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During the 1970's, many colleges and universities in the United States were actually encouraging people to go into a different field other than nursing in that there were no jobs. Today, that is hard to believe as we see the number of nurses needed to fill all the open positions staggering. Nursing jobs are now in abundance with a huge shortage of qualified nurses. The good news is that nursing is one of the strongest career choices a person could make, for both men and women, offering an exciting, self-gratifying, and diverse career.
If you are interested in obtaining your nursing degree but work full-time, have small children at home, or simply feel there is no time to attend school, you might consider earning an online nursing degree. With many excellent programs now available, you could choose the field of interest, along with the level of certification for what you want to achieve. The following are some options when it comes to an online nursing degree that you might consider.
Certified Nursing Assistant (CAN)
This nursing certificate is actually a pre-entry level where you would work for a licensed or registered nurse, or in some cases, a doctor.
Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN)
This entry-level position performs routine care under the supervision of a registered nurse of doctor.
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
This nurse has just enough training to be state licensed and is qualified to provide routine care to patients.
Registered Nurse (RN)
For this nursing position, formal education is required with an Associate's Degree or Bachelor's Degree.
Advanced Practice Nurse
Again, formal education in the form of a Master's Degree is required with a specialty certification such as Nurse Practitioner (NP), Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS), Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), or Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM).
Master's Prepared Nurse (MSN)
For this nursing degree, you would need one or more years of education through a state or private university. As imagined, this degree provides skill in advanced care and qualification to teach.
Doctoral Prepared Nurse (PhD or DNS)
Finally, a nursing degree of this caliber requires three plus years at a doctoral granting institution. In addition to patient care, this nursing program teaches research, theory, and practicing education skills.
The possibilities for online nursing are incredible. With this, you can take classes at home and at the pace which you are comfortable. Just imagine being able to complete your nursing degree via computer while still being able to work and/or care for smaller children. Just remember to take classes through an accredited college or university, one with great teacher-student communication, and a school that focuses on the area of medicine you are most interested.
The University of Phoenix Online started as a traditional university in 1976 and was one of the first to go online in 1989. It is currently the leading online university, with tens of thousands of students from countries around the world. This has made this school one of the most popular of its kind anywhere in the world. Their flexible schedule and commitment to excellence shines through as they churn out more graduates than any other school in their class every year.
One hundred percent online. Lectures and assignments can be downloaded into your home computer through the use of special Internet-access software. There are no live lectures to facilitate comprehensive access for everybody. A forum grants the students the chance to interact with each other and ask questions. A full line of research services and online libraries are available to the student. Contact between instructor/advisor and student are handled through email.
After a one-time application fee of $110, the University of Phoenix works as any other institution, charging students by the credit hour. Currently, prices are $460/$570/$645 for undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral credit hours, respectively.
There are other incidental charges, such as late-payment and graduation-audit fees, and you should ask for a detailed breakdown before enrolling.
Low-cost financing and financial aid is available and you can consult an admissions counselor about eligibility. Payments are broken down as per course rather than per semester, which makes them more affordable and easier to budget for.
According to an article published in The Chronicle of Higher Education, the average Phoenix student is 34 years old and female. The average tuition is just under $30,750 for an undergraduate degree. Sixty six percent of enrolled students earn the degree they signed up for. Fifty percent of students receive some kind of grant or financial aid.
A degree can be completed in as little as two years, but students can take up to five. If credits are transferred into the program at the time of enrolling, time can be considerably reduced. Other way of earning credits is through the College Level Examination Program (CLEP).
All instructors hold a minimum of a master's degree and are successful professionals in their fields. The faculty includes hundreds of CEOs, business owners, executives, and experts in all related disciplines.
Independent study requires discipline and creativity, plus the ability to communicate efficiently. Beyond that, high-quality online universities do not differ much from traditional ones and offer the benefit of flexibility, fundamental to today's busy professionals.
There is one matter that requires some thought. You cannot complete your degree through University of Phoenix online. All of the classroom and book work will be complete, but in order to earn the degree you will need to transfer to a traditional university program for the clinicals which must take place in a medical setting and have you in person and onsite.