Nursing is a broad and incredibly layered field within the healthcare sector. If you have been wondering whether or not a career in nursing is right for you, this guide will provide you with all the information you need to make the best decision.
Why Choose Nursing?
Although nursing is known for being a particularly tough job when it comes to emotional, psychological, and physical challenges, it is also ranked as one of the most rewarding and fulfilling jobs available. Common challenges include having to see people in pain, long hours with no rest, and a high-pressure work environment. However, many nurses experience a great deal of satisfaction with their job since it provides them with an opportunity to improve the lives of other people in a meaningful and direct way. If you are a compassionate, determined individual with the capacity to show patience and empathy to anyone, then nursing might be a good career choice for you.
What Level Are You Currently at in Your Career?
Perhaps you have recently graduated high school and are thinking about possible career paths to take. Perhaps you are already a registered nurse looking to advance your career by developing your skills and adding to your list of qualifications. Nursing has many routes within the field since there are different kinds of medical care and hierarchies of responsibility within each one. Your current level of education, experience, and qualifications will determine how to proceed when looking for learning opportunities online.
What Are the Main Advantages of Online Learning?
Online learning is a relatively recent development in the world of education. Ever since the internet became commonplace and widely used, it has been implemented as a tool for gaining knowledge. There are plenty of advantages to opting for an online nursing program as opposed to a traditional in-person one.
The Ability to Choose Your Own Schedule
One of the most obvious perks of having your studies take place online is that the remote nature of the lessons allows for a more flexible timetable compared to traditional classes. Many programs send students the requisite materials and invite them to online lectures or tutorials. Whilst both teachers and students usually prefer to engage with these online lessons live, some schools are very understanding of students’ other responsibilities and therefore provide recorded versions of the lessons so they can catch up in their own time. This allows for greater flexibility than ordinary classes.
A Wider Choice of Education Providers
When hoping to do your studies through a traditional program of in-person lessons, you will be limited in your scope of potential colleges due to their locations. Even if you are willing to commute each day or even move so that you live closer to the campus, the fact that the school is location-specific means that you have fewer choices. However, if you opt for remote learning through an online program, offered by either an exclusively online school or a school with additional online programs, then you can be more flexible about your location. Some institutions still limit the number of students per program by setting a cut-off for distance, but this doesn’t stop online learning from being more accessible to people unable to travel or relocate.
Maintaining a Healthy Balance Between Studying, Working, and Life
When you are a student at a traditional campus with in-person lessons, it is much more difficult to maintain a healthy work-life balance since your environment is tailored specifically for your studies. While this can be useful if you only want to focus on your program, it can get in the way if you also want to balance your social life, family life, and work life. Depending on how far along in your nursing career you might be, you may have to juggle your studies along with a day job. Online learning makes it easier to manage your time and your lifestyle in a healthier way.
Accessibility
Not only are online programs ideal for people who would prefer not to have their time eaten up by traveling to campus, but they are also perfect for people with accessibility issues. This might be to do with mobility or sensory impairment. While many schools are trying to become more inclusive and accessible, your own device will already be set to your requirements and preferences.
Variety
If you have been having difficulty finding the right nursing program for you, looking for it at an online school might be the answer. If your nearby institutions don’t have what you need to progress your career in the direction you want, there are most likely plenty of online resources to help you out. You can be very specific in your search terms to find the exact nursing program you want.
What Are the Disadvantages to Online Learning?
While online learning is an exceptionally versatile, accessible, and practical method of gaining your nursing qualifications, there can be some downsides. Here are some examples of disadvantages to online education that you should think about when planning your next steps.
Lack of Imposed Structure Can Hinder Study
One of the benefits mentioned previously about remote learning is how it allows students to create their own timetable to suit their unique needs. However, this also has the potential to be a disadvantage. Some people struggle with maintaining a firm routine even when they are dedicated to their studies and career. A campus environment and the accountability that comes with attending in-person classes can help to provide this sense of structure and discipline.
Placements and Practical Work
Nursing is a mixture of theoretical and practical work. Learning remotely can make it more of a challenge for schools to adequately provide the practical training a nurse needs for their qualifications. Luckily, many schools find a way around this by helping students find placements in nearby hospitals or doctor surgeries where they can learn these skills themselves.
The Quality of Your Learning Environment is Your Responsibility
It is up to the remote student to set up their own study environment so that it’s maximally efficient and conducive to learning. Unfortunately, online learning allows for slack that could distract even the most focused and hardworking of students.
Fewer Opportunities to Interact with Other Students on Your Program
Student life is often about being sociable with classmates and having fun between studying. Online learning takes this aspect out of the equation. While new students might feel that something is missing, if you’re further ahead in your nursing career, then you’re most likely far too busy with work, placements, and your own personal life to worry about missing out on student parties.
Fortunately, due to the flexibility and overall accessibility of studying online, many of the potential disadvantages can easily be overcome. You might find that these disadvantages don’t apply to your personal situation or that they have relatively straightforward solutions. One of the most important skills a nurse can possess is resourcefulness, so finding ways to solve these issues is great practice for your career.
Plan Your Nursing Career
Whether you’re just beginning to set yourself up for a career in nursing or you have already been working in the field for many years, it’s important to have a plan for your career. Nursing has a variety of opportunities and you should keep an eye out for what suits you best. For example, if you want to become a family nurse practitioner, then you will need to search for a program that offers what you are looking for. Think about which areas of nursing interest you the most and what you can imagine yourself enjoying as a job in the future.
Reach Out to Other Nurses and Nursing Students
Studying online means that you will need to be more proactive about reaching out to other nurses and making professional connections. You can connect to the other students on your particular program or get in touch with nurses at your placement hospital. There are always opportunities to learn from other nurses, even if they are at the beginning of their careers.
Make the Most of Your Study Time
Even if you have already been a student nurse and are now looking for future opportunities by expanding your knowledge and adding to your qualifications, it is worthwhile to dedicate time to your studies without distraction. You may live with family or have other responsibilities but set aside time in a peaceful place where you can work on your nursing program. If it has been a few years since the last time you had to learn formally, be patient with yourself as you settle into the flow of studying. Don’t panic if you can’t instantly absorb every piece of new information. View your setbacks not as failures but as obstacles that you are more than capable of overcoming.
This guide has hopefully cleared up most of your questions about whether or not you should study online to advance your nursing career.
