NT.com: No Sociology, Chemistry or Stats?
Dr. Garner: No. The Colorado Articulation model allows us to give 60 credits for the AD and 30 more credits for work experience, so no general education credits are required!
NT.com: What are the specialty options with the MSN?
Dr. Garner: Case Management, Informatics, Education, Infection Prevention and Control, and Management and Organizational Leadership.
There is a huge deficit of nurse educators, further compounding the nursing shortage. Nurses who want to teach at the community college or with private schools need to have a Master’s Degree in Nursing Education. This degree is also desired within hospitals for nurse educators who mentor new hires and provide orientation and training for staff.
Infection Prevention and Control has become a rapidly expanding new area, as hospitals will no longer be reimbursed if a patient acquires an infection in the hospital and has to be re-admitted. The general public is also engaged in disclosing that over 30,000 patients die each year because of hospital acquired infections.
Case Management prepares nurses to assume the role of Care Manager for insurance companies, managed care organizations, and for stand-alone case management organizations. This role is becoming much more common in physician practices and in hospitals as we seek to coordinate care for special needs babies and children, high risk obstetrics, traumatic injury and rehabilitation, and for elderly with chronic illness such as diabetes, congestive heart failure, and COPD.
NT.com: Can we telecommute from Florida to your college?
Dr. Garner: You can be anywhere to be in our program. It’s entirely online.
NT.com: How can I get information sent to me concerning this program and its start date?
Dr. Garner: We start classes every month, so no waiting on semesters.
NT.com: Is there financial aid available?
Dr. Garner: Yes.
NT.com: What is the NurseTogether discount?
Dr. Garner: We offer NurseTogether members a 10% discount! American Sentienl also has a tuition deferment program, so if your employer has a reimbursement program, you will have little out of pocket cost.
NT.com: Does American Sentinel have military bill facilitators?
Dr. Garner: We are a military friendly school and do work with the VA and with GI funding.
NT.com: Although this may be redundant, is “Informatics” congruent to “Health Care Advocacy/Facilitator”?
Dr. Garner: Informatics is a growing area as hospitals and physician practices move to electronic medical records and computerization of care delivery systems. Many companies who sell and install this software and hardware hire nurses to do the training of healthcare professionals.
NT.com: Would it be correct to say that a graduate of this program could call themselves a clinical nurse specialist? Are they qualified to sit for the certifying exams?
Dr. Garner: You would not be considered a clinical nurse specialist. You would be qualified to sit for certifications in either Case Management, Infection Prevention and Control, or Nursing Informatics.
A clinical nurse specialist is one who has a great deal of expertise in a clinical area: heart, cancer, diabetes, geriatrics, etc.
NT.com: If you have to choose between Nurse Educator and Nurse Leadership, which do you think is best?
Dr. Garner: It would depend upon your career goals. If you want to be a nurse manager or director then leadership. If you want to teach, choose education.
NT.com: What would it take to combine Informatics and Education as far as the time commitment?
Dr. Garner: Combining the two would entail five additional courses x eight weeks. This would be 40 weeks if you take one at a time.
NT.com: I haven’t seen many jobs available in Informatics.
Dr. Garner: Go to CareerBuilders.com and search “Informatics” or “Information Systems” and you will find lots of jobs. Many companies such as GE, Perot, Cerner, etc. have listings on their websites for employment.
NT.com: Is it realistic to double up on classes?
Dr. Garner: It depends on the time you have available. If you are working full-time and have a family, I would recommend that you not double up.
NT.com member comment: I’m not working and have no kids at home.
Dr. Garner: Then you could realistically take three courses at a time and be done in a year!
NT.com: I only need around 9 credits to obtain a master’s degree and would like to teach and finish with the online tract. Which school is best for accreditation?
Dr. Garner: American Sentinel is an accredited university. Our degrees are comparable to any other accredited university. You’ll find more information on tuition on our website. Nursing accreditation should be with CCNE or NLNAC to be considered.
NT.com: Can you expand on what a typical week as an online student with ASU would entail?
Dr. Garner: A typical online week involves reading and spending at least two hours in the online classroom in a discussion of the week’s topic with the instructor and the other students. Typically, there is an assignment each week – this could be a paper, a debate, or interviews with nursing leaders. Generally, there is one major project per course.
NT.com: Does your university use GI benefits for education?
Dr. Garner: Yes, we do. We have been recognized as one of the top ten “Military Friendly” universities three years in a row! We offer also military benefits.
NT.com: Can you explain the difference in CCNE or NLNAC?
Dr. Garner: Both CCNE and NLNAC are the only accreditors of nursing programs. The key difference is that CCNE only accredits BSN, MSN and doctoral programs, while NLN accredits AD, BSN, MSN and doctoral programs in nursing.
NT.com: I will be starting my Nurse Leadership Management class with GCU on the 19th but can’t take the capstone course until the remaining courses are completed. Any suggestions?
Dr. Garner: Most programs do not allow you to do a capstone until all classes are complete. Sometimes the dean will make an exception and allow you to take the capstone and the last class together.
NT.com: Along that same line, what exactly does the capstone course entail?
