Can You Get a Nursing Degree Online?

Can You Get a Nursing Degree Online?

The number of classes and types of degrees you can get online has exploded in recent years. One type of degree a lot of people would like to get online is a nursing degree. In this article, we’ll look at can you get a nursing degree online. Plus some other helpful info. 

Can You Get a Nursing Degree Online?

Yes, you can get your nursing degree online. In fact, you can earn a bachelor’s, associate’s and even your master’s degree in nursing through the Internet. 

There’s Still a “Real World” Requirement To Get a Nursing Degree

There are plenty of accredited online colleges that can help you earn your nursing degree. Of course, you still need to complete certain in-personal clinical hours during the course of your study. But getting a nursing degree online has a lot of benefits. Here are some of them:

Benefits of Getting a Nursing Degree Online

  • Getting a degree online helps you balance your school with the rest of your schedule. If you’re working, or have a family to take care of, you can balance your time between those things and earning your degree more easily if your classes are online
  • Flexible and convenient learning schedule and environment
  • Save time and money on daily expenses such as commuting to your campus, food budget, rent, bills, and more
  • You have the freedom to choose a program that fits your needs
  • You no longer have to worry about how close you live to campus or where your school is located
  • Online degrees are more affordable than on-campus options. 

These are only some of the benefits you can gain from earning your nursing degree online. But, as you know, there are still offline clinical requirements that you need to complete. 

How to Handle Your Clinicals

If you are getting your degree, you still need to find a physical location for your required clinical hours. The great news is that you can choose a location to do them that’s closer to home. However, you need to do your research and find an applicable program.

We highly recommend finding a clinical program with a flexible class schedule. This way, it will be more convenient and easier for you to complete your clinical hours while you’re still studying.

In nursing school, clinical work can be compared to an internship. Or at least, a work-study experience. This clinical work will help you gain practical and hands-on experience so you can get ready for the real thing. It is a requirement for everyone who wishes to earn a nursing degree. 

There are some nursing programs that organize the clinical work for you. Usually, they will give you a list of places where you can earn your clinical work. 

But, there are also some programs that require students to arrange their clinical work themselves. During clinicals, students will have an instructor who answers the questions of each student. 

Most of the time, however, students will be shadowing a member of the nursing staff during their shift. This is so you can learn how things work in the field. 

Before your clinical work ends, your instructor will ask you to complete a practicum or preceptorship. During this time, you will be required to demonstrate the skills that you have learned all throughout the program. Usually, the practicum is earned after 180 hours of work in the field.

Luckily, there are a lot of online nursing schools to choose from. You can even choose schools from overseas. Most of these online programs are generally good. However, you still need to do your research to see which one fits your needs the best.

More On Getting a Nursing Degree Online

Now that you know you can get a nursing degree online, you probably have more questions. We’ve got a number of articles about online nursing programs that answer many FAQs.

If you’re just getting started, find out about knocking out your prerequisite courses online.

You can learn about the importance of finding an accredited program here.

Get some tips about getting an undergrad degree in online nursing in this article and find some top undergraduate programs here.

Here’s an article for those wanting to get an associate’s degree and this article is for those interested in an RN to BSN program.

And, lastly, here’s some info about free online nursing courses and CEUs.