Online Nursing Programs
This page gives you more information about online nursing programs, what is involved in studying online nursing, the colleges where you can study online for nursing qualifications, the jobs for nurses, what the education requirements are, and how much you can expect to earn after completion.
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Nurses are the human face of so much health care - providing direct patient care. They are the first point of contact as regards administration of treatment and conduct of diagnostic tests, and as such, they are incredibly important in the health care profession.
What is studied in online nursing programs?
Nursing education usually includes courses in anatomy, physiology, biological sciences, microbiology, chemistry, nutrition, psychology, sociology, nursing, pharmacology, statistics, environmental and occupational health, and the liberal arts.
But you can't learn everything about being a nurse online. Some programs also include supervised clinical experience in hospitals and other healthcare facilities.
What are the education requirements?
Nurses most commonly enter the occupation by completing an Associate or Bachelor's degree program. Individuals must then complete a national licensing examination (NCLEX-RN) in order to obtain a nursing license. Licensed graduates of these programs then qualify for entry-level nursing positions.
Further training or education online for nursing can qualify you to work in specialty areas, and help advance your career. Many existing licensed registered nurses (RNs) with an Associate degree or diploma take online nursing programs at Bachelor's level, to enable them to assume positions of responsibility in a variety of health care settings. These can be administrative positions in nursing, but could also be other positions in home health, nursing education, or health care case management.
Which schools offer online nursing programs?
To some extent this depends on the level at which you are studying. For example:
- Nursing Informatics Learning Center offers CE courses in Nursing Practice, Nursing Education. Nursing Leadership and Nursing Research;
- South University offers three online programs for nursing professionals: RN to BSN Degree Completion Program; Accelerated RN to MSN Program; Master's of Science in Nursing;
- University of Phoenix offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing for registered nurses and also several Master's programs;
- National American University Online offers an Associate of Science degree in Nursing and an RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program;
- Walden University offers programs at all levels, including online PhD programs in Health Services and in Public Health.
Click on the appropriate link in the navigation bar to find out more about the programs available at the Associate Degree, Bachelor's Degree and Master's Degree levels, together with the conversion programs LPN to BSN and RN to BSN.
What nursing jobs are there for graduates of online nursing programs?
Nursing professionals are always in demand all over the world. Graduates of online nursing programs are found in several major settings, including:
- Hospitals - providing bedside nursing care and administering medical care plans;
- Clinics/Centers/Healthcare Offices - caring for outpatients in doctors' offices, clinics, and emergency medical centers;
- Nursing Homes - caring for residents;
- Schools - providing education programs, health services and ensuring a healthy environment for staff and students;
- Home Care/Hospice - providing nursing services to patients at home;
- Public Health Prevention/Education Programs - providing education and training;
- And there are many other opportunities for nurses.
In many of these settings they assist with examinations; administer injections and medications; dress wounds and in many other ways, administer medical care plans.
Technological advances in patient care are driving growth in the profession. In particular, rapid growth is expected in nurses for hospital outpatient facilities due to the growing trend in discharging patients earlier and performing more procedures as outpatients. Hospital jobs for nurses will not grow as rapidly, but none the less, will grow. The aging population of the country will also lead to the need for more nurses over the next seven years. The U.S. Department of Labor reports that employment of registered nurses up to 2016 is expected to grow over 20%.
How much can graduates of online nursing programs expect to earn?
After taking an online nursing degree, what can you expect to earn? Salaries depend on the role, qualifications and experience. The median expected salary for a typical Staff Nurse - RN it is over $61,000 (from Salary.com).
