Weigh an Online Nursing Degree
When it comes to online degree programs, health is among the fastest growing fields, according to one 2017 survey. Given the hands-on nature of nursing in particular, the discipline may not initially seem suited for the virtual format. But many reputable schools have launched post-licensure online nursing degree programs that enable students to continue working while furthering their education.
Here are 10 questions prospective students should ask when exploring their options.
1. Is the nursing program post-licensure?
Experts say the initial training to become a registered nurse should be completed in a face-to-face setting to build a stronger foundation of clinical experience for the profession. Very few colleges and universities offer online pre-licensure programs, which is when nurses first learn to care for others in a clinical environment, Ruth Tarantine, dean of nursing at Colorado Technical University, a for-profit school, told U.S. News in 2016.
Referring to employers, Sharon Roth Maguire, chief clinical quality officer at the health care agency BrightStar Care, also told U.S. News, “They would want to know, where are you getting this practical hands-on experience which is so important in nursing?”
2. What are the clinical requirements?
Accrediting agencies require online nursing degree students to complete a clinical or practicum component on site, usually at a health care facility near a student’s home. Prospective online students should research the time commitment for the clinical component before enrolling, especially if they also plan to keep working full time.
“You do need to have access to professors who can show you how a specific procedure needs to be done,” Barbara Chapman told U.S. News in 2016, then a student in the hybrid family nurse practitioner master’s program at the University of Texas–Tyler.
3. Is the program accredited and rigorous?
Accreditation from an outside authority verifies that a university or specific program in any format meets certain standards of quality. Agencies such as the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing — which accredit online nursing degree programs — hold online offerings to the same standards as those delivered in person.
In fact, the accreditation process for online programs may have an extra layer of review to answer questions such as whether faculty are trained to teach online, one expert told U.S. News. This helps ensure an online education is just as intensive as one mostly on campus.
4. Are there ‘bridge’ program options?
Many online nursing degree programs are considered bridge programs. For instance, an RN-to-Master of Science in Nursing bridge program allows registered nurses to earn the master’s even if they don’t have a bachelor’s in the field; the bridge portion covers the additional material a student needs to know. An RN-to-Bachelor of Science in Nursing would be similar to transferring credits from any community college to a four-year institution.
“The key is that the bridge program is fulfilling a need to help move people from point A to point B,” Patricia Pearce told U.S. News in 2016, when she was the interim director of the school of nursing at Loyola University New Orleans. “In order to get to B, there’s some information that you have to have. And if you didn’t get it at point A, it’s that in-between space where we need to provide that information, that substance, that content.”
5. What does the courseload look like?
Nurses generally work shifts around the clock. Add an online degree program with a clinical requirement into the mix, and time management becomes challenging. Prospective students should expect to do a little bit of coursework at least a few days each week. While there’s flexibility to do so around their work schedules, this may involve studying on weekends.
When she was a Doctorate of Nursing Practice online student at Johns Hopkins University, Colorado resident Fara Bowler told U.S. News that she usually stayed in her office late one night each week, then finished the rest of her coursework in smaller increments over the rest of the week — including Friday nights and Sundays.
6. Are there opportunities to specialize?
Students pursuing a Master of Science in nursing will likely be able to choose a concentration to specialize in a given area, such as education, administration, family nurse practitioner and advanced practice registered nursing. While students will regardless likely complete coursework in pathophysiology, pharmacology, ethics, research and education, they will also take classes focusing on their specific career path.
7. Are faculty experienced and responsive?
Some experts say a nursing instructor‘s previous teaching experience is less important for prospective students to consider than the professor’s experience directly caring for patients. But prospective students may also want to ask current students or their academic advisers about how responsive faculty members are and how they typically communicate with online students.
“It’s really important that they make an effort to use different sorts of media and use multimedia presentations and opportunities so that they can appeal to a learner who is very auditory or a learner who is very visual or a learner who is very much hands-on,” Mary Jean Schumann, then interim dean of the school of nursing at George Washington University, told U.S. News in 2015.
8. Is there a blended learning option?
Blended, or hybrid, degree programs typically combine in-person and online learning. Because nursing entails frequent face-to-face interaction with others, prospective students should weigh whether they want some of their course instruction — beyond the clinical requirement — to happen on a physical campus. Prospective students should also research what the terms “blended” or “hybrid” mean at schools of interest, as they might vary slightly.
A blended program allows for students to receive instant feedback and direct guidance from an instructor. On the other hand, “Online is not easier, definitely, but it does save the travel time and keeps students from being obligated at a particular time in any given week,” Barbara Haas, executive director for the nursing school at UT–Tyler, told U.S. News. “It offers a lot more flexibility.”
9. How long will the program take?
Many online students, including in nursing, want to earn their degree as quickly as possible to move forward professionally. Joe Chapman, director for online student services at Arizona State University‘s ASU Online, wrote in a 2018 U.S. News blog post that getting an online nursing bachelor’s can be time-consuming for working adults and may take 15 months to two years to complete. The flexibility of online education may allow students to progress at their own pace and take more time if needed.
At the master’s degree level, online nursing degrees most commonly take two to three years to finish, according to an analysis of data submitted to U.S. News by schools in an annual survey.
10. How much does the online degree cost?
Prospective students, experts say, should budget accordingly after estimating how long it will take to complete all of their online nursing degree requirements. For example, a Ph.D. often requires students to complete more credit hours than a DNP or master’s degree, one expert told U.S. News in 2015.
Overall, online nursing degree costs vary widely. The most important thing, Chapman wrote in a blog post, is to pay for one from an accredited and legitimate university.
More on Online Nursing Degrees
Learn more about choosing the right online degree program on our Online Learning Lessons blog, and view the U.S. News 2018 Best Online Nursing Programs rankings.
For additional tips and information, follow U.S. News Education on Twitter and Facebook.
More from U.S. News
What Employers Think About Your Online Nursing Degree
Ask 4 Questions to Choose an Online Nursing Bachelor’s Program
4 Things to Know About Accreditation in Online Nursing Programs
Ask These 10 Questions to Choose an Online Nursing Degree Program originally appeared on usnews.com
