[business_directory category=”chamberlain-college-of-nursing” text=”description” display=”url” single_link=”no”]

Chamberlain School of Nursing  is a for-profit school which offers a 100% online degree completion program.  Chamberlain is headquartered in Downer’s Grove, Illinois, but has campuses in numerous locations across the US. So for those registered nurses that might not have many academic options for earning a BSN degree close to them, Chamberlain could be an appealing option.

The aim of the program is to prepare graduates for their future professional careers in the nursing field. Their RN to BSN courses are offered every 8 weeks which can offer you flexibility in trying to time out the best start date for your schedule. Their program will not just focus on increasing your nursing knowledge but actually look at the practical ways that knowledge can be applied in a variety of different job functions. If you already have a current RN license approved by the state you live in, you could see up to 77 proficiency credits applied to your BSN degree journey before you even begin. Each state can be different though so conduct your own research to verify what credits can and can’t be applied.

Tuition Cost and Course Length for Chamberlain

Understanding the tuition cost and the “other expenses” you might expect are important to combine for a more holistic view of your Chamberlain RN to BSN cost. According to their website (as of 2016) you can expect the following costs:
RN to BSN Tuition Cost of Chamberlain

• Nursing Courses: $14,160
• Your Liberal Arts Courses: $590 Per Credit Hour

Additional Expenses to Consider

• The Application Fee to the Program: $60
• Student Service Charge: $150 Per Session
• Books and other Course Supplies: $125 Per Session
• Resources Fee for Courses: $50 Per Course

These prices and descriptions come directly from the website but you should make sure to understand what each cost is and how many times you can expect to see it applied. You’ll see that some expenses are shown as fees per session, a one-time fee, and even a per course fee. You should try to figure out your expected BSN program length (based on what you think you can do from a typical course load) to better understand the frequency of these expects costs.

Chamberlain University offers a unique PDF that actually breaks down the total cost of the program and obtaining each of the degrees that they offer.  Follow this link if you want to see a more detailed cost breakdown.  However, not all of the tuition cost information is contained in this PDF, but the total cost is available as listed below.

Expected Course Length

Chamberlain College of Nursing also offers a BSN completion program available at any of its on-campus facilities.  Additionally, Chamberlain offers a RN to MSN degree program.  This option allows students to move from an RN to MSN in one semester less than if a student were to complete the RN to BSN and then a BSN to MSN.  The cost of the RN to MSN program is roughly double the price of the RN to BSN.  The total cost can be found via the link noted above.

Since 100% of the Chamberlain RN to BSN program is online, you’ll see the length vary depending on how many courses you can take in a session and how long it takes you to complete said courses. Chamberlain mentions that there isn’t a mandatory amount of times that you have to “go” to class (login) but that some courses require minimum amounts of logins per week.

The length of the program will also vary depending on whether you come in with any applicable transfer credits or not. Trying to understand whether your previous courses will count towards your Chamberlain degree is instremental in better determining the length of time for completion.

Chamberlain offers a guide to BSN degree completion on their website so you can match up your expected course load and better understand how many months or years degree completion might take. It is also important to take those estimates and apply them to the aforementioned expenses section so you have a better estimate of total degree cost.

Potential Job Outcomes of RN to BSN Graduates

Each state is different and every person is different. Earning your BSN offers no guarantee of a job or specific type of job but becoming familiar with potential roles is important to note. Here are a few different options you might try to explore after completing the Chamberlain RN to BSN program:

• Privatized Hospitals: Working within hospitals as a nurse can offer a dynamic day to day work environment. You’ll likely see a variety of sickness and injuries that can be different every day. You’ll have to start considering what areas might be available like a maternity ward, emergency section, or even potentially the administrative side of things.
• Home Care: This is pretty dynamic in the type of patient(s) you could have. There are some children whose parents are unable to administer the correct medical care so a home care nurse is necessary. Adults might also need a home care nurse because they’re unable to take care of themselves due to an injury, illness, or age. There are some nurses that enjoy home care because it allows them to really connect with patients due to the setting.
• Geriatrics Nurse: If you go down this career path, the one thing that stands out is the age of your patients will typically fall into a pretty standard range. Comparing this to an emergency room nurse that sees a wide variety of patients, geriatric nurses will typically see only elderly people in their daily care.
• Oncology Nurse: Many might consider this to be a very challenging role in nursing due to the types of patients you see that are facing cancer (a disease many associate with being life-ending). However, many nurses in this field find that extending a level of compassion as well as their physical nursing skills is very rewarding with the patients they administer to.

