Nursing must be the only profession in the United States right now where you can pack up your bags, jump on a plane, and move out with confidence to pretty much any city you like across the nation. The chances are, not only your well-paying job, but even your well-decorated (and free!) house or apartment will be waiting for you.
Given the incessant demand for nurses of all specialties in the foreseeable future, it is one of the best career advices one can give today to those looking for a secure job with good pay.
The only precondition to nursing is training - a good education covering the basics of health care is a must for certification. But it does not stop there. The field is deep and wide, and the terrain is changed frequently by the new technologies. That's why a nurse's education never ends.
Online education is an attractive alternative for those nurses too busy to take the time off to acquire a college degree.
Here are four alternative schools to get your nursing degree online, with a study schedule flexible enough to accommodate your full-time job commitments.
University of Phoenix (UP)
UP allows you to earn a B.S. in Nursing or an M.S. while specializing in Health Care Education, Integrative Health Care, Health Care Management or Health Care Administration.
According to the University, the graduates of the B.S. or M.S. programs find employment as "registered nurses, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, occupational therapists, physical therapists, physician assistants, respiratory therapists, and social workers as well as a variety of other specializations."
*** Kaplan University (KU)
KU offers an "RN to BSN degree completion program" for the Registered Nurses to get their Bachelor's degrees. Although most of the classes are available online, the program has a prerequisite clinical course. KU emphasizes the leadership dimension of professional nursing and provides career planning for job placement as well.
The curriculum covers "health promotion, risk reduction, disease prevention, information and health care technologies, ethics, human diversity, management theory, and health care system and policies." Click here for more information and registration:
*** Jacksonville University School of Nursing (JU)
JU, the main campus of which is located in Jacksonville, Florida , offers a similar online "RN to BSN" program for Registered Nurses. The students are provided 30 credits for their active U.S. RN licenses. They can transfer "approved credits from other degree and diploma programs," which helps.
The best part is, you can "complete your labs and practice projects without setting foot on campus." JU's Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree is CCNE-accredited.
*** South University (SU)
SU also has an "RN to BSN" online program with no campus residency requirements.
The only prerequisite for the incoming students is that they should be a Registered Nurse with either an associate's degree from a school of nursing accredited by the National League of Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) or hold a diploma from a school of nursing accredited by the NLNAC.
The curriculum covers "innovative health care concepts, palliative care, gerontological nursing, and complementary and alternative nursing methods."
