Nursing

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Online degree Programs Offer Nursing Students A Faster Degree Path

It's becoming easier for students to obtain degrees in nursing, since colleges, universities and technical schools are adding new nursing programs as well as innovative, flexible offerings. Some programs incorporate distance learning courses, while others provide schedules that can accommodate working professionals. There are also programs intended for students with nursing backgrounds and individuals with bachelor's degrees in other disciplines.

The Bureau of Labor forecasts that employment growth for registered nurses between 2008 and 2018 is expected to be much faster than the average for all occupations and is to include some 581,500 newly created jobs and hundreds of thousands of replacement jobs. The fastest rate of growth is to be in physician's offices followed by home healthcare services and then nursing care facilities, according to the Bureau of Labor. Registered nurses with bachelor's degrees are to have better employment prospects, and those with advanced practice specialties, such as clinical nurse specialists, nurse mid-wives, nurse practitioners and nurse anesthesiologists are to be in high demand particularly in inner cities and rural areas, the Bureau of Labor Statistics notes.

While some, such as Vanderbilt University medical Center, say the nursing shortage in many parts of the country has eased, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that employers in some parts of the country and some employment settings have cited a difficulty in attracting and retaining an adequate number of registered nurses – primarily because of an aging registered nurse workforce and a lack of young workers who can fill positions. The Tri-Council for Nursing recently encouraged nurses to recognize entry level nursing trends and advance their careers. Urgent needs exist in occupations such as nurse educators, as well as Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, the Tri-Council suggested.

A shortage of nurse educators hasn't been addressed nearly as much as a nursing shortage itself, according to what Mountain State University Orlando Executive Director Randy White reportedly told the Orlando business Journal recently. The university, according to the August Orlando Business Journal article, recently added a new master's degree program with a concentration in education. In New Mexico, at least six institutions have recently added new programs in nursing, a May 15 article in New Mexico Business Weekly reported. One of these programs is being offered by ITT Technical Institute in Albuquerque, according to the New Mexico Business Weekly article.

Some nursing programs allow students to take online courses or to combine online studies with blocks of time on campus. Others offer evening and weekend nursing program formats or the ability for undergraduates to combine bachelor's degrees in liberal arts with masters degree studies in nursing. Since 1990, the number of accelerated degree programs in nursing particularly has grown from 31 to 230, according to the American Association of Colleges in Nursing.

Regis University also offers a CHOICE (Connecting health Occupations with Innovative Curriculum and Experience) bachelor of science in nursing where students attend classes on campus twice weekly during evenings and participate in clinical experiences during weekends. Vanderbilt University's nursing school also has arrangements with colleges and universities throughout the country where students can combine a liberal arts degree with studies toward a masters in nursing. Regis University is also one of some 230 institutions throughout the country that provide accelerated bachelor's in nursing programs for individuals who hold bachelor's degrees in other disciplines.

Regis University, along with institutions such as Creighton University in Nebraska and Quinnipiac University in Connecticut as part of these accelerated nursing programs allows non-nursing bachelor's degree holders the opportunity to earn a bachelor's in nursing in a matter of 12 months. Accelerated nursing programs such as these typically include intense, full-time instruction where there are no breaks between sessions, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing notes. Students in second-degree bachelor's-level nursing programs typically don't have to take liberal arts courses, according to the association. Quinnipiac University's accelerated nursing program, for example, concentrates only on nursing courses.

Through this accelerated, full-time program at Regis, students can obtain a bachelor's degree in nursing in 12 months. Creighton University in Nebraska and Quinnipiac University in Connecticut also offer full-time, 12-month bachelor's level accelerated nursing programs for non-nursing bachelor's degree holders. With accelerated programs, students might expect intense instruction without liberal arts courses and without breaks between sessions, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing notes. Quinnipiac University's accelerated nursing program, for one, concentrates on nursing courses, its website shows. Entry requirements vary, with some institutions, such as Creighton University, requiring that prerequisite courses be fulfilled in advance.

With expanded and innovative nursing accredited degree online programs such as these, it's likely a lot easier to advance nursing credentials and earn a nursing degree. Students who complete programs such as these at nurse schools might find themselves in a fulfilling position where they're helping others. Registered nurses who advance their credentials by obtaining nursing degrees might also open doors to advanced careers.
Nursing - Edinboro University

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