The Five Biggest Myths About Online Nursing Degrees

From UT Arlington College of Nursing:

1. Sitting in a classroom is the only way to really learn.
The nurses participating in an RN to BSN program all have plenty of clinical experience and the program is designed specifically to teach critical thinking, leadership/management strategies, community health advocacy and research skills. These are all areas that have proven well-suited for the online context and the method has produced thousands of successful holistic health care providers.

2. My degree will say “Online Nursing Graduate.”
A BSN from a State University’s online program is the equivalent of a campus BSN. And the degree will not indicate that the student has completed his or her education online. Keep in mind that both the online and campus programs are run fully by University faculty and feature the University’s curriculum.

3. Only tech experts need apply.
Most online nursing courses are very easy to navigate. Thousands of nurses with basic computer skills have successfully completed their RN to BSN programs online.

4. There isn’t any interaction with teachers and I won’t get personalized attention.
There are many opportunities for students to connect with their professors and fellow classmates in online programs. In our experience, we find that teachers and students engage in substantive conversations online that help build productive relationships and lead to a deeper understanding of the material. The level of engagement, we have found, is even higher than in traditional classrooms, in which some students may never participate.

5. I won’t have time.
It’s not easy, but it can be done, especially since the courses are paced in 5 and 8 week modules which nurses take one at a time, rather than the usual 3-4 courses at a time in the traditional 15 week semester that most people are used to. The majority of our students are full-time nurses and working adults who may be holding down a full-time job, running a family and assuming additional responsibilities. Student enrollment across the board has increased significantly this past year, in part because students have the flexibility to learn at their own pace. Evenings, weekends, lunch breaks, early morning, you name it. You can build a schedule to meet your lifestyle. Moreover, many nurses can use tuition reimbursement from hospitals to cover online RN to BSN education.