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7 Reasons to Consider an Online Nursing Degree

Posted on April 30, 2021 by Allen Brown

The demand for good nurses is higher than ever before, with the US currently facing a nursing shortage that is affecting patients in every state. As a result of the growing demand for nurses, there has been an increase in the number of training programs and nursing degrees that are available. There are now more ways to become a nurse than ever before and aspiring nurses can choose from a range of online programs that are designed to allow them to get their BSN qualification with additional flexibility that makes it possible for them to fit studying around their current commitments such as work, family and more. 

If you are thinking of entering the nursing profession, here are some of the main reasons why getting an online nursing degree could be the perfect option for you. 

Degree Programs Available

When it comes to deciding how you want to get into nursing, there are various degree programs available to choose from online. The COVID19 pandemic has led to more online degree programs than ever before and while nurses and student nurses are vital to patient care during this crisis, many of the degree programs that would usually hold lessons and lectures on campus have moved online to improve student health and safety wherever possible. Bachelor’s degrees in nursing are available online along with accelerated degree programs for those who already hold a degree in a different subject and a range of advanced nursing master’s degrees, doctorates and nurse practitioner programs to choose from once you get your BSN. Click here to find out more.

Save Money

Going to college and obtaining a degree in any subject is certainly not cheap, and nursing is no different. If you want to become a nurse but are looking to do it on a budget and want to keep your costs as low as possible, online learning could be the ideal option for you. Although tuition fees are typically around the same for online learning as you would usually expect to pay for a campus-based degree program, studying online provides you with ample opportunities to save money on many of the other costs that are associated with going to college like commuting to class or relocating to live closer to your nursing school, which are no longer necessary when you are able to study from home. 

More Flexibility

If you are currently working full time and want to change your career to become a nurse, the idea of studying to make it happen can seem quite daunting. Today, most people are not in a position where they are able to give up working for four years so that they can get a BSN and working part-time might not be sustainable for many students who are returning to college to switch their career to nursing later in life. Online nursing degrees are available in formats that are completely flexible and controlled by you, allowing you to decide the best time of day and day of the week for you to study based on your job and other commitments. As a result, there is no need to consider giving up your job or abandoning your dreams of becoming a nurse if you can’t work part-time while you study; you can simply fit your learning around your full-time job

Lower Stress

Nursing is not always an easy degree program to take on, especially if you are studying alongside working and other commitments. With an online degree, nursing students are typically less stressed due to the additional control that they have over their studies. There’s no need to worry about arranging a different work shift because you have a lecture to attend at 9am – you get to decide when your best study times are based on your schedule, which can make the workload much easier for you to manage. 

Meet New People

Contrary to popular belief, online learning is not all about sitting at home studying on your own. While there might not always be the same types of opportunities available for student nurses to socialize with their peers in person as they would in a traditional classroom setting, there are still plenty of ways that you can meet new people and get to know your fellow students. Many online degree programs offer chat rooms and groups where you can talk with the other students on your program and some will arrange regular meet-up events in different areas around the country to give everybody a chance to attend. With online learning becoming more and more popular, there’s a chance that you’re going to find people from your area who are enrolled in the same program. 

Develop Your Skills

Studying for an online nursing degree doesn’t just give you the chance to develop the skills that you are going to need to succeed as a nurse, but it is also an opportunity to boost a wide range of transferable skills that are necessary in this career such as communication, organization, and time management. Studying online makes you responsible for managing your time, planning your schedule, and prioritizing your studies and commitments – practice that will come in handy when you are doing this on a daily basis with your work as a nurse. 

Career Options

Finally, an online BSN carries the same weight as a BSN gained in a traditional classroom setting, giving you the opportunity to enjoy all the career options that are available to nurses. Once you have gained a BSN, there are tons of different opportunities available to you whether you are looking to specialize in a certain area of nursing, get into nursing education, or continue providing patients with the best care as a family nurse practitioner. Once you have qualified as a registered nurse with a BSN, there’s an endless list of options when it comes to where the degree could take you. 

Are you looking for a career change? If you want to work in a field where you can care for others and make a real difference, an online nursing degree could be the right option for you.

 




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