The demand for nurses in the US today is higher than ever before. As a result, more and more nursing education programs have become available in an attempt to remove some of the barriers that people face when getting into nursing and encourage more people to pursue this career. Whether you’re a high school graduate looking for a career option that allows you to help others or are considering a career change into a line of work that offers a lot of reward and satisfaction, online nursing programs have become increasingly popular over the past few years as a top way to get into nursing. Although online nursing students will still have to attend clinical placements in-person, the lectures and other classroom-based work can be done online, often in a very flexible way that allows you to manage your own time and make the program work for you. Here are some of the top reasons why online education is a top choice for aspiring nurses today.
Programs Available:
Online study has gone from a last-resort option that was often met with skepticism to a top choice for many students in the past few years. As a result, there is a huge range of nursing programs to choose from if you are considering studying online. By deciding to pursue online study, you will not only have a much greater range of programs to choose from, but you are also free to choose a wider range of schools to attend, such as Marymount University, since there are no locational barriers stopping you from enrolling in a school that you would not have been able to attend in person. As long as you will be able to easily complete any clinical placements that are required as part of the degree, you can easily apply to the best programs from schools that are across the country.
Save Money:
One of the most attractive reasons to study online is the cost savings. With student debt on the rise and tuition fees higher than ever before, it is no surprise that an increasing number of nursing students are looking for new ways to spend less while getting into their career. And while there might not be a lot of difference between the tuition costs of a standard and online degree, the additional expenses of going to college is where you are going to save a lot. When studying online, you don’t have to worry about moving to a new location, the cost of commuting to classes, or even those little costs that will add up every day like parking on campus or buying yourself lunch from the campus café.
More Flexibility:
Flexibility is something that many of us prioritize today. Most student nurses are looking for a study option that they can fit around their life and commitments, rather than having to adjust their life to fit around the degree. And, online study is the main way to achieve this, offering flexibility, and many self-led programs where you are in charge of the times that you work and how long for. While there’ll always be deadlines to meet and placements that you’ll need to ensure you are able to attend, for the most part, you are trusted to do the online work in your own time. This can make it much easier if you are planning to continue working while studying, for example, or if you are a parent and want a nursing degree option that you can fit around your family life.
Learn New Skills:
While going to nursing school is always a time to dedicate to learning new skills and improving your career, studying online to become a nurse can help you learn even further skills that are a result of this self-led style of learning where you are in charge. Unlike taking the traditional route of going to nursing school, many online nursing degrees put you in charge of your education, which can significantly help you develop certain skills that will help you in your future nursing career such as research skills, self-studying skills, and the ability to motivate yourself, manage your time, and organize your day without a set timetable to stick to.
Reduce Stress:
Getting any degree can be stressful and studying to become a nurse can be a highly stressful endeavor if you are juggling working, raising a family, and other commitments. Trying to get a nursing degree when you have a whole lot of other things to do can be a lot of hard work, which can be made even more difficult if you have to shift your timetable to suit the lecture times given to you by the nursing school with little flexibility. On the other hand, studying for your nursing degree online means that you are put in much more control. Since you can easily choose when you want to study based on your commitments, and there is no need for you to travel to another location to attend lectures and classes, an online nursing degree can often be a way to get these qualifications with as little stress and hassle as possible.
Qualify Faster:
Last but not least, studying online means that you have more options available to you that will enable you to qualify as a nurse faster should you wish to do so. Some online nursing degrees allow for more working at your own pace compared to others, and these might be an ideal choice if you want to save time and get into this high-demand, thriving career sooner. In addition, if you already have a degree in another subject and want to change your career to nursing, online ABSN degrees are designed to save time and money by building on what you already know and could enable you to qualify as a nurse in half the time it would take for you to get a standard BSN qualification.
If you are thinking about the idea of going into a career in nursing, studying online has many benefits that could make getting into this rewarding career easier.