Dr. Garner: The capstone is a project that lets us know that you have mastered the elements of the program.
NT.com: I have IT concerns for these courses. I have an old OS on my machine. What is supported by American Sentinel in order to be a student accordingly?
Dr. Garner: Windows 3.0 and higher will allow you to work online. You will want to invest in high speed internet access.
NT.com: I’m a diploma graduate and have been a nurse for 40 years. I’ve taken many university classes but never formally obtained my BSN. Will these be credited to an MSN?
Dr. Garner: We would evaluate the classes taken to determine whether they would count toward a BSN or MSN.
NT.com: I have an ADN and want to fast track. Can you give an approximate time frame for completion of the MSN?
Dr. Garner: Typically, you would complete it in 2 1/2 to 3 years.
NT.com: What about the life/work experience credit?
Dr. Garner: Transfer credits and credit for life experience are granted on an individual basis. We will do an evaluation for free, so contact our admissions department for more information.
NT.com: I have unofficial transcripts; who would I send them to?
Dr. Garner: For more information about transcripts, visit our website.
NT.com: I have a BA in Psychology (where I did extensive health related research) and an ADN. How long to obtain my MSN?
Dr. Garner: American Sentinel has a “fast track” program where you take 7 courses from the BSN and, if you make B’s in all courses, you can transfer immediately into the MSN program.
NT.com: I attended another MSN program for an NP program but could not complete it. Can I transfer any credits towards a MSN in Informatics?
Dr. Garner: For more information about transfer credits visit our website.
NT.com: Who are the faculty at American Sentinel?
Dr. Garner: The RN to MSN faculty have all worked as nurses, and many continue in active practice so that they can relate to the daily demands and pressures you face in the work environment. All have either master’s degrees or doctoral degrees and many have additional specialty certifications. Our faculty have published and done research in nursing so they are quite accomplished. You will find that they come from all over the United States and many have worked internationally. They are all committed to teaching.
NT.com: How are students with non-nursing bachelor’s degrees + ADN viewed?
Dr. Garner: Students with ADN and non-nursing bachelor’s degrees are admitted to the fast track program like anyone else.
NT.com: So I don’t receive any advanced standing for having two bachelor’s degrees, extensive research experience, and a lot of work experience? My hospital considers bachelor’s non-nursing + ADN to be the equivalent of a BSN.
Dr. Garner: Academia is much further behind in nursing than practice. We will look at your transcripts and consider work experience for credit.
NT.com: This might be a dumb question, but if I have my RN and obtain say, an MSN in Infection Control or Case Management, would that “qualify”for the requirements of many future jobs for having a BSN?
Dr. Garner: Yes, it would put you ahead of the pack!
NT.com: How many classes are included in the MSN program?
Dr. Garner: MSN is 12 classes, each eight weeks in length, and 36 credits total.
NT.com: Are your programs strictly MSN or are there NP programs as well?
Dr. Garner: We do not offer nurse practitioner programs. If you are interested in becoming a nurse practitioner, it is best to go with a program that prepares you all the way through, as the courses are very different. Every university decides its own transfer policy for courses.
NT.com Moderator: I would suggest going with a “brick and mortar” school rather than online when pursuing an NP program.
Dr. Garner: Yes, I would strongly suggest brick and mortar for NP programs.
NT.com: I did do a bridge RN to MSN course at a local university that was a public health course and worked in a local jail. I am hoping that could transfer as the public health component.
Dr. Garner: Sounds like your jail project would certainly count!
NT.com: Would it be possible to acquire assistance from American Sentinel? For example, obtaining transcript information from a university I’ve been having issues with?
Dr. Garner: Sure. Just let our admissions advisors know and they will be happy to help.
NT.com: What is the cost per credit?
Dr. Garner: For more information about tuition visit our website.
NT.com: Dr. Garner, I see in your bio that you have done some pretty awesome projects in Central America. Does American Sentinel provide international opportunities for the MSN students?
Dr. Garner: We can facilitate international projects for you. Some of our faculty actually live and teach from other countries.
NT.com: Does American Sentinel offer one on one counseling throughout any tract pursued with a student?
Dr. Garner: We have specific student academic advisors for our nursing students and our faculty are always available for one on one career guidance. They are varied in background and expertise, and have valuable contacts as well.
NT.com member comment: Thank you. I am so glad I joined the chat.
Dr. Garner: NurseTogether.com has made this very fun, even if my fingers hurt later from typing!
NT.com member comment: LOL! I understand that. And yes, it has also been a fun way of obtaining valuable information!
NurseTogether comment: It is rare to have one on one time with the dean!
NT.com member respond: We are chatting with the dean? REALLY?
NT.com member comment: The dean at my school walks the hallways and some people don’t even know she is the dean…she is unapproachable, does not smile, and she might as well be metal…Kudos to Dr. Garner for taking the time out
Dr. Garner: I love to talk with students and laugh. You need to have fun or give it up – students are why we are here!
This always goes so fast. Thank you so much for having me and I invite you all to learn more about American Sentinel University. We are very proud of our nursing programs and of our many students and graduates.
