If you’re interested in health specialties, but want to study through the courses available on the Internet, you must give a read to the prerequisites for online nursing, in order to get a degree from your online nursing course.
You don’t think of a nurse as an assistant to a physician employed only for handing over the instruments to him during an operation, do you? You better not, for today, nursing has moved beyond assistance, and involves direct patient treatment and care. They provide medication, therapies, and treatments to ensure their patient’s recovery and healthy lifestyle.
Today, when more and more people are getting sick due to numerous causes, the need for nursing professionals is increasing beyond imagination. More and more nurses are required to take care of the patients by providing them proper medication, and assistance.
Given that the importance of nurses cannot be neglected under any circumstances, it was an obvious move for the health care industry to introduce online nursing schools for those medical aspirants who wish to frame a career as a nurse, and begin their career as a significant part of the health care industry. If studying online seems to be favorable to you, some prerequisites need to be taken account of, before you register for a program in nursing. Let’s take a look at what they are.
Online Nursing School: Eligibility
Every college has their own set of course prerequisites, but there are certain subjects that almost every institution requires you to obtain, before you enroll for an online course there. To start with, one needs to complete courses in Chemistry, Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology, Nutrition, Statistics, Sociology and Psychology. As a student, it is your responsibility to confirm the number of credits your online school requires for these subjects.
Note that, many schools often replace a few of these subjects with knowledge in Mathematics, Economics, and Psychology. But this, you have to confirm before you enroll for the online nursing course. Along with the courses, the applicant must have knowledge about the Principles of Human Growth and Development, Speech Communication, and College Composition, all of which form a greater part of the prerequisites for online nursing.
Many online schools for nursing require a minimum GPA of 2.0, along with an appearance in Pre-Admission Exam where the applicant is required to score more than 70% to be eligible for enrolling in the online nursing school. It is after all these prerequisites are met that an applicant can register for online studies in nursing.
Essential Tips
For those who have a family to raise, or are working alongside, an online nursing program can prove to be extremely beneficial in not only enhancing their portfolio, but will also save a lot of their time. While medical universities all over the world understand that it is not possible for every student to attend college, the online courses become all the more significant. This is what you should look for:
Select the Online Nursing School
For whichever course you want to apply for, you need to communicate with the school, and note down their requirements. Many online nursing schools require their applicants to be versed with basic medicine, communication skills, and medical terminology. It also depends upon the level of nursing program you choose to take up. Other than the educational qualifications, also confirm the fee structure, the duration of the course, and course structure.
Check for Residency Program
If you’re applying for a higher degree, chances are, your nursing school will require you to enroll for the residency program in nursing. In this program, students are expected to spend a few days in campus, and learn about the local medical facilities. Lab work, hands-on training, and clinicals are a part of the residency program, and unless and until you’ve applied for a degree parallel to the bachelor’s or the master’s, this shouldn’t be a requisite. Hence, check whether in your nursing school, this one is a requisite or not.
Access to the Internet
One of the most important aspects of online learning is the availability of the Internet. Your course may have you hooked on to your computer system for hours, and hence, for this reason, you would be needing a computer system that has 24 hours of Internet access. If it is not possible for you to have a personal computer system, you could opt for a monthly subscription with any Internet service nearby, where you can study online for a particular number of hours daily.
Manage Your Time Accordingly
While offline studying doesn’t really require time-management, since you’re in college most of the time, an online nursing course does require management of time, especially when you’re employed, or are raising a family. Your nursing school expects you to complete your assignments on time, and take your tests before time to minimize any inconveniences. Your professor will set a particular deadline for you, and it is a must for you to adhere to it, so that you don’t end up creating hassles for yourself throughout and post your nursing program completion.
Distance learning courses often require extra heed to the learning process, since there isn’t a particular person that will assist you all throughout. It is upon you to study, understand, and learn everything without the help of your peers, if you’re serious about your career in nursing. Hence, if you believe you can efficiently take up an online nursing course to further your horizons, there isn’t a scarceness of courses in the US. However, if you find it difficult to cope up with your education and your other responsibilities, you need to ponder over things from a different point of view this time.