subject: Aspiring Nurses Ask: How Do Online Nursing Schools Work? [print this page] Aspiring Nurses Ask: How Do Online Nursing Schools Work?
If you're one of those who are forever stuck in a nursing school waiting list and can't catch a break in your nursing career, online nursing schools may be a good option for you. But how does an online nursing school really work? Is it actually possible to earn a nursing degree online? Here are the facts:
You can complete your nursing education online if you are already a licensed practical nurse, paramedic, respiratory therapist, or chiropractor, depending on the online program that you are applying for.
This also varies by state; you must check with your state's Board of Nursing to ensure that they accredit the online school that you are interested in. Also, some states allow the LPN to RN program but not the paramedic or respiratory therapist to RN program, this is something you have to look into before signing up.
Once you sign up, you can take courses at your own pace. If you have prerequisites that you need to complete, you can take them through the online nursing school program. They are likely to be more expensive when taken through the online program, so you may want to take them beforehand at your local community college.
Prerequisite courses are likely to include Nutrition, Psychology, Anatomy & Physiology I and II, Microbiology, Speech, college level Algebra, and maybe a couple more. It varies depending on the school, but these courses most be completed with passing grades before you can begin your online LPN to RN program.
Also, before you decide on a particular nursing school, it's definitely worth checking out first if they honor transfer credits from other universities and colleges Some do, some don't . If there are some of these courses that you have previously taken up already, then all you need to do is make sure that these are credited by the online nursing school. Why waste all that time and money retaking classes?
Finally, online nursing programs will also require "clinicals", which a recognized school personnel will oversee. Clinicals or hands-on duty as a student nurse will be made at local hospitals, supervised by an RN who is accredited by the online school and trained to teach nursing students. Among the skills you will learn as a student nurse are patient assessment, making of care plans, and administering medicines. As mentioned, these activities in your "on-the-job training" will all be done with a registered nurse supervising.
So now you know. It is possible to earn your nursing degree online even with just some experience and knowledge in the health care field. If you have the right qualifications, consider an online nursing school in advancing your career opportunities.
