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What is involved in studying online nursing? What jobs are there for nurses? What are the education requirements, and how much can you expect to earn after completion? These are some of the questions that you may have on your mind if you’re thinking of a career in nursing.

Nurses are the human face of health care. As anybody who has been in hospital knows, nurses provide direct patient care and are the first point of contact for treatment and diagnosis. They have always been incredibly important in the health care profession and as the nature of health care changes, their importance is growing.

What is studied in a Nursing Program? Nursing education usually includes courses in anatomy, physiology, biological sciences, microbiology, chemistry, nutrition, psychology, sociology, nursing, pharmacology, statistics, environmental and occupational health, and the liberal arts. But you can’t learn everything about being a nurse online. Programs also include supervised clinical experience in hospitals and other healthcare facilities.

Nursing professionals are always in demand all over the world. There are opportunities for nurses in several major settings, including: Hospitals; Clinics/Centers/Healthcare Offices in doctors’ offices, clinics, and emergency medical centers; Nursing Homes; Schools; Home Care/Hospice – providing nursing services to patients at home; Public Health Prevention/Education Programs.

The U.S. Department of Labor reports that employment of registered nurses is expected to grow over 20% up to 2016. Rapid growth is expected to occur in particular in the number of nurses required for hospital outpatient facilities due to technological advances in patient care, the growing trend in discharging patients earlier and performing more procedures as outpatients. Hospital jobs for nurses will not grow as rapidly ” but will grow. The aging population of the country will also lead to the need for more nurses.

To be a Registered Nurse (RN) in the United States, you must pass the relevant National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) or in Canada you must pass the Canadian Registered Nurse Examination (CRNE). This exam tests that you have the knowledge and problem solving skills needed to provide adequate health care to patients and is needed in order to work in any health care facility. The NCLEX-RN is taken by both Associate Degree (ADN) and Bachelors Degree (BSN) prepared nurses and the pass rates are about the same for both ADN and BSN prepared nurses. Make sure that your chosen program prepares you for the NCLEX Nurse Registration exam.

Further training or education online for nursing can qualify you to work in specialty areas, and help advance your career. Many existing licensed registered nurses (RNs) with an Associate degree or diploma take online nursing programs at Bachelor’s level, to enable them to assume positions of responsibility in a variety of health care settings. These can be administrative positions in nursing, but could also be other positions in home health, nursing education, or health care case management.

Your salary will obviously depend on which role you pursue, your qualifications and experience. The median expected salary for a typical Staff Nurse is over $61,000 (Salary.com).

The author Sophia Peters writes articles for the Online and Distance Learning web site where there are more details of online health care and nursing programs. Visit the web site for more information on online and distance learning programs.