If you are ready to become a nurse, consider a nursing program that incorporates online learning. Many of the key benefits of online learning can improve your nursing school experience, such as increased flexibility and independence. While there are a few disadvantages, you can prepare and adjust accordingly.
In 2021, 61% of undergraduate students in the U.S. were enrolled in at least one online class, according to the U.S. Department of Education, and many students earn a degree entirely online. With the growing popularity of online learning, you may wonder whether it’s possible to earn a nursing degree online. While there are key benefits of online learning for future nurses, the nature of the field requires hands-on experiential learning, which must be done in person.
We’re committed to helping you gain a high-quality, well-rounded nursing education at Averett University. Our Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program in Norfolk, Virginia, allows you to reap the advantages of online learning while gaining extensive hands-on clinical experience in diverse practice areas. By building off your previous college experience, you can earn your Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) in as few as 16 months.
As you plan your nursing education, you’ll want to consider the potential drawbacks and pros of online learning. You should also consider how online learning works for a nursing degree.
Why Online Learning Is a Game-Changer for Aspiring Nurses
Nursing is a hands-on practice that requires experiential learning, so you cannot receive a nursing degree through a 100% online degree program. That said, online education is indeed a game-changer for future nurses.
Many nursing degree programs, such as Averett’s ABSN program, utilize a hybrid method that combines online learning with experiential components, such as hands-on nursing simulation labs and clinical rotations. This hybrid format combines all the benefits of online learning with hands-on experiences, so you can receive a comprehensive education on an accelerated timeline.
Learn how to make a career change to nursing in just five steps.
The Top Advantages of Online Education for Nursing Students
There are many key benefits of online learning that aren’t available in traditional, in-person lectures.
1. Online Learning Is Convenient
Unlike a traditional college experience, where you must sit for hours in a lecture hall, a hybrid curriculum allows you to adapt to school around your schedule. You’ll be able to learn when and where it works best for you, balancing other commitments and reducing time spent commuting.
You must still stick to your coursework schedule, however, and complete all assignments on time, but it’s far more flexible than non-hybrid learning.
2. You Use a Variety of Learning Methods
At Averett, our online learning management system (LMS) offers interactive content suited to various learning preferences. Traditional nursing programs often consist of a lecture, in which you take notes while following a presentation. Some students need help focusing, and watching a lecture may not be how you learn best.
Our online resources allow you to study in a way tailored to your ideal learning approach. For example, you can repeatedly review challenging concepts and enjoy visual and auditory learning materials.
3. Online Learning Benefits Your Family
If you have a family, incorporating online learning into your nursing education benefits them because you can complete classes at home. You can take your kids to school, eat dinner with them, and be present for their lives, even if you are studying much of the time.
4. You Can Optimize Your Time
Another of the top benefits of online learning is the efficiency factor. In an accelerated program, you want every minute of studying to count. You can optimize your time by interactively studying your review guides rather than sitting in a lecture hall taking notes. In other words, online classes facilitate active learning.
5. You Have More Independence
One of the best advantages of online education is the greater independence and accountability. At Averett, independence and accountability balance each other. While online students enjoy more independence, they are still held accountable to their deadlines, in-person exams, and regular interaction with instructors and students.
6. You Can Incorporate Group Studying
Online learning opens the door for effective group study scenarios. Successful ABSN students often do well because they make a point to meet with a study group regularly. Small groups help students learn faster through collaboration and peer teaching. Peers help each other study and keep each other accountable, taking their knowledge to the next level.
Because a hybrid online ABSN program’s schedule doesn’t require you to be in class at a set time every day, you’ll have more time for self-directed group learning.
How long does it take to become an RN? Learn what you might expect from an ABSN program timeline.
Is Online School Better Than In-Person Learning?
Ultimately, whether online school is better than in-person learning is a matter of personal preference. Some students prefer in-person classes, while others prefer to complete coursework online from wherever they learn best. If you’ve never taken an online class before and are unsure whether it suits you, consider taking a prerequisite course online.
Prerequisites are often required for ABSN applicants because these applicants typically have a non-healthcare background and haven’t previously studied nursing. Prerequisites help you establish the right academic foundation to succeed in nursing school. Since they’re often available online, you can see whether online learning is right for you.
Disadvantages of Online Learning
Although there are many pros of online learning, there are also a few drawbacks. Some students may work better with face-to-face interaction, for example. Note, however, that Averett’s online coursework does offer plenty of opportunities for both online and in-person interactions.
You’ll communicate with your cohort through online discussion forums and interact face-to-face during labs. You can reach your instructors via email, text, phone, or in person during office hours.
Another potential drawback is that online students require an inner drive to stay on top of assignments. It’s important to stick to a schedule to ensure you stay on track. If you start to feel overwhelmed, know that you’re not alone and have support from your cohort as you both work through the program together. Also, our faculty want to see you succeed and are available to provide advice when needed.
A third potential drawback is the possibility of technical issues. You’ll need a modern computer and a reliable Wi-Fi connection. If you experience any technical issues with our e-learning platform, our support team can assist you.
How Does Online Learning Work in Nursing School?
The online coursework establishes key science and nursing concepts that you must understand before performing essential nursing tasks. This is one part of Averett’s online-based ABSN program. You will also complete skills and simulation labs at the Norfolk ABSN Learning Center. Additionally, you will complete clinical rotations at leading healthcare facilities nearby.
Skills and Simulation Labs
Skills labs allow you to practice what you’ve learned online in a simulated clinical environment. You’ll learn how to assess vital signs, insert IVs, dress wounds, and more.
During simulation labs, you’ll practice caring for high-fidelity manikins that exhibit life-like symptoms and real-time reactions to care, enabling you to develop clinical judgment. Instructors are nearby to manage the simulation and provide performance feedback.
Clinical Rotations
ABSN programs also include a series of clinical rotations, during which you’ll work alongside registered nurses. At Averett, students complete 488 direct hands-on hours at top healthcare facilities in Virginia in addition to the 97 clinical hours via simulation at the Norfolk ABSN Learning Center. In total, you’ll complete 585 clinical hours.
These placements provide real-world experience in various specialties, allowing you to practice caring for patients with a variety of health issues.
Start Your Journey Toward Becoming a Nurse
If you have at least 60 non-nursing college credits or a non-nursing bachelor’s degree, you may be eligible to apply to the ABSN program at Averett and take advantage of the benefits of online learning. We can enroll more students each year by offering three start dates annually in January, May, and August.
The online coursework in the Averett ABSN program is flexible and interactive, but it is only one part of the learning process. If you’d like to learn more about our blended learning model and how it could help you become a skilled, practice-ready nurse, contact our admissions team today.