Accredited
On-Line Master of Nursing Degree Programs: What you Should Know.
Registered
nurses held about 2.5 million jobs in 2004 as the largest healthcare
occupation. About 3 out of 5 jobs were in hospitals, in inpatient and
outpatient departments. Other registered nurses worked in offices of
physicians, nursing care facilities, home healthcare services,
employment
services, government agencies, and outpatient care centers. The
remainder
worked mostly in social assistance agencies and educational services,
public
and private. About 1 in 5 RNs worked part time.
Salaries of
Registered Nurses:
Median annual
earnings of registered nurses were $48,090 in 2002. The middle 50
percent
earned between $40,140 and $57,490. The lowest 10 percent of registered
nurses
earned less than $33,970, and the highest 10 percent earned more than
$69,670.
Median annual earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers
of
registered nurses in 2002 were as follows:
Employment services $55,980
General medical and surgical hospitals $49,190
Home health care services $45,890
Offices of physicians $44,870
Nursing care facilities $43,850
Many employers offer flexible work schedules, childcare, educational
benefits,
and bonuses.
*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S.
Department of Labor, Occupational
Outlook Handbook, 2004-05 Edition
Getting an
On-Line Masters in Nursing has Never been Easier.
A
recent major shift in nursing education has been the dramatic increase
in the number and popularity of on line nursing masters degree
programs. More and more nurses are turning to RN degrees on
line
as a way of furthering their careers and income. Getting an
on
line nursing masters degree is in some ways more practical than getting
basic RN degrees on line, because it is usually less hands on,
work-skill related and more related to nursing administration,
management, hospital organizational issues, and so forth.
There
were 358 existing Masters of Nursing programs in the U.S. in 2002,
comprising nearly 10 % of all registered nurses. That number
has
certianly increased in the last few years, as the number of On-Line
Masters in Nursing programs has increased dramatically.
They offer a great deal of flexibility regarding amost every
detail including financial aid, scheduling, length of time to complete
the program, etc. For those nurses who thrive on interaction
and
interpersonal communication, they may prefer a more traditional campus
classroom than RN degrees on line. But for many nurses,
"going to
class" on their own time, saving commuting time, being able to
competely work around their career and family is a dream come true.
For them, an online master of nursing program could be ideal.
Just be sure to research which accredtied on-line masters in
nursing program is best for you.
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