A Conversation with an Enrollment Advisor on Nursing Programs
Prospective students exploring online nursing programs have many questions and diverse needs. With so many choices to make — full-time versus part-time study, online-only versus blended programs, certificates versus degrees — the potentially overwhelming number of options can make enrollment challenging to navigate. Where can you turn for help?
At Maryville University, we offer potential nursing students one-on-one counseling with enrollment advisors (EAs) who answer your questions, help you decode the alphabet soup of nursing degree programs, and enroll successfully.
Whether you’re a registered nurse (RN) with an associate degree looking to take the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) path or a BSN graduate returning to school for an advanced degree, Maryville EAs are trained to help you. Our EAs even stay in close touch with you after you’ve enrolled to help you overcome any challenges and ensure you complete your nursing program.
Earning a nursing degree — whether a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate, or certificate — is an important investment, so finding the program and school that best meets your needs and goals is critical. An EA can offer valuable guidance and support. Often, however, potential students hesitate to talk with an EA, says Danay Chapel, a senior enrollment advisor at Maryville University.
“Students don’t see the value in setting out time to talk,” Chapel explains, but taking the time to speak with an EA is time well spent.
Why Talk with an Enrollment Advisor?
Students researching nursing programs come from many different backgrounds and have different educational, professional, and financial needs. Taking time to talk one on one with an EA can ultimately save students time — and even money — by providing answers to their questions and preventing expensive missteps.
For example, Chapel explains, “A lot of our students actually qualify for multiple routes, and without that dedicated EA to guide them to the right fit, it can get messy, overwhelming, and expensive — taking extra courses that are not needed or courses that won’t get them the appropriate credentials.”
At Maryville University, we understand that each student is at a different point in their career, which is why we created our programs with working nurses in mind.
Returning to school for an advanced degree — especially for nurses who have been away for a while — poses some challenges, from maintaining a reasonable work-life balance to adapting to a remote learning environment. Maryville EAs help with that too.
How Can an Enrollment Advisor Help?
Students new to college and nurses returning after years away are often apprehensive. “Becoming acclimated to being a student again and maybe never having online [educational] experience can be overwhelming,” Chapel says
Maryville EAs walk new students through the Canvas online learning platform used in our online classes and introduce them to all the support tools available before the first day of class. As a result, students can set off with confidence.
Our EAs also help students prepare a strong application for the admissions committee, navigate the transfer credit process, and determine how many hours they’ll need to dedicate to classwork each week.
An EA will drill down to clarify specific issues, such as whether work hours qualify as clinical hours or if a potential student’s place of employment qualifies as a clinical site. More broadly, a wide-ranging discussion with an EA can provide direction to students looking to move forward in their careers and decide on a particular nursing specialty.
What Are the Benefits of Attending Maryville University for Nursing?
Maryville MSN programs feature curricula that cater to working nurses. The clinical component we offer works well for students who prefer a hands-on approach to learning. Our students learn from respected faculty members who bring their real-world experience to the classroom to prepare nurses to thrive in today’s healthcare environment.
Our EAs support students throughout their educational journey and, like our faculty, bring knowledge and experience to their work. With many years of experience in the healthcare field before transitioning to higher education, Chapel is no exception. She’s passionate about helping nurses reach their educational and professional goals and understands that students may have many questions about Maryville and the enrollment process.
Frequently Asked Questions About Nursing Programs
At Maryville, we understand that potential nursing students are likely to have plenty of questions. Read on for Chapel’s answers to some frequently asked questions.
What challenges do nursing students face when enrolling, and how can EAs help them overcome those challenges?
Working nurses may have difficult discussions with their employers on flexibility when completing preceptor hours (clinical hours supervised by an experienced nurse instructor). EAs can help brainstorm ideas on where to find sites and tips on how to get preceptors to accept. We can also prepare students to have difficult conversations with employers by identifying how new credentials will better assist the current patient population and build value to the organization.
Funding an education can be scary if a student doesn’t have a plan in place. Whether they rely on federal student aid, a payment plan, or employer reimbursement, our financial aid team ensures each student’s decisions in this area makes sense for them and allows them to focus on succeeding in their program without having to stress about cost.
Can EAs help nursing students find a preceptor?
We expect students to try to identify preceptors to ensure their clinical experience provides them with learning experiences to meet course and learning outcomes. If students are unable to locate or secure a preceptor, Maryville will work with them to identify one. Nevertheless, prospective students should understand that clinical experiences may require extensive travel for available preceptors if none are available locally.
Can students use their employer as a clinical site?
If a student’s place of work meets the qualification for the site — yes, they might be able to. There cannot be a conflict of interest, and we suggest that students not choose a preceptor in the same unit. Students should note that they will have to complete clinical hours outside of work hours. This is done so that we can delineate their professional and student roles in the workplace.
Frequently Asked Questions About Maryville University
Why choose Maryville for nursing? Chapel answers.
What makes Maryville stand out from other schools?
We pay special attention to the support services offered and accommodate real-life situations. Our faculty members bring real-world experience to the classroom so that our graduates can apply their knowledge to the world we live in today.
What are the typical employment and educational backgrounds of nursing students exploring enrollment at Maryville?
Most of our nursing students want to get out of bedside care and do more for their patients. They want more autonomy, prescriptive authority, and the tools to better assist their current patient population.
Why should potential nursing students take the time to talk with an enrollment advisor?
They’ll get information they won’t find online. Maryville EAs take the time to speak with and get to know each potential nursing student and to answer all their questions.
What challenges do nontraditional students face when enrolling?
Taking classes online for the first time and fitting school into busy schedules can be challenging. Maryville’s asynchronous program lets students take control of their education. They don’t have to visit campus, attend live lectures, or lose attendance points when life happens.
How can an EA help adult students overcome these challenges?
EAs have serious discussions on how many hours students will have to set aside for schoolwork each week to be successful. We also guide students on how to identify their learning style to get the most from the hours they devote to school.
How do students contact an EA to start the application process?
Once students begin the free application, they become part of Maryville’s applicant community. They can create a profile and share an up-to-date resume so the enrollment advisors can get to know them. This will help us guide them and identify the next steps in the process toward meeting career goals.
What do you enjoy most about being an enrollment advisor?
I like being able to provide guidance on what is best for the student based not only on their needs but also on their big-picture goals — what’s best for them in the long term versus short term — and how we can provide the steps and support tools to ensure their success.
Start the Enrollment Process Today
Enrollment advisors like Chapel are ready to answer your questions about nursing programs at Maryville University and to guide you through the enrollment process. Our nursing programs can help students gain the education and clinical experience to advance their careers in nursing. Get started at Maryville today.
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