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RN to BSN Degree Programs That Don’t Require Any Clinicals?

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If you are a nurse interested in getting an RN to BSN degree online, you may want to think about finding a school that does not require all the clinical or practicum requirements that exist in nursing bachelors programs. In a typical BSN “completion” program, your clinical commitment can be as much as 700 to 900 hours – a massive time commitment that may not mean much if you have already spent significant time caring for patients in a clinical setting. That can be complicated to fulfill, particularly if you are getting your degree from an online school located far from your home.

It’s hard to “shop” for a BSN with no clinicals, because strictly speaking, all accredited BSN programs involve some kind of clinical practice experience. Some schools do not give clinical teaching to online students themselves, but require students who live a distance from campus to find a place where they can complete them with the help of a preceptor. Others do not list clinical hours as free-standing courses, but rather integrate clinical experience into other courses or professional capstone projects.

Click here to learn more about requirements and career options with a master’s degree in nursing

BSN Career Skills

The time spent on clinical experience can be tougher in some ways than classroom learning, but it’s a critical part of a nurses training. It’s important to get clinical teaching in an actual hospital or clinic setting, where there is real pressure to make good decisions and perform jobs correctly. It also provides some training in dealing with other health professionals. The kinds of personality conflicts that can come up with clinical instructors or other nurses can be a good rehearsal for the kinds of issues you’ll need to deal with in the health care environment after graduation.

RN to BSN Programs With No On-Campus Clinical Courses Required

Here are some online nursing schools that other incorporate clinical experiences into a variety of courses, or allow 100% online learning without campus visits by offering field experiences in your region.

Grand Canyon University
GCU is a Christian-based school with a large online teaching division. Their 36 credit RN to BSN program has a rolling system allowing new students to start every two weeks. The program has no required clinical component.
Get information on Grand Canyon University

South University
A private university with over 18,000 students, South has a large and diverse online degree offering. Along with several nursing master’s degrees, it offers an RN to BSN completion program online with no clinical courses required. Up to 90 credits are accepted in transfer toward your BSN degree from previous learning.
Get info on South University’s BSN Program

Arizona State University
This 100% online program, offered through the public state university system of Arizona, has no clinical or practicum courses. Clinical learning is done through what’s called “practical learning activities.”
Get info on Arizona State

Saint Louis University
A Catholic Jesuit school in St. Louis, Missouri, the school’s online RN to BSN program allows for up to 64 credit hours being transferred in, and has no clinical courses required.
Learn more about St. Louis University

Indiana University
A single program created by eight campuses of the Indiana University Nursing program – a state public university system. The school’s site says that clinical learning experiences are “embedded in didactic or lecture-based courses.”
Learn more about Indiana U.

Campus-Based Schools

University of Wyoming
The public university’s program in Laramie, Wyoming, is designed for completion in one year at an accelerated pace. It requires full time attendance, and is a rare campus based program that requires no clinical time.
Learn more about University of Wyoming

Inspirational Quotes & Quotations On Nursing

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“Nursing

Click To A Select List Top Schools Offering Nursing Degrees Online

Nursing is as much a life commitment as a career. Here are some interesting things that people have said over the years about this unique profession. To create this page, we made a point of looking for nursing quotes from not just famous people, but from typical working nurses. If you have an interesting quote about nursing you’d like to see added to this collection, please contact us. We’d love to hear from you!

“We often think of nursing as giving meds on time, checking an X-ray to see if the doctor needs to be called, or taking an admission at 2:00 a.m. with a smile on our faces. Too often, we forget all the other things that make our job what it truly is—caring and having a desire to make a difference.”
– Erin Pettengill, RN, quoted on RN Modern Medicine

“When I first started working in longterm care, after I’d been in a hospital setting, I bet I went home crying every night for 6 weeks because I said this just isn’t what I like. But the more I stayed, the more I understood it’s a different kind of nursing…We’re all going to die—that’s a part of life. Just when and how, we don’t know.”
– MarDee Dahlin, RN, quoted in “Caring For The Ages”

“If Christian scientists had more science and doctors more Christianity, it wouldn’t make any difference which you called in – if you had a good nurse.”
– Finley Peter Dunne

“Our job as nurses is to cushion the sorrow and celebrate the joy, everyday, while we are ‘just doing our jobs.'”
– Christine Belle, RN, BSN

“I practice on many different levels and I take care of all different kinds of patients. It’s challenging and provides autonomy. I’ve done it for over 25 years and there isn’t a day I’ve regretted picking it up.”
– Merrie Griffin, nurse anesthetist at Johns Hopkins Hospital, quoted on money.cnn.com

“Bound by paperwork, short on hands, sleep, and energy… nurses are rarely short on caring.”
– Sharon Hudacek, “A Daybook for Nurses”

“It may seem a strange principle to enunciate as the very first requirement in a Hospital that it should do the sick no harm.”
– Florence Nightengale

“Treat the patient, not the Xray.”
– James M. Hunter

“Whether a person is a male or female, a nurse is a nurse.”
– Gary Veale

“…although the days are busy and the workload is always growing, there are still those special moments when someone says or does something and you know you’ve made a difference in someone’s life. That’s why I became a nurse.”
– Diane McKenty, Renal Health Nurse (RN)

“A good doctor is one who’ll say, ‘I have no idea what’s going on with this patient. Come help me figure it out.'”
– Sally P. Karioth, RN, Ph.D

