Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Online
Is a Nursing Degree for You?
Nursing degrees prepare students to administer patient care, use critical thinking to make important decisions for patients, and educate patients and the public on health and wellness. When choosing a nursing program, it is best to determine the area of health care about which you are most passionate. Some specialized areas of nursing study include adult practice, cardiology, critical care, emergency/trauma, general medicine, family practice, oncology, occupational medicine, pediatrics, and radiology. To succeed as a nursing student, you must be very people oriented because much of your job will involve communicating with others. Nursing students must also have strong scientific and mathematical competencies.
Advice for Earning Your Nursing Degree Online
An online nursing degree program is a viable alternative to traditional nursing programs. Courses, assignments, exams, and papers are the same regardless of the medium used for the class. The most challenging aspect of online learning is staying motivated to work independently, as online classes do not have the structure of attending class face to face. An important step in choosing an online program is researching the school's accreditation. Employers typically prefer to hire individuals that have graduated from accredited institutions because those schools must adhere to strict standards of education to maintain accreditation.
Required Courses
While the specific institution and degree specification largely determines the classes a nursing student will take, all nursing students will be expected to complete math and science courses. Students entering a bachelor's degree program in nursing can expect to take anatomy, biology, chemistry, physiology, nutrition, statistics, and calculus. Many schools require students to acquire hands-on experience through internships, and this component is no different for online programs. Those that require internships will encourage students to find positions in their areas, with the goal of helping them put the theories they have learned into practice.
Common Career Paths
Completing a bachelor's degree in nursing and passing a certification exam qualifies you for a career in many different fields of medicine. While the public generally associates nurses with hospitals and doctor's offices, students with bachelor's degrees in nursing may also work in nursing care facilities, clinics, patients' homes, schools, and various other community centers. Common positions for nursing graduates include (but are not limited to):
- Registered Nurse
Registered nurses, commonly referred to as RNs, treat patients and provide emotional support and advice to patients' family members. They also educate patients and the general public on the importance of health and wellness. Job duties and responsibilities of RNs will vary by medical field, but they generally include monitoring patients, recording their patients' medical histories and symptoms, performing tests and analyzing results, administering medications and treatment plans, and helping with rehabilitation efforts. When caring for patients, RNs check medication dosages, monitor symptoms, and help patients with their daily activities.
RNs may be employed in hospitals, medical centers, outpatient facilities, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers. Employment of nurses is expected to grow much faster than the average occupation, by about 22%, which would add more than 581,000 jobs over the next several years. This is the largest number of new jobs for any occupation, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which also reports that the median annual wages of RNs were $62,450 in 2008.
- Physician Assistant
A physician assistant is an individual that is trained to provide diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventative healthcare services to patients, as delegated by a physician, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Physician assistants, also commonly referred to as PAs, work under the supervision of a physician, take medical histories, examine and treat patients, order tests, and prescribe medication. The specific duties of a PA may vary by state and employer, as their duties are determined by the supervising physician and by the laws in their state. Many PAs work in specialized fields of healthcare such as pediatrics, internal medicine, and family medicine.
Employment of PAs is expected to grow much faster than the average occupation over the next several years. Growth is expected to increase by 39%, with large growth in rural and inner-city healthcare facilities, according to the BLS. The BLS also reports that the median annual wage of physician assistants in 2008 was $81,230, with the middle 50% of those earning between $68,210 and $97,070 annually.
- Health Educator
Health educators teach the general public about health issues and disease prevention, with the aim of promoting human health and wellness. This can be through community service, educational seminars, and presentations, which are given to students, the elderly, and other groups interested in learning about how to live a healthy lifestyle. Health-related topics include proper rest and sleep, proper nutrition, the importance of physical exercise, and how to avoid illnesses. Presentations involve the use of videos, booklets, pamphlets, and other visual resources.
The employment of health educators is expected to grow faster than the average occupation, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which reports that growth in the field will extend up to 18%. The BLS also reports that the median annual wage of health educators was $44,000 in 2008, with the middle 50% earning between $33,170 and $60,810 annually.
