Online nursing programs include core courses and specialized courses. Students may take classes in medical-surgical nursing, ambulatory care, or neonatal nursing. See below for common nursing courses. Aspiring registered nurses must complete an accredited nursing program.
Students can enroll in a two-year diploma or associate program to meet the minimum education requirement. A four-year BSN degree also qualifies graduates for licensure. Online nursing programs give learners the medical knowledge and hands-on training for nursing careers. BSN programs include specialized courses and clinical rotations. Students also complete clinical practicum hours.
After earning a nursing degree from an accredited program, graduates can apply for their RN license. Each state sets its own nursing licensure requirements. Some states require a criminal background check. Most states expect candidates to have a nursing degree from an approved program. Accredited nursing schools that incorporate practicum hours meet the education requirement for a nursing license. In addition to licensure, many nurses earn voluntary professional certifications.
This allows them to show their experience in areas like pediatrics or oncology. Nurses can learn about their state's licensure requirements by visiting the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. Students can complete the credit post-licensure program online with minimal residency requirements.
Course topics include public and community nursing programs, health promotion across the lifespan, dimensions of professional practice, and pathophysiology for nursing practice. Students complete courses in semesters, in addition to any required general education core coursework. Required clinicals take place at an approved location near the student and provide an opportunity to practice direct patient care.
Applicants must possess a minimum GPA of 2. All applicants must reside in a nurse licensure compact state to participate in the online program. Students can complete courses online with minimal on-campus requirements. Students take courses such as professional nursing leadership concepts and issues, adult physiological nursing, nursing in a global healthcare system, and care of communities in community health.
Students can take courses in any order and can transfer up to six credits from another BSN program. The credit program takes place over semesters. Students must also complete general education requirements. Required clinical rotations occur at an approved location near the student. Applicants need a current registered nurse license with a minimum GPA of 2. The school also boasts programmatic accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. Course topics include transition to professional nursing, cultural determinants of health behavior, community nursing, and global health nursing.
Students complete core courses in nursing research, pharmacology, healthcare policies and ethics, and advanced practice nursing. The best online NP programs offer a student-centered curriculum that lets degree-seekers pursue specializations like acute care, family, neonatal, or oncology nursing.
Every NP program includes a clinical component, and some make it easier for working students to complete clinical rotations. Online NP programs often allow degree-seekers to complete clinical rotations at their workplace, or during evening or weekend shifts at local facilities.
Earning your degree from an accredited institution ensures that you are receiving a quality education and making a worthwhile investment. Nursing program accreditation agencies include the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. Many employers expect job candidates to hold a degree from an accredited program.
A school's graduation rate says a lot about its quality. Colleges with high graduation rates tend to prepare students for their future careers in a timely manner. A low graduation rate may reflect a lack of student support or rigorous coursework. That said, high rates may also indicate a less demanding NP program.
Remember, students who take longer to graduate usually pay more in tuition. Some online NP programs are designed to accommodate working RNs. These programs let students complete coursework at their own pace, or offer asynchronous formats without set class times.
Synchronous classes best suit online learners who enjoy a more structured class setting. Admissions qualifications and materials depend on the NP program and the applicant's educational background.
While the following list does not represent every NP program's admission process, we have outlined a few common requirements below. Accrediting agencies review student outcomes, faculty, and curricula to ensure that they meet the highest standards. Accreditation also influences the student journey in many other ways:. Online and on-campus programs both undergo the same scrutiny to earn accreditation.
Each nursing program's homepage typically lists its accreditation status. You can also verify a program's status by reviewing the directories listed above. Many students struggle to pay their tuition out of pocket, even when an online NP program lets them work while attending school. Students who cannot pay their tuition up front can take out student loans, or access financial aid at the program level.
Many institutions distribute scholarships based on merit, and some offer need-based grants specifically for future NPs. Georgetown University launched its nursing programs in Today, the school offers four online nurse practitioner programs grounded in the Jesuit ideal of serving the whole person. Georgetown University's nurse practitioner programs comprise 44 credits and clinical hours, along with two objective clinical intensives. On-campus intensives and clinical placement supplement live online classes.
