You can earn your online nursing degree, but as with any online degree program, you must be self disciplined and motivated to succeed. These degree programs are offered at many accredited nursing schools throughout the United States that will prepare you to take advantage of the growing demand in the medical and health care industries. Demand for health care professionals, and professionals with a degree in nursing in particular, is expected to grow by 36 percent by the year 2010, with the need for nurse practitioners and other advanced practice registered nurses among the greatest. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Employment in home healthcare is expected to grow rapidly. Due to the ever growing response to the number of older persons with functional disabilities, as well as consumer preference for care in the home, and technological advances that make it possible to bring increasingly complex treatments into the home, an online nursing degree can be in your best interest. The type of care demanded will require nurse degree graduates who are able to perform complex procedures. To improve operational efficiency and quality of care, employers are demanding nurses and managers with current expertise. To help you excel in this dynamic field, there are several programs geared to deliver accelerated online health care and a nursing degree to adult professions.

Benefits of Online nursing degree programs

There are many benefits in attaining a degree in nursing and if you have a strong desire and are highly motivated, you can accomplish this.

• You can complete the course work to obtain a degree quickly and conveniently, and at your schedule.

• Online degree programs are less expensive than attending a physical college location, not to mention the travel time.

• Flexible online degree programs allow you to work around personal commitments as long as you complete your assignments on time.

• You are able to tailor your curriculum to meet your specific goals; you'll study an up-to-date curriculum that addresses the critical needs of the health care industry.

• With computer experience, you have available In-depth exposure to online tools being widely used in today's business environments.

• You can complete your online health care or online degree in just 2 to 3 years. (Even sooner if you have qualifying credits or work experience.)

Is There Any Value In An Online Nursing Degree?

• More and more employers are seeking nurses with a degree at the bachelor's and graduate-degree levels who can deliver the higher complexity of care required across a variety of acute-care, primary-care, and community health settings, and to provide other needed services such as case management, health promotion, and disease prevention.

• Since nurses comprise the largest single component of hospital staff, they are the primary providers of hospital patient care, and an online nurse degree can prepare you for this.

• A degree in nursing can prepare you for employment at hospitals, as well as many other settings, including private practices, public health agencies, just to name a few.

• A nursing degree can qualify you for a better than average salary. The average annual earnings of registered nurses employed in nursing was $46,782 in 2000, according to the federal Division of Nursing. Nurse practitioners, advanced clinical nurses prepared at the master's-degree level, earned an average of $61,262, while nurses with doctoral degrees earned an average $63,262.

To summarize, an online degree in nursing can prepare you for an exciting and rewarding profession. Plus, the added satisfaction of helping and caring for others can be a big factor in your life. As with choosing any career, just be certain that this is what you really want to do. This can be a high pressure and demanding vocation. In addition, before choosing any nursing degree program, be certain that it has been accredited and will be recognized by your employer.