If you're tired of all the waiting for a spot in traditional nursing programs, then online programs for nurses are a feasible, and currently a very popular, option. But wait just yet. Online nursing degrees aren't without their share of issues which you should be fully aware of. Read on to find out what these are.
Online nursing degrees are growing in popularity as more people rush to enter the lucrative,
highly in-demand field of nursing.
Some of the main benefits of an online degree include being able to take classes at whatever time fits your schedule best, being able to hold a full-time job while studying for that degree. You can bring your laptop with you and study and send in homework assignments while you are on the bus or subway, at the beach, or at the coffee shop. You don't have to spend time and gasoline driving to a college campus, looking for parking, walking half a mile to your building, walking back....
However, online nursing degrees do have their limitations.
For a start, you'd need to have a prior health care degree or certificate to qualify for online nursing studies. Yes, there is currently an online program that caters to students without any health care experience, but this school -- the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh -- is an exception rather than the rule. In this university, they accept only a limited number of students per program run. What they require is that the student must have a previous bachelor's degree, and completed the required science courses plus other prerequisites. Only then will you be qualified for an accelerated second bachelor's degree. While this is an online program, it would be difficult if you don't live in the area as you are required to go to the Oshkosh campus several times; plus, the clinicals needed for the program are not offered in every state.
What is much more common are programs that allow an LPN or a paramedic to take a "bridge" program which allows the LPN to complete their associate degree and become a registered nurse. Some of the more popular online nursing schools are the Chamberlain College of Nursing, the Excelsior College, and other nursing schools as well.
Once you have your associate's degree in hand, you can opt to proceed to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, which may also be taken online. A BSN degree may open more career advancement opportunities for you such as supervisory or managerial positions, and therefore, higher income.
Online programs for masteral degrees in nursing are offered as well. Also, you can take many of your prerequisites online - English, psychology, nutrition, etc. You need to have those completed before you are accepted into an LPN to RN bridge program.
For additional resources and links to a bunch of great online nursing degree programs, visit: http://nursingschoolprograms.com/online-nursing-degree-programs
One last, important reminder: Online nursing programs are not admissible in all states. For instance, in the state of Florida, Excelsior College's Paramedic to RN program is not accredited so if you earned your degree via this program, you won't be able eligible to take the NCLEX-RN exam in Florida. So if you want to make sure that you don't waste time and money taking an online nursing program that's not accredited for the NCLEX-RN licensure exam, you should definitely check the accepted online nursing schools with your State Board of Nursing first.
