Archive for July, 2010

There has never been a better time like the present to get a nursing degree online. Not only are there many career options for nursing students, there are also many wonderful career opportunities as well. So, if you have been deciding whether or not to invest in a nursing career, you can rest assure that your investment and time will be well worth it.

Nurse Shortage Crisis

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, nursing shortage is expected to grow annually through 2016. About 233,000 additional jobs for registered nurses will open each year through 2016, in addition to about 2.5 million existing positions. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also reports that RN jobs are one of the top growth industries in the next decade. This indicates that nurses are in high demand and will continue to be for a very long time.

Nursing Programs Online

The demand for nurses will create over a million new jobs in the near future, so right now is the best time to study nursing online. You can improve your career and salary by opting for nursing program with flexible study hours which allows you to work around your current work schedule. There are many nursing degree programs online to choose from such as: certificate or diploma in nursing will prepare you to take your Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) exam. An associate degree and upwards may qualify to take the Registered Nurse (RN) licensure exam. Or you can go for a four-year Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN), post-graduate Masters of Science in Nursing (MSN) or P.D. in Nursing.

Self Fulfillment and Job Satisfaction

There is so much more to being a nurse than just working in a hospital or receiving a paycheck. Being a nurse means you carry immense responsibility on your shoulder. You step into people’s lives on a daily basis and make a big difference. You see people at their worst and at their best. You see life begin and end. You see people’s full capacity for love, courage and endurance. Being a nurse is fulfilling and one of the most important careers you can choose and one of the most important jobs in the world.

Online Nursing Degree Offers Flexibility

Nursing is one of the few careers that offer a wide range of flexibility for work hours and even your work environment. As a nurse, you have the opportunity to choose days, evenings or night shifts. You can also choose three twelve hour shift or four ten-hour shifts per week or work only on the weekends or swing shift – the choice is all yours! You also get to choose the area of specialty you would like to work in. These benefits are very rare in other careers. This is why pursuing an online nursing degrees is so rewarding.

As mentioned above, nurses are in high demand and is expected to grow at a fast pace. The rewards of being a nurse are exceptional! You too can join the majority of nursing students and get your nursing degree online. With the current shortage of nurses across the country; a nursing degree is a great choice.

The thought of going back to school in your senior years is both intimidating and exciting. Due to various reasons, many senior citizens are opting for adult educational opportunities. Online colleges provide the perfect conduit for senior citizens to pursue their educational goals, as they are not required to ever set their foot on the campus of their college.

Senior citizens opt for studying during their senior years for various reasons. These reasons range from just wanting to keep their brain occupied, trying to get into a new profession or to gain formal qualifications for their many life experiences. After the successful pursuit of an online degree, senior citizens can go on to positively contribute to society and their families.

Senior Citizens coping with online campus environment

The increase in the amount of senior citizen attending online colleges prompted one university to conduct a survey among younger students at the college. Many commented that they were happy to be in online classes with senior citizens as they benefit immensely from their wide experience. They are also quite popular among the social network as they spend more time online than the average student does. They also more serious in their approach to their school work, as they believe they must put out extra effort to keep up.

Financial help for Online Senior Citizen Students

Many institutions have recognized the importance education plays to senior citizens. As a result, many initiatives have been established that provides financial aid for senior citizens. These programs come mainly in the form of discounts, grants and scholarships. This support is because senior citizens would not qualify for student loans due their expected remaining life span.

In some cases, senior citizens who are not really in need of a degree, but just want to keep their brains warm, are allowed to virtually sit in classes either for free or at significantly reduced prices. They then have the option of doing classes or sitting examinations. Other online colleges also offer senior citizens eight-week crash programs that they can use to gain new skills. Some of these courses may also offer credits for further studies.

Popular Online Degrees among Senior Citizens

Many online degree options are available for senior citizens. Many senior citizens are interested in closing the technology gap that opened between themselves and their younger generation. As a result, many are now opting for online associate and bachelors in information technology.

The growth of online marketing opportunities has also triggered interest from senior citizens in the field of online marketing. With a degree in online marketing, senior citizens can either start their own business or work for online marketing companies.

Another area of growth among senior citizen online degree programs in the area of vocational training. Online vocational training empowers many senior citizens to learn various skills that they either can use to gain employment or do work around the house. These may include courses in carpentry, plumbing, horticulture or childcare.