USC offers part-time and full-time online NP program options, preparing nurse practitioners to provide care across the lifespan. The curriculum comprises 49 credits of live, online classes supplemented by clinical hours, which USC helps secure.
Courses include pathophysiology, pharmacology, and community-based research. The program requires students to participate in two on-campus intensives. These part-time and full-time online FNP programs require 48 credits and take semesters to complete. This is a faster route to earning an MSN than having to complete a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing before applying for graduate school. These programs are offered by universities and are often very competitive. These programs tend to be accelerated and can be completed in about 15 months, including clinicals.
Employment is not recommended during the program due to its intense pace. These are available through online universities as well as brick and mortar universities and often have a short waiting list.
Full-time employment is often required throughout the program to satisfy practicum requirements. This degree is available completely online through many schools, as an accelerated program, and as a traditional in-classroom program. The completely online RN to BSN is possible because registered nurses do not need to complete clinical hours as they have already done so during the Associate's degree program. Clinical hours are "real world" experiences for students to gain hands-on knowledge in the healthcare setting with an instructor or preceptor.
Accelerated Bachelor's programs are available to RNs as well as entry-level students and those who hold a Bachelor's degree in a non-nursing major. Some programs offer an accelerated BSN in as little as 11 months. The cost of these programs may be a bit higher than non-accelerated programs because students will complete it faster. Over schools nationwide currently offer an accelerated BSN. For those students not interested in online learning, traditional programs are available in most areas.
Many students seek evening classes or a school which has some classes available online to make it convenient to continue working as an RN. Traditional in-classroom programs allow for more networking and face-to-face interaction with others in the field.
Most commonly, registered nurses pursue this degree to change their roles in nursing, earn more money, or plan to advance to a post-Master's degree, such as a DNP or Ph.
Employment during these programs is not usually encouraged and some programs simply do not allow it. The demands of the program, especially those specialties which require a preceptorship, are too great to maintain both work and school. The online RN to MSN program is usually reserved for specialties which do not provide direct patient care, such as:. The cost of these programs varies by school and financial aid is usually available. Many can be completed in as little as 9 months for students with a Bachelor's degree.
The programs will satisfy all state requirements and usually accomplish a faster pace by omitting breaks. Accelerated nursing programs have grown in popularity over the years. Most attractive to many students is the streamlined approach to education allowing for the fast completion of nursing degrees. Some accelerated bachelor's degree programs can be completed in as little as 11 months.
This degree is available to students with a non-nursing bachelor's degree as well. Because all the prerequisite English, math, and science classes have been completed, the student can simply focus on nursing courses and graduate quickly! Learn more about accelerated MSN programs. Graduate degree programs that require clinical hours or preceptorships, such as Family Nurse Practitioner or Clinical Nurse Specialist , often offer traditional in-classroom formats. Some schools may have certain classes available online, such as statistics or nursing ethics.
These programs are usually priced competitively, as there are many available, and the student should consider the salary increase which comes along with earning the MSN. RNs looking to specialize further and advance their careers seek APRN roles and specialties for the increased autonomy and salaries they provide.
With increasingly busy lifestyles, online APRN programs have become a lifesaver for RNs who want to fit an advanced nursing degree into their schedules. Most online nurse practitioner NP programs allow students to choose a specialization or population focus, including:. In many cases, "hybrid" programs are available, allowing students to complete some coursework online, but also incorporating classroom and in-person experiences throughout the course of the degree.
In most cases, students pursuing a degree as an APRN will need to hold at least a BSN and have an active, unrestricted RN license in order to be eligible for an accredited online program. While online APRN coursework is convenient and flexible, students should be aware that programs will typically require a certain number of in-person clinical hours, to be arranged at a hospital or other medical facility.
Luckily, most online programs allow this preceptorship to be arranged in the student's local area.
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