Considering the responsibilities, the long hours and the relatively low pay, it is amazing that anyone would wish to become a registered nurse – not to mention the educational expense. Fortunately, there are those who are selfless enough to appreciate the fact that the rewards associated with healthcare careers are not necessarily monetary ones, but who choose to serve for the greater good of society.

The bad news is that because of the stranglehold large pharmaceutical corporations and private, for-profit insurers have on what passes for a health care system in the U.S. and their corresponding interest in minimizing and externalizing costs while maximizing and internalizing profits at the expense of public health, traditional nursing schools have become very difficult to get into – and quite expensive to attend - despite the fact that there is a severe shortage of nurses in the U.S.

The good news is that online nursing schools offer an alternative that is both more accessible and more economical. Although there are clinical and lab components to all nurse training programs that must be completed at a real-world facility, most basic course-work can be completed at home over the Internet.

These basic courses include Introduction to Professional Nursing, Nursing Management, Health Policy Issues, Nursing Administration, Health and Disease Management, Research Methods, Nursing Theory, and more. Many online nursing schools have no residency requirement whatsoever. Additionally, some of these courses are self-paced, allowing the student to deal with other work and family responsibilities during his/her nurse training.

At this point, you may be thinking that this is all very well and good, but what about lab work requirements and clinical experience? You are correct if you think that no online school will allow students to complete this part of online nursing degrees over the Internet. What most schools do is arrange for the student to fulfill clinical requirements at a medical facility near their place of residence, once basic coursework has been completed.

Currently, online nursing programs offered through public universities cost between $110 and $170 per credit hour; depending on the school’s academic calendar, this could be anywhere from 60 to 90 credits. As an online student, you usually won’t be charged out-of-state fees and tuition, however.

One way to cut costs further is to consider taking credit for basic prerequisites by examination. Most nursing programs require that the candidate has taken course in basic biology, chemistry and mathematics; the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) enables students to earn credits in these subjects for 10% of what it would cost to take the full course. If you have experience and/or knowledge and skills in these areas, CLEP tests are definitely worth looking into.