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How To Pick the Best Online Nursing Schools

by Jeff Morrow

Almost 41,500 nurses were either put on waiting lists or not accepted to nursing school last year. If you are a registered nurse (RN) upset about not getting into nursing school, but don't want to be put on a waiting list to earn your BSN degree, or worse yet apply and be turned down to nursing school, you may want to read this article about the great benefits of online nursing schools.

RN to BSN Online Nursing Programs - A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree is the key to rapid advancement in the nursing profession. However, most students don't think it is an option to apply to an online nursing school which is located out of state or across the country. Yet some of the best, fully accredited nursing schools offer their nursing program online to students throughout the United States.

This article will discuss the benefits of earning an RN to BSN nursing degree online, and the criteria to use when choosing a top ten nursing school to attend.

While online nursing programs are relatively unknown, they are, by no means a fad. Nursing students can take advantage of the opportunity to attend nursing school online.

Five Benefits of Online Nursing Schools Nursing students will be pleasantly surprised to learn about the many benefits of attending an online nursing school. The benefits of online nursing schools include:

1. No waiting lists However this may change soon

2. Attend classes anytime and anywhere an Internet connection is available

3. Save driving time, parking time, and walking to and from class time

4. Save money as online schools can be as much as one half the cost of campus programs

5. Earn a degree quickly, in as few as 30 credit hours

How to Find the Best Online Nursing Schools in Three Steps - When looking into any school, it is important to understand the kind of degree you will earn. Picking the wrong school can be detrimental to your career. Use these three tips when finding an online nursing school to attend:

1. Attend a FULLY accredited nursing school. Regional accreditation is the highest form of accreditation that a schools can receive. There are only six regional accrediting bodies for colleges and universities in the United States:

- Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

- New England Association of Schools and Colleges

- North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

- Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

- Western Association of Schools and Colleges

- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

2. If you are looking for the best online nursing school to attend, find one with a supplemental nursing accreditation such as one from the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

3. Look for a non-profit school. Usually colleges and universities offer the best nursing school education. These schools are often associated with hospitals, so the nurse educators are some of the best in their field. Even if you are an out-of-state student, attending school online will likely be less expensive than attending campus-based program.

Why an Accredited Nursing School Might Save Your Career - Attending a fully accredited nursing school has many advantages over attending a lesser accredited college or university. Do not take a chance when it comes to your nursing career. Make sure you get the best possible education for these two reasons:

1. Attending an accredited school ensures that the classes you pass will be accepted should you transfer from one school to another or if you plan on gaining an second degree. In a regulated profession like nursing, earning an accredited degree will ensure compliance with any employer.

2. If you want help to pay for nursing school, attend a regionally accredited nursing school. The only schools allowed to offer a full package of federally funded financial aid are the regionally accredited colleges and universities. Otherwise, the financial aid options available to you will be limited

Getting a degree from an online nursing school, may not have been your first thought when you considered being a nurse, but you can earn an accredited and sometime prestigious degree when you graduation from an online nursing schools.

Published February 26th, 2008

Filed in Career, Education