According to the U.S. Bureau of Health Professions, the United States will need more than 1.7 million nurses by the year 2020 and just 635,000 are expected to be available. The National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses found that there is currently a shortage of registered nurses. Nursing is a growing career and online nursing programs make it easier than ever to get the necessary training.

Early Show contributor Rachel Lewis found that more than seventy-five percent of colleges now offer online degree programs. Nursing programs requires students to learn from educational materials as well as through training in the field. The non-clinical part of the nursing course is taken online. Since it would be impossible to complete the clinical requirements over the Internet, clinical training is generally held at a medical facility close to the student's residence.

Nurses are licensed through the Board of Nursing in the state where they live. Each state determines the requirements for nurses to practice within that state. The criteria the boards use is based on the Model Nursing Practice Act, the Uniform Core Licensure Requirements and the Model Nursing Administrative Rules created by the NCSNB (National Council of State Nursing Boards). Nurses must renew their licenses periodically and continuing education is required in some states for renewal. Nursing schools online make it easier for busy, working nurses to fulfill continuing education requirements.

There are a few different types of nursing degrees to choose from including Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Registered Nurse (RN) and Advanced Practice Nurse (APN). An APN can specialize as a nurse practitioner (NP), certified nurse specialist (CNS), certified registered nurse anesthesiologist (CRNA) or certified nurse midwife. Students attending traditional schools would take eighteen to twenty-four months study to complete the LPN program, two to four years study to complete the RN program and a doctorate degree with additional certifications (possible six to eight years of study) to complete the APN program.

Online nursing schools offers students some flexibility regarding course completion time. Online courses usually take six to eight weeks to complete. Some schools requires students to follow a traditional calendar, while others allow students to accelerate or slow their pace according to their personal preference.

Nurses can work in many environments, such as hospitals, clinics, private practices, schools and health facilities, to name just a few. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that the average income for a registered nurse as of 2005 was nearly $57,000. Online nursing programs offer students the opportunity to study for one of the most rapidly growing professions in the United States today.

SUMMARY: Online nursing schools offers students some flexibility regarding course completion time. Nurses can work in many environments, such as hospitals, clinics, private practices, schools and health facilities, to name just a few. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that the average income for a registered nurse as of 2005 was nearly $57,000. Online nursing programs offer students the opportunity to study for one of the most rapidly growing professions in the United States today.