Teaching online is not an easy task. Although many individuals may enjoy the freedom that comes with online teaching, many teachers still are wary of entering into the profession. The impeded gravitation to online teaching is fueled by various factors, some of which is based on fact while others based on reports from some disgruntled online teachers. Some of these reasons include:

1. Always Available:

Online institutions expects a quick turnaround time for queries from students. With a classroom consisting of students from all over the world, this translates into being available almost twenty-four hours per day. As a result, some online teachers complain about burn out and tiredness after making them available for extended periods.

2. Lack of campus-wide support:

When teaching the online environment, most of the time you are on your own. The privilege to run next door to another doctor’s office is non-existent. Apart from chat rooms, there are no other medium for teachers to share ideas or just blow off some steam.

3. Always being stuck before a computer:

Instead of walking around a classroom, online teachers are always stuck behind their webcam. As a result, the feel restricted in their teaching which results in their inability to effectively utilize their charisma in getting students involved in the class work.

4. Lack of personal contact:

After the hype on online teaching has passed, many online teachers complain about feeling alone in their environment. They crave the personal touch that is gained from teaching in a traditional classroom.

5. Insensitive administrators:

Many of the administrators of online college are not teachers. They are there to make a profit at the least possible cost. As a result, many of their decisions may make business sense but not necessarily conducive to online learning. This often breaks the backs of many online teachers.

6. Uncertainty of Salaries:

The amount you earn depends on the structure of the online university. Some universities have a small student population and a large volume of teachers. Unfortunately, these universities pay according to class size. So if your class size is small, you will be lucky to earn around $10,000 for the year. However, there are others who pay higher salaries, but with these universities, the workload is tremendous and they expect you to be available all the time.

7. Ill-prepared students:

Many students have a misconception about online learning. They somehow think that online learning is a walk in the park or another source of social networking. As a result, many fall by the wayside or are unable to keep pace with the more dedicated students.

8. International competition:

It is getting more and more difficult to stay in the business of online teaching due to the change in focus of online universities to get reasonable talent overseas. This concept is more prevalent in the less professional institutions. By choosing a professor from a developing country who is will to work for a fraction of your salary, it significantly reduces your competitiveness.

9. Hardware requirement:

To be a successful online teacher, one must make significant investment in computer hardware in order to deliver your classes to your students. With some institutions, this cost must come from your pocket. In addition, these universities expect you to keep pace with all the latest technologies.

10. Extensive training required:

Online teaching has a different approach from regular classroom teaching. As a result, teachers must be specially trained in the science of online education. This takes away from your limited downtime with your family.

An online career is no different than any other career and takes just as much work and dedication as a career in an office building or in a corner office in your living room. Most people think that because they get to work online somehow they can slack off , work whenever and however they choose, not give it their all, or not take it seriously, but that is not the case or at least should not be the case if you want to build a successful online career.

Step 1:

Think about something you are good at and enjoy doing. Most people who enjoy what they do are usually successful at doing it. Once you have decided on what you enjoy doing as an online career start mapping out your career path.

Step 2:

Take the time to really think about what it is you want or need from your work, from your online career. Are you looking to become financially independent? To effect change? To be famous? Take the time to understand the motives that drive your sense of success and happiness.

Step 3:

Can you be successful in your career without setting goals? Of course you can, but you can become even more successful by setting goals and going after them. So set short-term and long-term goals by developing a roadmap for your job and career success.

Step 4:

Stay competitive in the job market by gaining the skills and training necessary to maintain a competitive edge in the workforce.

Step 5:

People who are successful in their careers have constructed their personal and professional lives to be around people who help them succeed. So stay connected and get the support you need to achieve your goals. You’ll be building a network of supportive individuals who know what you’re about and where you’re headed.

Step 6:

Last but definitely not least, be true to yourself and stay in touch with who you are and your personal definition of success. While success is viewed differently from one person to the next, you will need to figure out what the measures are that you will use to determine your success. Being crystal clear on what success looks like in your view can help you to stay focused on reaching your career goals.

In conclusion, there’s an entirely new virtual career world to explore! But how are you going to explore it? In order for you as an online career person to achieve success, you will need to treat your online career just as any other career opportunities that you want to be successful at. There’s a right way and a wrong way to build a successful career and the wrong move can sink your career.