“Bottom line? If you want a job where you can literally change lives, nursing might be for you. And it will be the hardest thing you have ever done in your life. But it can be awesome.”
– Alison, of Alison’s Blog

“The RN’s role is huge. We advocate for and mediate between patients and physicians. We also get social services involved to work with insurance companies and we give the patient the care that they deserve.”
– Lisa McDew, registered nurse in the orthopedic medical-surgical unit at Woodwinds Hospital, Woodbury, MN

“Some people think that doctors and nurses can put scrambled eggs back in the shell.”
– Cass Canfield

“Always thank your nurse. Sometimes the only one between you and a hearse.”
– Carrie Latet

“As more and more people — families of hospice patients and hospice volunteers — are exposed to this new model of how to approach end-of-life care, we are taking what was essentially a hidden scene — death, an unknown — and making it a reality. We are showing people that there are meaningful ways to cope with this very difficult situation.”
– Florence Sophie Schorske, former dean of the Yale University School of Nursing

“I can stand out the war with any man.”
– Florence Nightengale

“I like when patients tell me that they understand their conditions and meds better and that now they’re optimistic about their health.”
– Robert Skeist, MD

See many more great Nursing Quotes And Quotations

Salaries & Career Options for Nurses By Degree & Specialty

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April 23, 2012: Due to the current nursing shortage in the US, nurses are very much in demand, at least in most geographic region. Nurses are in a more enviable position than they have in some time of being able to command a decent wage upon graduation from an nursing program. But there are large salary discrepancies depending on where you practice, your level of education and how much experience you have.

Let’s take a look at some of the factors that determine starting salaries and what nurses can expect coming out of the starting gate.

Registered Nurses
The most popular route to becoming a registered nurse in the U.S. is to get an associate’s degree, and then take (and pass) the National Council Licensure Examination for registered nurses (NCLEX-RN). Alternatively, it’s possible to become an RN by taking a diploma program. These are generally given by hospitals rather than colleges, and take as long as an associates degree to complete (some actually take even longer – 3 years as opposed to the 2 that it typically takes to get an AS in nursing). Diploma programs are often specialized in cardiology, obstetrics or some other particular practice area. Again, you must pass the NCLEX-RN after getting your diploma to become licensed as an RN.

After obtaining their RN, many nurses who want to develop their careers further will move on to a RN to BSN completion degree program for a bachelor’s degree, to work in a more highly specialized role or become a nursing administrator or educator.

The median annual wage of registered nurses is $65,950, according to May 2011, numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Starting wages for RNs range from $20/hr to $25/hr. Nurses who accumulate more than 10 years experience can expect to earn closer to $35/hr. according to Payscale.

Advanced Practice Nurses
APNs earn a master’s degree in a specific area of focus. APNs work with patients one-on-one, similar to physicians. In some cases, they work under the direction of a physician, while in other circumstances they work under their own auspices. Some advanced practice areas include:

  • CRNA (certified nurse anesthetist): Starting salary $97,746-$140,801*
  • CNS (clinical nurse specialist): Starting salary $64,851-$84,394* NP or FNP (nurse practitioner, family nurse practitioner)-starting salary $68,500-$73,000*
  • Certified Nurse Midwife: Starting salary $77,000*
    (*figures from Payscale and Salary.com)

The annual median salaries for these specialties ranges from $87,867 (CNS) to $156,032 (CRNA) (May, 2010, Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Factors Affecting Salary
As can be seen, there is a wide range in salaries, even within the same focus area. Salaries vary depending on the following factors:
Nursing Level
Each level of nursing requires a specific amount of training, certification and licensure. The higher up you go, the more money you will earn. At the bottom in terms of wages are the NAs and CNAs (nurse assistants or aides and certified nurse assistants or aides), followed by LPNs (licensed practical nurses) and RNs (registered nurses). Nurses who go on to specialize by earning a master’s degree will earn the most pay, sometimes doubling the salaries of their RN colleagues.
Education Level
The number of years spent in an accredited nursing school program also influences wages. Nurses with master’s degrees almost always earn more than 4-year undergrad degree nurses, who will earn more than a nurse with a 2-year associate’s degree (on average).
Years of Experience
As in many other careers, years spent in a profession contribute towards a higher salary. Nurse’s wages often increase in increments. Typically, pay will increase after the first year, then will increase over regular intervals of time (i.e. 5 year increments).
Location/Setting
Where you are employed also influences salary. Nurses working in large cities often earn more than nurses working in rural areas. For example, nurses in California or New York may earn as much as $10/hr more than nurses working in Ohio, due to the higher cost of living in these areas. Nurses working for large corporations may earn more than nurses working in a private doctor’s office, and nurses working in a large hospital center may earn more than nurses working in a small rural hospital. Therefore, there can be large differences in salary depending on where a nurse chooses to practice.
Area of Specialty
Salaries can also vary according to the nursing area in which you practice. Nurses in highly technical areas, such as the ER, surgery and ICU, will earn more than nurses working on a geriatrics unit. Nursing is a field in which education truly pays off- the more education you have, the more you will generally earn. Many nurses start off earning a degree in nursing, gain some experience, and then continue their education while working. The ability to pursue a master’s degree online has made it far easier for nurses to advance their career than ever before.

More On Nursing Careers

Sources:
US Bureau of Labor Statistics
Salary.com
Payscale.com