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Online Nursing Schools: How They Work

Online nursing schools offer a tempting alternative to traditional nursing schools, especially with the waiting lists that plague nursing programs across the country these days. But how does an online nursing school work? Can you really get all your nursing education online? Here are the facts:

You can complete your nursing education online if you are already a licensed practical nurse, paramedic, respiratory therapist, or chiropractor, depending on the online program you are applying for.

This also varies by state; you should check with your state Board of Nursing to make sure they accredit the online school you are interested in. Also, some states approve the LPN to RN program but not the Paramedic or Respiratory Therapist to RN program, so be sure to check before you enroll.

Once you sign up, you can take courses at your own pace. If you have prerequisites that you need to complete, you can take them through the online nursing school program. They are likely to be more expensive when taken through the online program, so you may want to take them beforehand at your local community college.

Prerequisite courses are likely to include nutrition, psychology, anatomy and physiology I and II, microbiology, speech, college-level algebra, and possibly a few others. It varies by school, but those courses must be completed with passing grades before you can begin your online LPN to RN program.

Another thing to check before committing to an online program: Will they accept transfer credits from state universities and community colleges? Some do, some don’t. If you’ve already taken some of your prerequisite classes, try to make sure you enroll in an online nursing program that accepts those transfer credits. Why waste all that time and money retaking classes?

Finally, online programs will have a person in your area who oversees their “clinics.” These are completed at local hospitals or medical facilities under the supervision of a registered nurse who is trained to teach nursing students. You will learn to assess patient conditions, develop care plans, and administer medications, under the direction of the registered nurse. You are not paid during these clinics; it’s basically on-the-job training.

If you already have an LPN, paramedic, or other medical degree or certificate, and want to research for an advanced degree and advance your career, you should definitely consider an online nursing school.

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