One of the most popular forms of online education is found in the nursing field. While many people are interested in a medical profession, one of the most commonly sought degrees in the field is in nursing. Today we’re going over nursing degrees, online courses and what you need to know to start a career in nursing.
Online Degrees in Nursing
The Basics
Many who seek out an online nursing degree do so when looking to change careers. However, there’s nothing wrong with going back to school (or going for the first time) online. Online degrees offer a number of flexible benefits for people looking to squeeze schooling in between full-time work and taking care of family.
For one thing, online degrees often offer more flexible and affordable curriculums. Affordability is an often overlooked but critically important aspect of higher education. Millions of Americans are saddled with tons of student loan debt. The less debt you take on pursuing your degree, the better.
Why Nursing?
Nursing is an incredibly popular field for a number of reasons. Firstly, it’s rewarding, real work that keeps people engaged. You help people in the most direct way: by tending to their health. Working as a nurse can be very rewarding and offers a number of career options. Nearly all forms of medical care have need for nurses to work as support staff for doctors, surgeons and specialists.
Nursing isn’t nearly as specialized or time-consuming to learn as some other medical professions. As such, a larger number of people find nursing an appealing career option. A nurse need not attend medical school for six years the way certain medical professions require. This makes it more likely to appeal to the schedule and budget of the average working American as a degree choice!
Online Degrees
Seeking out an online degree can be a very flexible process for busy adults. While nursing degrees are traditional four-year degrees at accredited universities, many offer programs that allow you to squeeze in those credit hours in a shorter amount of time.
For instance, if you’re dedicated and take on a large course load, you could likely complete a full nursing degree in two years. Even working at a fast but measured pace could see sufficiently talented students acquire a nursing degree in three years.
However, keep in mind that it can be very difficult to take on such massive amounts of classwork while also juggling your full-time responsibilities. If you have a full-time job or children, consider taking a nursing degree at your own pace.
Careers in Nursing
Another big reason why nursing remains an enduringly popular online degree is the wide field of careers such degrees open up. Nurses are needed in nearly all forms of doctor’s office and medical field. Pediatricians, general physicians, surgical wards, specialized clinics and everything in between has need for nursing support staff.
In short, if you acquire a degree in nursing, you’ll likely encounter no difficulty in finding steady work. Beyond the steadiness, nursing work is engaging: you’ll likely be performing a vast array of tasks, varying in activities and keeping you on your toes.
Average Pay
On average, nurses can expect to make around $70,000 per year, depending on their field. Keep in mind, however, that number could vary widely depending on a number of factors. For instance, amount of experience, field of expertise, location and qualifications can all be massive determining factors in salary.
Nurses can expect to find full-time work more readily than some fields, as well. Such full-time work is likely to include benefits from vacation time, PTO, medical insurance and dental coverage and likely other benefits that vary from employer to employer.