Getting a Nursing Degree Online
Why Study Nursing Online?
The baby boomer generation is retiring, putting additional strain on the health care system every year. Couple this fact with a growing shortage of nurses countrywide and you have a recipe for skyrocketing demand. And where there’s rising demand, there’s going to be rising prices, which in this instance, is in the form of higher wages for nurses.
By studying nursing online, you can earn a higher salary, while also having a more flexible work schedule. Furthermore, as the boomers continue to retire and you gain work experience, your salary has potential to increase year over year.
Top Online Nursing Colleges
University of Phoenix – Certificates, Associates, Bachelor’s, Master’s, & Doctoral Degrees. University of Phoenix offers a flexible high quality learning environment. Helping working individuals better their careers, while learning at their own pace is their focus.
Kaplan University – Certificates, Associates, Bachelor’s, Master’s Degrees. Kaplan, A leading name in education, has a wide array of continuing education opportunities. A well rounded choice for nurse training.
Grand Canyon University – Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees. One of the most popular and fastest growing Christian-based colleges. In addition to campus based educational opportunities, Grand Canyon University also offers online education opportunities.
Walden University – Master’s and Doctoral Degrees. Specializing in post-graduate learning, Walden offers various Master’s level education programs.
Directory of Online Nursing Education Programs
Online Nursing Schools
University of Phoenix Online / Kaplan University / Grand Canyon University / more…
Online Nursing Degree Levels
Bachelor’s Degrees / Certificates / Master’s Degrees
Nursing Careers
Behavioral Health / Burn Care Nurse / Cardiac / Case Management / Cath Lab / Charge Nurse / Clinical Specialist / Community Health / Complimentary Health / Correctional / Critical Care / Developmental Disabilities / Dialysis / Drug Safety Nurse / Emergency / Environmental Health / Forensic / Genetic / GI Endoscopy / Hematology / HIV / AIDS / Home Health / Hospice / Infectious Disease / Informatics / Intravenous Therapy / Legal / Maternal / Medical Surgical / Military / Neonatal
Customize Your Nursing Future
There are various roads you can take when entering the nursing profession. Your personal preferences dictate the options that are right for you. If you want to work with kids, maybe training for pediatrics makes sense. If you are looking for a challenge every single day, you may want to look into courses for cancer nursing.
Selecting a Nursing Specialty: By Age, Condition, or Setting
The most common way to choose a specialty is by medical condition. There is likely a degree specifically for the disorder you would like to work with. Some of the most common medical conditions and disorders include:
- Oncology/Cancer
- Orthopedic
- Neuroscience
- Gastrointestinal
- Ob-Gyn
- Labor and Delivery
- Cardiac
- Respiratory
- Pain
Work setting is important to your future career as a nurse. Every setting is different, with its own bundle of pro’s and con’s. As you begin to define your own career objectives, keep your personality in mind when choosing a work setting. The most popular settings include:
- Private Practice
- Correctional Facilities/ Prison
- Ambulatory Clinic
- Mental Health/Psychiatric Facility
- Long Term Care Facility
- Home Health
- Hospital
- Diagnostic Laboratory
- Research Clinic
- Education/Administration
Patient age brackets can also come into play when you are choosing your nursing specialty. Who are you more comfortable working with, children or retirees? Or maybe somewhere in between?
Answering these questions will point you towards the nursing degree that is right for you. Some common age brackets you can work with include:
- Neonatal
- Pediatrics
- Adolescents
- Adults
- Geriatric
Explore Nursing Degree Levels
The nursing specialization chosen will dictate the type of degree you must pursue. Generally speaking, nurses have six different degree options to choose from:
- Certificate/diploma (1 year program)
- Associates degree in nursing (2 year program)
- Bachelors of science in nursing (4 year program)
- Masters of Science in nursing (5 year program)
- Ph.D. in nursing (5+ year program)
The diploma programs are usually for preparing students for the Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) exam. As you move up the scale to the two year programs and beyond, graduates are usually prepared to take the Registered Nurse exam. For those that reach the upper echelons of the profession (Masters and Ph.D.), the title of Advanced Practice Nurse can be earned.
On Site Learning Options for Nursing
Community College
- Most popular for nurses wishing to acquire an associates degree
- Regional facilities
- Generally inexpensive
- Real world focused curriculum
- Offer option of transferring earned credits toward the acquisition of a Bachelors of Science in nursing.
Private College/University
- Curriculum divided between classroom theory and clinical work
- Offer Bachelors of Science in nursing
- More career options after earning your degree
- Tend to be more expensive
- More reputable with entering the work force
- Advanced degrees (Masters and Ph.D.) available after successful completion of Bachelors program
Fine Tuning and Maintaining Your Nursing Career
Nursing is a rewarding job, but it can be stressful. If you don’t take care of yourself it’s easy to burn out. So make sure to socialize with other nurses via professional associations, and take regular vacations. Furthermore, leave work at work and enjoy yourself when you go home. You have one of the most important jobs in the country, so you deserve some lighthearted free time.
To make sure your career continues to grow, keep on top of continuing education opportunities, get new certifications when the time affords (many employers will pick up the tab for their employees) and keep current with the latest techniques in the field. All of these things will lead to higher salary and increased recognition from your peers.
