Before any student can successfully complete any degree program, there must be motivation and drive for success. While this is true for any student, nursing students face other criteria. The field of nursing is centered around caring for others. Not only does a nursing student have to have a drive to succeed in a difficult education program, a nursing student must also have the desire to help others. Not everyone has the patience needed to care for difficult patients. Not everyone can watch patients worsen and pass away day after day. This takes someone who is strong and is comfortable in the fact that her patients will not always survive the day. This is not a specific qualification one will be required to prove before earning an advanced nursing degree, but is a qualification nonetheless.
Though each online nursing program is different, all programs will require the student to possess a current nursing degree and an active nursing license. Most online programs will lead to either a Bachelor of Nursing Science (BSN) or Master of Nursing Science (MSN) degree. Students are required to have already earned their Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) for a BSN or their BSN for an MSN. There are a few programs that allow students to have only a nursing diploma or certificate such as an LPN or LVN certificate. These programs can be difficult to find.
All college programs require different admission criteria. It is important to check with the program you are interested in to determine you can satisfy all the requirements. All programs will require certain materials, however. Students will need to make sure they have sent in official transcripts from every secondary institution you have attended. Other materials required will be an application and application fee and copy of your current nursing license. Some programs may request admission essays, letters of recommendation, and a current resume.
Online programs are conducted over the computer and can be completed at home or anywhere there is computer access. Some programs may require the student to log in for class at certain times, while others may allow the student to log in any time as long as the work is completed by the due date. It will be expected that certain prerequisite classes, such as chemistry, anatomy, nutrition, will have already been completed during your first nursing program. Students will be expected to successfully complete the curriculum classes required for the program. This means there will be a lot of studying and homework to complete on personal time.
All online nursing degree programs will require their students to complete clinicals in addition to coursework. Some schools may refer to clinicals as projects. Clinicals and projects are a way for nursing students to apply what they have learned. Students will likely be assigned a mentor, or will be allowed to choose their own. A mentor will be an RN who already possesses the BSN or MSN the student is working towards. Examples of these projects may be developing treatment plans or staffing schedules or planning new policies that will improve patient's lives.