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Nurse Your Ambitions by Earning Your Degree OnlineBy No AuthorLearning & Life Columnist
A severe nursing shortage has created a demand for qualified nurses at all levels across the United States. Among other causes, the shortage can be traced to an aging workforce, an aging U.S. population, and recent declines in nursing school enrollments.
If you're considering going into nursing - or if you're already a licensed nurse interested in career advancement - the world needs you more than ever. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (Occupational Outlook Quarterly, Winter 2003-2004), the job outlook for nurses is rosy:
However, there's one significant barrier to solving the nursing shortage and recruiting new candidates to the profession: a perceived lack of access to nursing education. Too Far from College?You may live a long way from a college campus. You may have job and family responsibilities that rule out full-time, on-campus education. Perhaps the whole idea of going back to school is simply too daunting to think about. These obstacles might have blocked your access to high-quality nursing education in the past, but today's technology puts an online nursing degree - undergraduate or graduate - well within your reach.The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) concludes that distance education not only solves the problem of access, but that it could actually help reverse the nursing shortage itself. A Future in Nursing?If you're considering a future at the heart of health care, or if you're seeking to upgrade your nursing skills and qualifications, an online degree program may be just the ticket to get you to your destination. The 2002-2003 National Council of State Boards of Nursing Distance Learning Survey reports that the following programs are being offered by a majority of survey participants:
Besides providing a strong foundation in the biological, physical, and social sciences, online degree programs aim to develop the nurse's role as caregiver, teacher, and manager of care in hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes, among other settings. Many distance programs are entirely Web-based, utilizing online lectures, streaming audio and video, real-time discussions, electronic libraries, and email for communication between faculty and students. Others conduct classes online, but require one or more on-site visits per semester. Some online programs allow students to pace themselves (asynchronous), while others follow a typical college schedule with set times for classes, discussions, and homework assignments (synchronous). The clinical component, a key aspect of any nurse's training, is also important within distance programs. In fact, according to the Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks (August 2002), you'll receive the same amount of student-nurse-patient interaction and hands-on care experience in an online nursing degree program as you would through the best campus-based nursing schools. Online Value AddedOnline programs aren't just high-tech nursing school wannabes. Distance education gives online learners a leg up in several important ways:As an online learner, you'll gain a level of computer proficiency that will enhance your future career. Telehealth and telenursing are on the rise, making it possible to provide long-distance clinical care, patient and professional education, and health administration. A distance nursing degree will prepare you not just for the present but for the future of the profession. (American Journal of Nursing, July 1999) Becoming a nurse isn't only about mastering a body of knowledge. It also involves professional socialization, a process that involves the learning of socially significant behaviors. Research has shown that students in distance nursing programs had significantly higher scores on two measures of socialization than their on-site counterparts. (Nessler & Hanner, Journal of Nursing Education, October 2001) According to experts across the country, online class discussions are more in-depth than those held in traditional classrooms, as students have time to think through their ideas before communicating them electronically. Distance degree programs give students access to the most up-to-date library resources - all from the comfort and convenience of home. With computer technology, there are virtually no delays in locating journal articles and other critically important research materials. Everybody Wins with Online Nursing ProgramsThanks to computer technology, enrolling in a nursing degree program has never been easier. Says Sally Kuhlenschmidt, a specialist in distance education (Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, August 2002),Formerly isolated students are gaining technological skills that allow them to stay near their families and still meet their need to connect with the world and grow their education. These students' lives are getting easier and richer because of their online connections. By broadening student access to higher education, distance degree programs are helping rural and urban communities attract and retain qualified healthcare workers. Distance education is a growing trend that promises to counter the nursing shortage, invigorate the nursing profession, and provide exciting opportunities for professional advancement to ambitious nurses and would-be-nurses all over the country. If you've felt distanced from opportunity, an online program could put you back in touch with a future in nursing. Schools offering online nursing and/or health care degree programs are:
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