Want To Know More About A Career In Nursing And How To Study For It Online?

By Sophia Peters

What is involved in studying online nursing? What jobs are there for nurses? What are the education requirements, and how much can you expect to earn after completion? These are some of the questions that you may have on your mind if you're thinking of a career in nursing.

Nurses are the human face of health care. They provide direct patient care and are the first point of contact for treatment and diagnosis. They have always been incredibly important in the health care profession and as the nature of health care changes, their importance is growing.

An online Nursing Program usually includes courses in anatomy, biological sciences, chemistry, microbiology, nutrition, physiology, psychology, pharmacology, sociology, statistics, occupational health, and the liberal arts. Programs may also include supervised clinical experience in hospitals and other healthcare facilities.

Nursing professionals are always in demand all over the world. There are opportunities for nurses in several major settings, including: Hospitals; Clinics/Centers/Healthcare Offices in doctors' offices, clinics, and emergency medical centers; Nursing Homes; Schools; Home Care/Hospice - providing nursing services to patients at home; Public Health Prevention/Education Programs.

Technological advances in patient care are driving growth in the profession. In particular, rapid growth is expected in nurses for hospital outpatient facilities due to the growing trend in discharging patients earlier and performing more procedures as outpatients. Hospital jobs for nurses will not grow as rapidly. The aging population of the country will also lead to the need for more nurses over the next seven years. The U.S. Department of Labor reports that employment of registered nurses is expected to grow over 20% up to 2016.

What are the education requirements? Nurses most commonly enter the occupation by completing an Associate or Bachelor's degree program. Individuals must then complete a National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) in the USA or the Canadian Registered Nurse Examination (CRNE) in Canada in order to obtain a nursing license. Licensed graduates of these programs then qualify for entry-level nursing positions.

Many existing licensed registered nurses (RNs) with an Associate degree or diploma take online nursing programs at Bachelor's level. There are several advantages to getting your Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree if you have the time and money to do it. The BSN will give you a solid foundation in the theory behind nursing and in how nursing practice fits into the overall environment of health care. Many of the best nursing jobs - specialties like Nurse Practitioner, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA), Nurse Administrator, and so on - require a BSN degree or even a Masters degree as well. And you can usually earn a higher salary with a BSN.

Your salary will obviously depend on which role you pursue, your qualifications and experience. The median expected salary for a typical Staff Nurse is over $61,000 (Salary.com). - 29891

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