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.