Online Nursing Degrees – Associates, Bachelors, and Masters

Types and Levels of Online Nursing Degrees

In all the debates about healthcare costs and insurance in the United States, one thing remains clear: the already high demand for healthcare is only going to increase in the decades ahead. Those who pursue a nursing career have a bright future ahead of them, as there will be ample employment opportunities for healthcare workers. A shortage of nurses along with their increasing role in both primary and specialized medical care have driven up wages for certified nurses who have earned an accredited nursing degree.

The most recent data available from the U.S. Department of Labor indicates that registered nurses (RNs) receive $63,000 in median annual wages. The median annual nursing salary for a licensed practical nurse (LPN) in the United States is just over $40,000. Furthermore, the annual package of benefits offered to most nurses tends to be excellent, and nurses report a high degree of career satisfaction due to the philanthropic nature of their work. Taken together, all these facts demonstrate the wisdom earned through the pursuit of a nursing education and the resultant nursing career work.

In addition to passing the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), nurses must have a degree or diploma from an accredited nursing school or other institution in order to become fully licensed nurses. There are many different nursing programs that you need to consider if you want to work in the field of nursing, each of which has its own advantages for the nursing candidate.

Nursing Associate Degree

A two-year nursing program is the minimum amount of nursing education that most states require for individuals seeking official certification as registered nurses. Typically, this education is attained in an associate’s nursing degree or nursing diploma that is offered by a university, community college, vocational school, or nursing school that operates in the United States. After completing one of these programs, nursing candidates are allowed to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam, which is the NCLEX exam that a student must pass in order to become a registered nurse. A student who graduates from one of these nursing programs may also elect to become an LPN, although it is far more common for LPNs to complete a one-year degree or diploma from one of the many U.S. schools with nursing programs.

The two-year Associate of Science in Nursing degree is granted after the student completes a rigorous program of nursing training that includes courses in nursing science and practice. Candidates who need to get into the nursing field soon may want to consider this degree because it prepares them for most basic nursing jobs far more quickly than other degree options. Students who graduate from one of these programs are eligible to go back to school later on and complete a bachelor’s degree in nursing through online nursing schools or campus-based nursing degree programs.

Nursing Bachelor Degree

Students who want a more well-rounded education than what is offered by most nursing associate’s degree programs will want to seriously consider the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Full-time nursing students can complete this degree in four years, and they are likely to earn higher wages over their careers than those who only have a two-year degree or diploma. The bachelor’s degree is also a prerequisite for graduate school, so it is definitely the best choice for those with a set goal in mind to earn a master’s or doctoral degree in nursing science or practice.

Four-year nursing programs that lead to a bachelor’s degree cover the same things that an associate’s degree in nursing covers, but students who have earned a bachelor’s degree usually have a far greater understanding of nursing and medical theory than those who hold an associate’s degree. There are also far more nursing jobs open to those who have a BSN, especially jobs in a specialized area such as oncology, orthopedic medicine, urology, and so on. An increasing number of students are deciding not to complete a bachelor’s degree at once but to become an LPN or registered nurse after completing a two-year degree program. Later, many of these nurses go back to school and complete a bachelor’s degree through one of the many nursing programs that credit time served as a nurse towards a bachelor’s degree in nursing.

RN to BSN Online Nursing Program

The RN to BSN degree, also known as the RN-to-BSN degree, is awarded for the successful completion of an innovative nurse program that allows RNs to credit work experience and prior training toward a fully accredited bachelor’s degree. Understanding that RNs already know a great deal because of their practical experience, those nursing schools that offer an RN-to-BSN degree do not require RNs to take the same basic courses that students in a traditional bachelor’s degree in nursing program must complete. Instead, students who are already RNs can choose to specialize in a particular field of nursing and take classes that help them learn what they have not yet learned from their years as registered nurses.

Many of the schools with nursing programs offer the RN-to-BSN degree entirely online. This nurse program is therefore ideal for students who have full-time jobs or for students who cannot move to a city if that would be required to finish a four-year degree in nursing science. Capella University, Kaplan University, Liberty University, the University of Phoenix, and Walden University are five of the top online nursing schools that offer RN-to-BSN programs for students who are already working in one of the many different nursing careers.

Nursing Masters Degree

The bachelor of science degree is not the highest qualification in the field of nursing, and many students will want to go on and complete a graduate nursing education. These students have the option of pursuing the Master of Science in Nursing degree from one of the many nursing schools that offer this well-respected graduate degree. Graduate nursing students in a master’s degree program do some original research, and they continue to advance their knowledge of medical theory and nursing practice throughout the course of their studies.

Some nursing careers actually require candidates to possess a master’s degree in nursing. Nurse anesthetists, for example, must possess a great deal of specialized knowledge to administer anesthesia properly, and this knowledge is attained through a graduate degree in nursing. Other Master of Science in Nursing degrees focus on nurse management and leadership, and they are especially designed for nurses who want to supervise other nurses in a hospital, clinic, doctor’s office, or other setting. No matter the job that is desired, a nurse who has a nursing master’s degree will earn a greater nursing salary than most nurses who only have a bachelor’s degree. That alone should be enough to get you thinking about completing a master’s degree now or in the future.

Doctoral Nursing Degree

Nurses who want to improve their knowledge and skills even further will want to complete their nursing education with a doctoral degree in nursing from one of the many schools with nursing programs in the United States. Most doctoral nursing programs in the United States lead either to a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree or a Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD).

Individuals who are more inclined toward the clinical aspects of nursing will want to pursue the DNP. The accrediting boards for nursing schools are increasingly recommending that the DNP be the degree awarded to those who want to become nurse anesthetists or nurse practitioners, so it is likely that more and more nurses will choose the DNP in the coming years. More academically focused students will likely prefer the PhD degree in nursing. The PhD is almost certainly a requirement if you want to get a job teaching nursing science at the university level, and the nursing PhD also equips you to make an original contribution to the nursing field through academic research.

Find Out More about the Nurse Program that Is Right for You

Whether you are a present or future RN or LPN, we have more information on all of the degrees listed above and many others. Fill out the form on the top of this page if you want to learn more about the education you will need in order to begin work towards a satisfying and lucrative nursing career