Registered Nurse

About the Role

Nursing is a career for those who desire to help the people around them. Online education has opened the doors to many new nursing students allowing them to kick off or advance their career through online degrees. A nursing career can be paused and continued, or taken in small steps to be flexible with life's many surprises. It has never been easier to begin or continue a nursing education!

Career Overview

While it may seem that all nurses have the same degree and perform the same responsibilities, that is certainly not always the case. Being a nurse can have a different meaning for each professional, and there are different degrees and positions to suit each professional's style and goals.

Whether you hope to work with a particular population as a nurse or if you want to work with a particular sort of medicine, whether you want to work a full-time 9 to 5 or a part time at any hour of the day, you can find a career in nursing that fits you.

Job Outlook

Health maintenance is critical to the success of our society, a fact that is being recognized more and more each day. This is the perfect time for professionals interested in a career in the nursing field, as the demand for qualified nurses to keep us healthy is only going up. The United States Department of Labor mentions that, by the year 2024, the job market for nurses is anticipated to increase by 16%—much faster than the national average.

Pay Range

Nursing professionals can earn anywhere from $25,000 to $100,000 depending on the scope of their responsibilities and the amount of education required for the position.

Education Pathways

Nursing careers can be found with every level of education—from a nursing diploma all the way up to a doctorate—so your nursing career really has the potential to be whatever you want it to be.

Here are some of the programs students may consider for their online nursing degree:

• Online BSN degree programs (cost range: $20,000 to $90,000)
• Online MSN degree programs (cost range: $22,000 to $75,000)

All of these types of programs can vary greatly in the ways that they prepare nurses to take on their professional roles. The AACN has an accrediting board that standardizes programs to cover the most vital information and provide nursing students with a quality education. When choosing to advance their career in any direction, nurses should always pay close attention to the authenticity of their program by validating the accreditation.

Licensure & Certification

Every profession in the nursing field requires nurses to demonstrate their qualifications through licensures and certifications. Various positions will have different requirements, so developing nurses should choose a program that will best prepare them for the certification exams that they will need to take after graduation.

Key Qualities for Success

RNs who wish to succeed while advancing their nursing careers online must be ready to communicate with a wide range of individuals in diverse settings. They must be self-motivated and driven by their compassion for others and ready to learn about all the various aspects of nursing on a deeper level.