Whether you\u2019re looking for a new career or just starting out with your career plans while you approach your high school graduation, nursing is a great career to consider. Online nursing degrees are now available at every level and in a range of different forms that are definitely worth exploring if you feel that nursing is your calling.<\/p>\n
Whether you want to go straight into nursing school after graduating from high school and cannot imagine yourself working in any other career or have been working in a different career for some time and have realized that nursing is what you really want to do with your life, there are lots of options available for you to choose from when it comes to studying for your nursing degree online.<\/p>\n
Once the exception that was only available for certain students without very many options available, online nursing degree programs have become much more widely available and mainstream and are available to almost anybody who wants to become a nurse or change their career to nursing.<\/p>\n
With so many different options to choose from, picking the right online nursing degree for you is not always the easiest of tasks. There are many different factors that you should keep in mind when you choose the right nursing degree program, including the school that provides it, how the learning materials will be delivered, and which healthcare organizations they work with for getting on-the-job experience.<\/p>\n
More and more students are turning to online degree programs in every area, including nursing.<\/p>\n
With student debt at an all-time high, and tuition fees on the rise, many students find that choosing online study is one way to reduce the overall cost of getting a degree along with often enjoying more freedom and flexibility as these students do not have to attend classes on campus at certain times and are able to have more control over their own study schedule.<\/p>\n
Some of the main reasons to consider studying for an online nursing degree compared to studying on-campus include:<\/p>\n
Depending on the type of nursing degree program that you take, you will usually have more flexibility in comparison to studying on campus in the traditional manner.<\/p>\n
Many online degree programs offer students the chance to put together their own study schedule based on what works best for them which can make it easier to fit an intense study program around your life.<\/p>\n
Some nursing degree programs offer students enough flexibility to continue working while studying while others are more intense. Regardless of the exact flexibility of the program, the ability to study from home can make a lot of difference.<\/p>\n
If you are already working in healthcare and want to become a nurse, then studying for a nursing degree online might be the best way to get more support from your employer.<\/p>\n
With the demand for nurses higher than ever due to a shortage of these healthcare professionals, it\u2019s no surprise that an increasing number of employers are eager to help their healthcare staff train in nursing.
\nOnline nursing degree programs are generally more supported by employers since they offer more flexibility.<\/p>\n
One of the main reasons why more and more people who are interested in getting a nursing qualification are choosing to study online is that it can be cheaper overall.<\/p>\n
While you shouldn\u2019t get too excited about saving on tuition as the fees are relatively the same in comparison with studying on-campus, there can be significant cost savings in other areas.<\/p>\n
For example, since you can study at home, you do not have to commute to campus on a daily basis, which can add up a lot over the course of four years if you choose to get a BSN online.<\/p>\n
While it may not be quite as easy to meet others face to face when studying for your nursing degree online, there are still lots of options for you to take advantage of when it comes to building your professional network as an aspiring nurse.<\/p>\n
In fact, getting your nursing degree online can often be an even better way to build a bigger network since it will give you the chance to get to know people from all over the country who may have not been there if you were studying on-campus.<\/p>\n
When studying for your nursing degree online, there are various different options that you can use to get to know and network with your peers including forums, online chat rooms, social media, texting groups and more.<\/p>\n
Choosing the right nursing degree for you to take will depend on a number of different factors. You will need to think about your current career, especially if you are already working in healthcare or nursing right now since there might be other degree programs that are designed specifically for healthcare professionals to progress.<\/p>\n
If you are already working in a professional career and have a degree in a non-nursing subject, there are other degree programs that you might be able to get compared to somebody with no prior experience of studying at degree level.<\/p>\n
The main nursing degree programs that you will usually be able to find available to study online include:<\/p>\n
The associate degree is a program with the lowest barrier to entry into nursing. It\u2019s also shorter than a BSN and can get you into nursing faster.<\/p>\n
However, the downside of this degree program<\/a> is that you may find it harder to find work with more employers looking to take on a higher number of BSN-educated nurses due to studies finding that they lead to better patient outcomes. Along with this, an ADN will not usually be enough to get you into advanced nursing degree programs in the future if you wish to progress in your career.<\/p>\n To get onto programs like the MSN or DNP, you will usually be required to have a minimum of a BSN, which may be worth considering if you see yourself working in an advanced nursing position in the future such as a nurse leader or family nurse practitioner.<\/p>\n The BSN is the best nursing degree to choose if you want to get into a new career as a nurse. Unlike the ADN, you won\u2019t be held back from progression in the future as you will immediately be qualified to study for advanced degree programs once you have graduated with a BSN.<\/p>\n Finding work as a BSN-qualified nurse will also likely be easier for you, since more and more employers are actively looking to hire more BSN nurses. This is due to the result of research that has found just 10% more BSN-educated nurses in the healthcare workplace has a very positive impact on patient outcomes including rehospitalization rates, the rate of infections in hospital and even the patient mortality rate.<\/p>\n Along with this, it is worth bearing in mind that as the research begins to show more favor to the BSN, it\u2019s likely that this may become the minimum requirement to get into nursing in the future.<\/p>\n This is already the situation in New York State where nurses are currently unable to work until they have earned a BSN under the new \u2018BSN in 10\u2019regulations, which state that all registered nurses should have a BSN within ten years of starting their career.<\/p>\nBachelor of Science in Nursing<\/h3>\n
Accelerated BSN<\/h3>\n