Registered nurses graduating from New York nursing degree programs have more than doubled since 2002 according to the University at Albany's Center for Health Workforce Studies report. The number of bachelor's degrees awarded to nursing students has spiked from 4,913 in 2011 to 5,866 in 2014. Over that same time period, those earning two-year associate degrees dropped slightly from 5,398 to 5,263, marking the first time four-year nursing degrees outpaced two-year degrees. "From what we've seen looking at nursing demand, it's quite likely that the associate degree nurses who are finding challenges in terms of getting a job might be the ones who are most incentivized to go on for their bachelor's," said Jean Moore, Director of the Center for …show more content…
More than 50 percent of the nursing workforce is close to retirement, so younger nurses will need education to close the gap. Due to the potential salary and job growth outlook for those who pursue a nursing career, candidates are entering nursing degree programs in …show more content…
In fact, the number of fully online R.N. to B.S.N. programs in America has grown by more than a third in the last two years according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). Today, many online nursing programs provide interactive seminars to students in all nursing courses which address various readings, online discussion, and written assignments. Instructors convey concepts and assignments that aid students gain deeper, cognitive understand of each course. Through this process, learners must demonstrate mastery of the material, which faculty evaluates based on student posts on interactive discussion boards and written papers. In short, online courses prove just as rigorous as in-classroom courses. Online colleges and traditional colleges are accredited in the same way — they both must meet the criteria set by independent accrediting bodies to receive recognition by that body. Once you earn that online degree you’ve worked so hard to attain, the monetary rewards can be substantial. The figures below represent average salaries; neither the highs nor the starter salaries are represented. The salaries, plus the need for qualified nurses has fueled the growth in the field, and online opportunities are leading the