Online learning has become a hot topic in the world of post secondary education options. While criticized by many, online education offers many opportunities as a solution to growing problems in the world of education. No other spectrum of education notes the potential for online learning quite as well as nursing programs.
The United States is currently in the throes of a nursing shortage, alongside many other major health care professions. As of 2009, an estimated 116,000 positions served by nurses throughout hospitals across the country, and nearly 100,000 employment positions within nursing homes, will remain unfilled. This creates a health-care crisis, as the number of retiring nurses will leave higher numbers of positions unfilled and at the same time increases the numbers of seniors requiring care. The answer to this dilemma has been to create a marketing strategy aimed toward recruiting youth for nursing. This strategy has been highly effective; however, it has itself been, affected by the decline in qualified Nursing Educators and teaching staff due to the high rate of retirement, in conflict with the now high demand for nursing programs.
In 2002, according the AACN 2003 report, 5,000 qualified applicants to nursing schools across the country were turned away. During 2003, this number more than doubled to 11,000 applicants. As the population ages, so do our staff of qualified teachers with Masters of Science in Nursing. The best, and yet, most unlikely solution to this complication could be online nursing programs.
Online nursing programs in general have taken a lot of critism, primarily citing reasons that student and teacher lack not only connection, but structure as well. Critics have also judged the content and validity of lessons, and in cases where students may require hands on training, the obvious lack thereof present through online courses. However, online education also offers several seldom heard of positive qualities which may offer the solution to the nursing shortage via online nursing programs. Online nursing programs offer a flexible course structure, enabling students and teachers to take lessons on their time. This is a fantastic option for those who are employed full time while pursuing post secondary education, as well as single parents, and other individuals whose time is limited by day to day activities of real life responsibilities.
Online nursing programs are also not contained to classroom settings. This means the teacher has the ability to literally teach an infinite number of students without having to consider the space constraints of an actual classroom. This provides a very realistic, functional, as well as accommodating, solution to the problem of limited professional teaching staff available in the nursing field quite well. As Faculty nursing staff retire, this no longer limits the number of students that can accepted and taught by a limited number of nursing professionals. Online nursing programs therefore have the ability to solve the problem of turning away countless numbers of individuals whom are interested in pursuing careers in nursing.
Finally, in addition to the afore mentioned positive aspects of online nursing programs, one must also consider that such programs could very much reduce the cost of traditional program tuitions for students, while also creating infinite amounts of income for an institution limited only by the number of online nursing program attendants they are willing to accept. Due to a lack of limited space available, and a wealth of online text book, studying, and material options, while also increasing the amount of students that can be taught by a single teacher, decreasing the need for a large teaching staff, students often experience a drop in tuition costs when taking courses online. Conversely, while institution offering the online courses can accept a largely increased number of students. A larger enrolled student body means the possibility of an increase in tuition and the end result is invariably more profit for the institution.
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