In the interest of promoting the nursing profession, Expedient Medstaff has allowed guest author Peter Larsson to post this blog article about obtaining a nursing degree on-line. We hope you find this information useful.
What exactly is nursing?
Nursing, loosely speaking, is a type of healthcare profession that is focused on the caring of individuals, families, or communities so that those individuals’ families and others may attain, maintain, or recover to optimal health as well as quality of life from birth all the way to the end of life. There is a very wide variety of specialties where nurses are concerned, and any nurse postulate has the option of going into any number of specialties. There are special nurses that aid pediatricians with the care of children, there are special nurses that aid the elderly in the final stages of life, there are nurses that specialize in the care for cancer patients, and there are even administrative nurses that have very little contact with patients whatsoever..
Why Study Nursing?
Nursing is a rewarding field with many opportunities. The field of nursing is not only a field which offers extraordinary pay, bonuses and signing advances, but also the simple reward of knowing that one is helping people live better and feel happier. Nurses enjoy a relatively flexible schedule that differs from time to time, so a set weekly schedule is relatively rare. However, as a result of this, fewer days per week are required of nurses. Nursing is a fast growing occupation, but still with a high call for new employees. The employment requirement for nursing is expected to increase by nearly 25% between 2006 and 2015 creating almost 600,000 new jobs in that field in the next 9 years. As of an occupational census at the end of 2008, there are around 2,694,540 nurses registered in the United States, but more are needed every day. As of that time, the average starting pay rate of nurses in their first year of work is $46,782. However, with a higher degree in nursing such as a masters-prepared degree, a first year nurse can expect to make well over $63,000 and with a doctorate in nursing, one can expect to make in the mid $70,000’s. Of course, all of these salaries rise depending on how long a nurse has been working at a single location and the location of the hospital. Statistically, nurses in larger city hospitals make more per year than small town hospitals.
What is the difference between studying nursing online versus in a classroom?
Online study and traditional in class study do vary in a variety of ways. In class study tends to carry the illusion of having more of a one-on-one connection with a teacher. This is, in fact, not the case. In classroom study, teachers often lose track of students in the hustle and bustle of everyday classes. In online classes, however, teachers are able to connect better with the students because teaching often does happen one on one. Classroom study and online study also have the vast difference of being very different in regards to how much time is needed for each one. Classroom study has a set schedule of when and where class must be held. This forces students to be at a specific place at a specific time to learn the subject material. This can not only get in the way of work schedules, but also general life, especially for nontraditional students. Online class work gives the advantage of the student being able to dictate where and when he or she completes the class work necessary. Studying nursing online also comes at a much lower cost than traditional study because fewer activity fees and other extra fees must be paid by these online students.
How can I get Hands-On experience if I study nursing online?
One problem that seemingly arises when it comes to studying nursing online is the need for hands on experience. During the course of getting ones nursing certification, one is required to take part in a series of clinic duties in order to get hands on experience of what it is like to service help for general patients as well as specialized cases. For traditional classroom work, this is usually done in clinic courses substituted in lieu of a lab. Online clinic hours are easy to complete as well. All it takes is certification from the school and a hospital nearby that allows students to perform clinic-oriented duties on patients under supervision of a visiting nurse-instructor. These opportunities are so vast because nearly any hospital is willing to allow students to perform their clinic hours, even if no instructor is available. Many hospitals will allow current nurses to supervise the training of clinic duties to students. In this day in age, there is a limitless availability of applications and resources online. Video communication and demonstration video is available to be streamed online which allows students to practice some nursing skills at home. Through forums and chat rooms, communication with fellow students and instructors is extremely easy. Many healthcare facilities will pair students up with mentors that will aid in the instruction of more advanced nursing skills to guide students through clinic duties for more hands-on experience. Overall, with the lower costs and the vast variety of hands-on experience, online nursing education is an attractive alternative to those who can benefit from the flexibility of such studies.