As we stated before, earning a BSN will not guarantee a specific job or even employment. But you should be prepared to explore the variety of different job roles within nursing that you might be able to attain.

Other Chamberlain RN to BSN Program Highlights

As you continue to do your research on different online BSN programs, you’ll need to pay close attention to the benefits each program offers. Chamberlain highlights some of their major differentiators being 24/7 technical support. As the program is 100% online, technical issues and challenges can be something you encounter. Chamberlain offers this support for their enrolled students which could be helpful.

Chamberlain also prides their program around the ability for students to submit questions and somebody within the nursing faculty will respond to your question within 24 hours. The ability to have this quick turnaround time to your questions could be beneficial in expanding your knowledge base in nursing during the RN to BSN journey. Earning your RN to BSN will offer exciting new changes in your life and choosing the right online program is very important so you find the one that fits your learning style. Look at the cost, benefits, and expected courses at Chamberlain during your evaluation to determine if their program is the right fit for you!

As a final note, according to education requirements and restrictions students residing in North Dakota, Tennessee, Washington, or Puerto Rico are not able to complete the RN to BSN online degree or the RN to MSN degree.

[business_directory category=”chamberlain-college-of-nursing” text=”description” display=”url” single_link=”no”]

Villanova University is a private Catholic university located in Pennsylvania.  Villanova offers a 100% online RN to BSN option and a combination online and on campus option.  Due to certain education restrictions, the online program is not available to residents of Minnesota and Alabama.

Cost: Villanova University requires 60 Nursing credits for the RN to BSN degree.  Credits are billed at $546 per credit hour for a total of $32,760.  Additionally, there is a one-time $600 fee for your capstone course.  There may also be a $300 general fee per year, and a $150 student health fee per year.

Total Cost: $34,260 = $32,760 + $600 + $300 x2 + $150 x2 (This does not include books)

Time to Completion: Approximately 2 years

Start Date(s): Fall

Clinical Requirement: Yes, 2 clinical practica that can be completed at your place of employment or another site.  Clinical hours cannot be paid hours.

Accredited: CCNE, ANCC

Western Governors University is a 100% online university based in Utah that offers a unique competency based education.  The key difference in their education is you end up paying for time rather than the number of credits you need.  This means that you pay a flat fee tuition every 6 months and you can complete as many units in that block of time as possible.  So if you complete one unit or twenty during that six months, you will pay the same tuition rate. We try to keep figures and costs as up to date as possible but as with any RN to BSN program, be sure to check with the admissions staff at WGU as their costs and credit requirements among other items may have changed since the publication of this review.

In case you missed it, this means that it is possible to complete your BSN at Western Governors University in as little as 6 months!  And for less than $4,000* (although this is not going to be possible for every student).

As mentioned, the other unique feature of WGU is they do not offer credits, but offer Competency Units.  This means that when you apply all prior education and experience will be translated into their Competency Units.  Their website states that the average RN applying to the program will transfer 50 units out of the total 120 units needed for graduation.  This idea of competencies means that during the program you will not take classes and earn grades, but will meet competency requirements to show that you understand the material.  This most often will mean taking a test or writing an APA paper.

Keeping with the theme of not offering credits but competencies, all graduates of Western Governors University’s RN to BSN program will receive a 3.0 grade point average.  If you are considering a graduate degree, please keep this in mind.  Or try the WGU RN to MSN option.

