8 Benefits of Online Nursing Education & Why It Works
Online learning’s growth in popularity during the last decade has made this form of education mainstream rather than the trend it used to be. Additionally, with COVID-19 confining us to our homes, online learning became the norm for many students and teachers all around the world. While many struggled to adjust at first, in time, the benefits of online learning were evident and many came to prefer it over the traditional classroom setting.
In nursing as well, online education has become a successful and convenient medium that aids students in their journey to becoming registered nurses or advancing further in their career as a nurse. Further, we have elaborated on how online nursing programs work and some of the benefits of online education you can expect when completing this type of degree.
How Do Online Nursing Programs Work?
Considering the in-person and practical component of nursing, many may wonder whether they can earn a full associate, bachelor’s, or master’s degree through online programs. While you will have to complete the required clinical hours in person at a hospital, clinic, or current workplace, the majority of core courses can be completed online. Moreover, new methodologies in teaching and visualization methods for presenting real nursing scenarios have made online programs even more effective and successful in delivering course materials.
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Benefits of an Online Nursing Degree
With the wide variety of online nursing programs that colleges have started to offer, it should come as no surprise that they have become a popular choice for many students. The reasons for this transition from the traditional brick-and-mortar colleges to the online format of education can vary from individual to individual. However, the benefits of a versatile online nursing education apply to everyone. These are some of the many advantages of choosing e-learning as an aspiring nurse:
Lower costs
The financial factor is often the biggest determiner on students’ choice of schools and degrees. Online education has the upper hand in this regard, as both students and universities spend less through this form of teaching and learning.
When it comes to schools, they have fewer expenses concerning rent of physical spaces; they won’t need to hire a big support staff and personnel, as administrative tasks such as grading papers and quizzes can become automated through online learning platforms.
With schools cutting back on expenses, nursing students can consequently earn the same degree while spending less. Tuition costs for online learning programs are usually lower compared to on-campus ones. Moreover, you won’t have to account for on-campus living expenses, since you can get the full learning experience from the comfort of your home. As a result, you will cut back on potential commuting expenses that you would have to pay to get to classes held on campus. Learning materials will also be something you can save money on, since PDF books and materials tend to cost less than physical books that you would need to bring in class. In general, online education seems much more favorable than traditional learning in terms of cost-effectiveness.
More flexibility
The flexibility that online education offers both time and space-wise is one of its biggest advantages. Through this type of learning, students can coordinate their classes to their liking and create their own schedule based on other commitments. Classes are less restricted to a certain time of the day, and you can organize your study time based on what works best for you. Time-wise, you won’t have to worry about long commutes to college, a time which you can now use for studying or activities outside of school.
Easier to track documents
Grouping and storing assignments, papers, books, and learning materials don’t need to be the hassle they can usually be when they are in paper format. Online databases make it easier to store and classify materials so that you can have quick access to them. Keeping track of documents will spare you time, help you to stay organized, and consequently be more focused on the learning process.
Self-paced learning
Another advantage of getting your nursing degree online is the ability to organize your workload and assignments at your own pace. It often occurs that instructors spend more time on a topic you already know or don’t elaborate enough on something you find more challenging. Through online learning, you can easily skip past materials you already understand and focus your attention on more difficult topics and materials. This way, you optimize learning and escape the time pressure that may come with in-person learning environments.
Career advancement
Many students will often study for a degree while they are working or in the middle of a professional opportunity. It is also common for registered nurses to pursue a bachelor or master’s degree program in order to advance their education and careers. Online programs allow for more flexibility, therefore they are much more convenient for students who want to balance work and their studies without disrupting one or the other.
Technology skills
Technological proficiency is an important asset for every workforce, nurses being no exception. During your online studies, you will develop technological competency and skills; you will learn and improve computer literacy skills, and overall master productively managing your time online. This is especially useful if you intend on working as a nurse whose job duties include administrative tasks and accessing information from patients’ electronic health records.
Comfortable learning environment
Another great thing about online learning for nurses, or anyone for that matter, is that you can create a learning environment wherever you feel most comfortable. Traditional classroom settings can often be disruptive and crowded, and many students can’t fully concentrate due to this. Online programs give you the flexibility of both having a designated space for studying and taking your lectures anywhere you feel most productive.
More opportunities for participation
Traditional classroom seating arrangements can often create some sort of hierarchy for participation, where the interactive students will sit in the front while students who avoid interaction will sit further in the back. Virtual learning banishes this phenomenon and creates plenty of space for all students to participate. Online classes offer multiple mediums of communication such as video conferencing, audio, text messaging, discussion boards, etc. This way, even the more reserved students can find a way to express themselves and share their input during class.
The emergence of online education has transformed the way we perceive teaching and learning, shifting towards a self-paced approach, more flexibility, as well as accessibility. These were some of the benefits of online education for nursing, an ever-growing field with plenty of both study and employment opportunities.