Nursing Degrees, Schools & Resources Online

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General Information About Nursing Degree Programs

Students interested in the nursing profession usually start by entering nursing school and earning a resident nursing degree by completing the program requirements, which usually takes about three years. Students may also choose to try to earn an Associate of Nursing Science degree in two or three years. The nursing diploma certifies students for entry-level positions as an RN, but those who want a more complete nursing career will have to undergo additional study for their bachelor's degree.

Nursing Degree Study Options

Students who are already RNs can attend a college that offers the Bachelor of Science in Nursing. The BSN can be earned in four years or less and enable nurses to pursue higher-level nursing positions, including those in management.

Advanced Nursing Degrees

Most nurses typically complete their education at the BSN level; however, students who wish additional training can enroll in a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program. These programs take up to two years and will enable the nurse to specialize in a specific field of nursing, such as mental health nursing, health care administration or surgical nursing.

Master Of Science In Nursing Degree

The MSN is a typical two-years master's program for nursing. Typically, nurses who have earned a BSN from an accredited college or university can enter an MSN program directly in order to master a nursing specialty. However, some students may opt for a direct RN to MSN program, which puts the BSN and MSN requirements into one full program that usually takes about five years to complete. Students with RN certification and bachelor's degree in another discipline may also move directly into an MSN program.

Further Education In Nursing

Students at any level of nursing, RN and beyond, can enhance their knowledge base with continuing education courses, and in fact, some of these courses may be required for certain nursing positions. Continuing education courses may be found online and in some cases may be taken online as well.

Choosing A Degree In Nursing

Students interested in health care may want to work towards a career in nursing. Nurses are often in short supply, so a qualified nurse will often have a good variety of career options. Nurses tend to be more involved with direct patient care than doctors are, and this can have an appeal to some individuals who choose nursing school over medical school.

Career Opportunities In Nursing

There are a tremendous number of nursing specializations available to those with a degree in nursing. Which careers are realistic options for an individual depends on their nursing experience and their level of nursing education. Some nursing career paths include: clinical nurse specialist, cardiac nurse, hospice nurse, critical care nurse, pediatric nurse and school nurse.

Earning Potential For Nursing Careers

Nursing is expected to experience much more career growth on average over the next decade than most other industries. A home health aide in 2006 made an average of $9.34 an hour, psychiatric aides made $11.49 per hour on average. The median hourly wage of orderlies, nursing aides and attendants in 2006 was $10.67.

Getting Your Nursing Degree Online

Online nursing degrees are the perfect option for resident nurses looking to increase their level of nursing education and career options. Students can continue their nursing duties during the day while continuing their education online at an accredited distance learning university at night, between shifts, or whenever it is convenient. Students have online degree options for bachelors of science in nursing as well as masters of science in nursing degrees.

Getting Your Nursing Degree Offline

Registered nurses who are interested in moving forward in their nursing career may wish to attend a traditional brick and mortar college or university to further their nursing education. A live college or university will give the student the best opportunities to practice hands on nursing techniques and research and will allow the student to interact with other nurses directly who may have more or different expertise than their own. Students who have earned a bachelor's degree at an offline university in a field other than nursing may still be able to attend a top offline graduate program in nursing if they show themselves to be sufficiently qualified to take on the requirements.

Those who are currently working Registered Nurses may have to take some time off in order to meet the time demands brought on by taking a full course load at a traditional university. Alternatively, they may choose to work part time or to build their nursing schedule around their college courses. Students should be aware that while the benefits are great, the challenges of working as a nurse while attending a brick-and-mortar college or university are great as well.

Online Nursing Degree FAQs

What Kind of Online Nursing Programs are Available?

There are many online programs available that focus on providing an education in the nursing field. Some possibilities include licensed practical or vocational nurse, nurse practitioner, nursing assistant, associate's in nursing, bachelor's in nursing and master's in nursing.

What Is the Role of a Nurse in a Hospital Setting?

Nurses are responsible for administering medicine, wound care and emotional support to those who need it. These hardworking individuals are usually the most familiar with patients as they are constantly monitoring their health and vital signs. Nurses are also responsible for instructing patients and family members how to care for themselves once they leave the hospital.