Cost*: $3,250 every six months, plus $350 for a one time Consolidated Nursing Program Fee.  According to their website, the average time to completion is 18 months.  This means the total cost for tuition is $9,750.  Additional fees include a $145 Resource fee per six-month term, a $65 application fee, a $42 criminal background check, and a $50 immunization tracking fee for California residents only.

Total Cost*: $10,642  (This does not include textbooks)  Obviously, your actual cost may be less or more depending on how many 6 month semesters you take to complete the program.

Time to Completion*: Average is 18 months

Start Date*(s): The RN to BSN Program can be started at the beginning of every month

Clinical Required*: There is no clinical requirement for the RN to BSN Program.  However, if you are enrolled in the BSN completion program, then there is a 90 hour clinical requirement that can be completed in a community health setting.

Accreditation: CCNE

Western Governors University RN to BSN Affordability

In the world of online RN to BSN programs, you have literally thousands of options.  Some programs are expensive, some take forever, some have clinicals.  Western Governors University RN to BSN program offers none of these.  Assuming you are a Registered Nurse with all of the required college courses necessary to become a Registered Nurse, then you should have no trouble transferring credits to WGU and getting started on your BSN.

Western Governors University online RN to BSN offers a unique payment system.  Instead of paying for each class and credit hour that you take, you pay for each 6 month semester that you take.  During this six months, you can complete as many classes as you possibly can.  According to WGU, most nurses are able to complete the program in about 18 months.  Some take longer and some take less, but 18 months is the average.  If you need to go part time, no problem.  Are you a speed demon looking to get done as quickly as possible, then you might be done in 12 months?  Maybe 6 months?

Along with this unique fee structure, is Western Governors University’s flat rate fee.  Each semester costs the same amount.  As mentioned you can take as many classes as you want during the six month semester and pay the same price.  This means that during the average 18 months it takes most nurses to finish the program, the average tuition price is around $10,000.  Be aware, that this price does not include books.

If all that were not enough, the online RN to BSN program at Western Governors University does not have a clinical requirement.  This means that if you are already a busy hardworking RN, then you do not need to take additional time of unpaid work at a clinical site.  No redundant work requirements!

To recap, the online RN to BSN program offered by Western Governors University is an excellent choice for the already busy RN.  It is a financially affordable reality.  It has a unique program structure that allows for part-time flexibility, or a fast-paced get-done-quickly approach.  And finally, you don’t need to spend extra time in a clinical setting working for free!

Scholarships for Western Governors University

If you are thinking about attending Western Governors University or you are currently enrolled, then you need to visit WGU’s Scholarship page.  This is the general scholarship page, but WGU does offer specific Nursing scholarships.  Check out the list below and find some great deals.

WGU Nurses Lead the Way Scholarship – A $500 (5 available) Scholarship for Nurses and currently enrolled Western Governors University students.  Application deadline is April 14, 2014.  However, this scholarship will most likely be available next year as well.

WGU Community College Partner Scholarship – A $2,000 Scholarship available to new students from a community college partner school.  This scholarship is available to all Nursing students, but the application deadline is 60 days after enrollment.  If you are on the ball and think you might complete the online RN to BSN in 6 months, then this one scholarship can pay for over half your costs!  See the Scholarship and list of schools here.

WGU Institutional Partners Fund – A $2,000 Scholarship available to new students that work for a company that is affiliated with WGU.  See the list here and find out if you qualify.

WGU Healthcare Partners Fund – Similar to the scholarship above, this $2,000 Scholarship is available to new students that work for a healthcare company that is affiliated with WGU.  Go here.

Western Governors University also offers specific Military Scholarships here.

Finally, Western Governors University offers an awesome Scholarship search tool.  This tool allows you to input your own criteria and variables and gives you a more personalized list of potential scholarships.  This is not an exact science and some of the scholarships may not actually be right for you.  But for the motivated scholarship searcher, this is an excellent resource.  Try the Scholarship Search Tool.

* Be sure to check with the admissions staff at WGU as their costs and credit requirements among other items may have changed since the publication of this review.