Online nursing education

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Hi everyone. I am new to this forum. I am looking into going back to school to go into the nursing field. I was wondering what you, as nurses, thought about online nursing schools. I was wondering if you thought the traditional way of going to an actual campus and interacting with others was more beneficial. Do you think, as tough as nursing school is, that it can be learned adequately online thru institutions such as Univ. of Phoenix or Kaplan Univ?

I put my application into a local community college but wanted some input and advice from you on the online education.

Thank you!

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Specializes in med/surg, ortho, rehab, ltc.

Hi and welcome to allnurses.

You've asked a good question. Wish I could help but I have no experience with online course work. Do you know what online degree options are available for nurse hopefuls? It seems like it would depend on your starting point. ie, current level or education, experience in a medical field, work experience, age etc.

In my case- I graduated from an ADN program in 1996. Nursing school wasn't easy for me...but I benefited from face-to-face interaction with instructions and classmates. In my opinion once someone had an LPN or ADN, online classes for higher degrees would be doable. (I'm currently looking into online degrees BA, BSN or BS and I'm asking myself the same questions you have.)

Good luck.

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Specializes in hospice.
Hi everyone. I am new to this forum. I am looking into going back to school to go into the nursing field. I was wondering what you, as nurses, thought about online nursing schools. I was wondering if you thought the traditional way of going to an actual campus and interacting with others was more beneficial. Do you think, as tough as nursing school is, that it can be learned adequately online thru institutions such as Univ. of Phoenix or Kaplan Univ?

I put my application into a local community college but wanted some input and advice from you on the online education.

Thank you!

Sorry, I can't help you much on that, either. The only advice I can give you is to consider how far you want to go in your degree. If you choose to go on past Univ. of Phx or Kaplan (I don't know how far their degree programs go), you might want to have an idea of the next school you'd go to. I say this because I know for sure that my college does not matriculate with Univ. of Phx, therefore they won't accept the credits you've earned there. And it sure would be frustrating to have put in all of that effort, only to find out you can't take those units and apply them to your next degree. :banghead:

To make a long story short, check around with the other schools in your area (make an appt. w/ a Health Sciences counselor; they could give you the best info), and find out if they take credits from the schools you've mentioned.

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I think online classes are becoming more accepted. I plan to finish my LPN program in December. I took my first online class, nutrition, over the summer. I attend a community college, and the school offers a lot of online course options.

I'm continuing at the same school to start my RN in January. The RN program has a morning, evening, and a flexible option that includes online classes for students. The online option has the majority of classes online, but clinical hours and some courses in a traditional classroom setting. Since I want to work as a LPN while doing my RN, I'm seriously considering the online option. I'll see more this Fri during an orientation. I hear really good reviews about online classes, had a good experience with my nutrition, and know that the courses are just as intensive if not more so than traditional courses.

Nursing school is consuming, no way around it. I think that online courses can be appropriate for someone who is really driven and mature with study habits. Good luck!

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Hi! Thanks for all your advice, everyone.

What I found out today is that you can't actually get your RN online thru the online programs. Institutions like University of Phoenix offers advanced degree programs for RNs like BSN and MSN for people who have already got their RN. They can't offer an RN because of clinicals. Which totally makes sense to me now...

I am going to enroll in the pre-nursing courses at a local community college here in Rockford, IL and work towards my RN. I don't know what the wait list is like here but I have the prereq courses I need to do anyway. So we'll see....

Thanks again!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

AngieRPR,

Congrats on making your decision! Keep us posted on your progress.

BTW, I am one of 'those people' who just don't like online classes. I don't have the discipline it takes & I need more interaction with faculty & fellow students.

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