If you’re planning to take the next step in your nursing career, then you’ll likely need additional qualifications to open those doors. Nursing is, of course, a job that opens up a wide range of avenues for progression.
Whether you want to move into education, administration or healthcare advocacy, or you’re planning to head into a more specialist field, a certification such as a master’s degree or even a doctorate may well be your next port of call.
To this end, it’s likely that you’ve considered going ‘back to school’ to take on your Master of Science in Nursing, your Doctor of Nursing Practice or any other advanced specialist qualification – and with this, you’re likely to have come up against a whole spectrum of logistical challenges.
It’s worth noting, however, that you can study for a wide range of industry accolades online. In this article, we explore the many benefits of online and remote learning for nurses who want to progress.
Here are just some of the reasons why training online is the most sensible route forward for many.
Flexibility
If you’re already working as a nurse but you’re planning to undertake further training to see your career progress, the obvious question is, how are you going to find the time to study alongside your job?
While some employers may offer the option of cutting your hours to fit around your classes, this is simply not practically or financially feasible for many individuals – particularly those with families and other responsibilities.
Insufficient available time is one of the main barriers for those who feel that they would benefit from going back into education or training. This is why online courses can be so beneficial: many of them are highly flexible and offer learners far greater control than they would have on an in-person course.
In numerous cases, the schedule for coursework is also far more flexible via online learning than via a more traditional college or university course, which means that every aspect of your experience can be adjusted and adapted to suit you.
You’ll be able to engage with lectures and course modules at any time of the day or night, making everything significantly easier – whether you’re currently holding down a nursing job or you’re planning to go back into work after leaving to have a family.
When studying online, nurses can continue to work, make money and support their dependents – fitting their learning around their own unique schedule without missing out personally or financially.
The level of flexibility available through online learning will even benefit you if you have fairly good availability but you simply know that you work and learn better at a certain time of day.
Accessibility
Access to training is, of course, vital to anyone seeking success in nursing. However, it used to be the case that if your workplace and family life were anchored in one state, but your dream university course was only delivered in another, then it simply wouldn’t be an option for you to study there.
However, a range of institutions now offer courses that can be taken entirely remotely, online, which means that you’ll be able to study for your ideal qualification from your perfect university or college without any need to relocate.
Courses of this kind are also extremely accessible in other ways. For example, they make matters easier for those currently struggling with a health condition that would make the regular journey to and from college difficult.
Online courses also allow students to learn at their own pace. This means that the standard of information retention and processing among candidates is likely to be of a higher quality than it would be if those individuals were forced to work at the same speed and in the same manner as all their peers in a campus environment.
Variety
Online learning opens up a whole world of possibilities to would-be students. After all, when working remotely, you’ll be able to access courses from anywhere in the country – which means that you’ll have a much larger number of options when it comes to available specialisms.
Are you thinking of going into elder care? If so, consider enrolling on an MSN-AGNP online program. If you’re interested in becoming a family nurse practitioner or a nurse educator, for example, you can access courses that offer these qualifications in a number of states.
It’s possible to seek out even more specialist programs besides – which means that the variety of qualifications that are available to you is no longer limited by geography.
Affordability
Due to lower overheads and a range of other factors, online courses are usually more affordable than on-campus learning, removing a significant barrier for many.
You can live at home and study wherever you feel most happy and comfortable, from your living room to a local coffee shop – essentially anywhere with an internet connection.
What’s more, remote learning removes the need for students to travel to campus, which means that less money is spent on commuting.
Opportunity
All of the above factors reveal that in many respects, remote, online nursing courses provide a greater level of opportunity than in-person learning.
They allow virtually anyone, regardless of their background, responsibilities or current schedule, to seize the opportunity to further their education, gain new qualifications and become more employable.
This level of accessibility has a positive effect on the medical industry as a whole, as it creates opportunities for greater numbers of future nurses, resulting in a larger talent pool from which employers can select the best candidates.
Inevitably, as more and more graduates enter their new professional roles, the standards and quality of care available to patients will be improved.
As you have seen from the above, there are a number of ways that nurses seeking opportunities to add to their qualifications should seriously consider studying online.
The flexibility, accessibility, variety, affordability and level of opportunity offered by remote courses cannot be underestimated when it comes to taking the next step in your career.
Summary
If you are considering studying for an advanced nursing qualification, look into one of the numerous online courses available today.
