Nurse Practitioner Program of the Month: Western Governors University

Earlier this month I discussed one option for nurses and nurse practitioners aspiring to take on leadership positions, becoming a Chief Nursing Officer.  So, for this month’s featured nurse practitioner program, I decided to stick with the non-clinical trend featuring a school set with programs for nursing leadership and education. If you are looking to further your nursing career, especially with an emphasis on leadership or education, Western Governors University’s programs deserve a close look.

Western Governors University’s nursing programs first caught my eye for their commitment to practicality.  With nursing programs offered online, the school emphasizes a competency-based approach to education.  WGU doesn’t want students wasting their time in the classroom reviewing material they’ve already learned.  Rather, students control the pace of their education online.  WGU’s nursing programs were developed by employers with a focus on practicality and industry specific needs.  This way, students can rest assured that their education will adequately prepare them for the working world.  Now that’s my kind of nursing program.

Western Governors University offers accredited RN to BSN, M.S. in Nursing Education and M.S. in Nursing Leadership and Management programs.  Both of WGU’s M.S. in Nursing programs can be completed in an RN to MSN track making them accessible to nurses of varying education levels.  All programs are offered online and are adaptable to student’s schedules making them good picks for working nurses looking to further their education.

Not only are Western Governors University’s nursing programs efficient and adaptable to student’s needs, they are cost effective.  WGU students pay per term, not per credit.  This means that the more quickly a student completes his or her education, the less it will cost.  This innovative tuition model saves many students thousands of dollars.  For example, completing an M.S. in Nursing Education in two years rather than three saves more than $6,000.  Tuition for the 2013 school year runs at $3,250 per six month term, a bargain compared to many other online master’s level nursing programs.

Founded by 19 governors, Western Governors University takes a unique and practical approach to the nursing education.  Omitting much of the extraneous material of similar nursing programs, WGU wants students to learn and thrive throughout their nursing program without wasting their time.  WGU prepares students for the working world ensuring a strong start in their advanced nursing careers.  U.S. Secretary of Education Anne Duncan even recognizes WGU as a University that stands out above the rest.  Praising WGU’s affordable, flexible approach to education she laments that programs like these are the exception, “I want them to be the norm” she says.

Want to learn more about Western Governors University’s nursing programs?  Click Here for more information.