These days, it’s no secret professional nurses are in high demand. Due to the rapidly expanding healthcare industry and nationwide nursing shortage, it’s estimated the nursing field will grow more than 27% by 2014. In fact, registered nurse is the healthcare career in highest demand, currently accounting for 2.4 million jobs, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Many nurses would like to pursue higher education, but don’t have the time or resources to stop working full time. However, a new online solution is increasingly gaining in popularity and many more nurses are finding online education helps meet their professional development needs.
Online nursing programs: The basics
There are recognized online options for associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degrees. Accreditation varies from school to school and state to state, and every online nursing program must be licensed and/or approved in the respective state of operation to be valid.
Take note that not all schools are accredited and should be thoroughly checked out before enrollment. When choosing an online nursing school and program, be sure it is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC).
Is online education really legitimate?
When searching for online nursing programs, you may have noticed there are certain on-site stipulations that go along with the online curriculum. This is because licensing boards still require a specific number of hours of live, hands-on, supervised patient care even if you have previously graduated from nursing school and are now looking to advance your degree.
To meet licensing requirements, many accredited nursing programs allow the hands-on patient care part of the courses to be completed under the supervision of qualified nurse educators. For current nursing professionals wishing to expand upon their education, hands-on supervised patient care can be arranged in several ways, including having your direct nursing supervisor or your facility’s staff development department sign off on the supervision.
Let’s talk money
Affording an education is an important issue for almost everyone. Although tuition varies widely by school and degree program, students should expect to pay anywhere from $100 to $300 dollars per credit, with average tuition for online programs sponsored by public universities generally falling in the $110-170 per credit range. Additional registration or enrollment fees may also be charged. One distinct advantage of taking classes online is that out-of-state tuition is not typically charged.
Just like traditional education, financial aid is also available for online nursing education. Schools offer tuition assistance programs, and the government offers assistance in the forms of loans and grants.
Beyond these options, several nursing scholarships are available. A few examples are listed below:
Leave a Comment