How Do I Become a Nurse?

There is a wide range of possibilities for employment, such as working in a private doctor's office, a health clinic, nursing home or for a company that provides at-home nursing services.

Does Distance Learning Programs in Nursing Provide Quality Education?

The same individuals who design their college-based counterparts design many distance learning nursing programs. This means that the quality of the education is virtually the same for online and traditional programs. The certification or nursing degree you earn online will be just as recognized as the one awarded to someone who attended a campus-based program.

How Salary Do Nurses Earn?

The income for nursing graduates can vary depending on a number of factors including experience, location and the type of nurse you are. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor, the lowest ten percent earned around $40,000 while the top ten percent earn double that amount. The median income for the nursing profession is around $60,000 annually.

Internet Guides

  • Cybernurse.com
    Links compiled by the health sciences libraries of the Greater Midwest Region (GMR) of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM) and those of the Committee for Institutional Cooperation.
  • Allnurses.com
    Includes links to associations, nursing schools, boards of nursing, nursing employment, nursing literature and more.
  • Nursing World
  • Midwifery Today
  • Nursing Time

Nursing Books

Nurses need books with detailed equipment regarding pharmaceutical products, established and modern nursing techniques, and other technical nursing information. One good source of nursing books is Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins (LWW.com). A search for nursing will yield a wide range of nursing texts, including '2008 Lippincott's Nursing Drug Guide', 'An Introduction to Theory and Reasoning in Nursing' by Betty M. Johnson and Pamela B. Weber and 'Basic Statistics for Nursing and Health Professions' by Stacey B Plichta.

Nursing Articles And Databases

You can find articles for your nursing research at your school's library or at sites like NursingCenter.com, which has links to journal articles, e-newsletters and other clinical resources for those in the nursing profession or who are pursuing a career in nursing. American Nurses Association provides the national nurses database.

Recent nursing articles

Online Nursing Journals

Lippincott as well as NurcingCenter.com is also a good source for nursing journals. Go online to LWW.com to find out how to get The American Journal of Nursing, Advances in Nursing Science, Advanced Emergency Nursing Journal and others.

Nursing Ethics

Nursing Specialties

History of Nursing

American Association for the History of Nursing (AAHN)
This excellent organization provides great links on their Internet Resources page. Other noteworthy offerings include a Nursing History Primer, Bibliography for Historical Methodology, and Resources for Nursing History section that includes recent publications.

Bonnie and Vern Bullough History of Nursing Collection
Established by Bonnie Bullough, former Dean of the School of Nursing, University at Buffalo, and Vern Bullough, retired SUNY Distinguished Professor of History, SUNY College at Buffalo, 1990.

Center for the Study of Nursing History, University of Pennsylvania
The Center was established in 1985 to encourage and facilitate historical scholarship on health care history and nursing in the United States. Excellent.

Collection of Letters Written by Florence Nightingale
A selected collection of letters, with beautiful images, written by Florence Nightingale. Both alphabetical and chronological listings are available courtesy of the Clendening History of Medicine Library, University of Kansas Medical Center.

Country Joe McDonald's Tribute to Florence Nightingale
Provides an excellent time line of Nightingale’s life, many of her provocative and pithy quotes, and superb graphic images.

Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center at Boston University - The History of Nursing Archives

National League for Nursing History Timeline

Virginia Commonwealth University - History of Nursing Resources

Multimedia

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Nursing 226 lecture on cardio/resp assessment

Nursing Assessment

VVC Nursing Assessment

Respiratory / Physical Assessment

Assessment technics

Intubation

How to perform endotracheal intubation #1

 

Other Nursing Research Tools

In addition to providing links to nursing articles, NursingCenter.com is a full service resource for those looking to progress in the nursing profession. They have links to drug updates, the 'CE Connection' for continuing education ideas in nursing, a career center, links to free nursing videos and a highlight box with the most relevant, up-to-date nursing research and information they have available each day.

Research

Professional Organizations

Nursing Resources

The Student Center >College & Universities > Online Programs
- MCAT Prep Resources
All Nurses.com
-A Nursing Community for Nurses
All Nursing Schools
-A Complete Directory of U.S. Nursing Programs

Related Nursing Information