DiversityNursing Blog

Social media can and is a wonderful and easy way to connect with people on a personal or professional basis. Most platforms are free and easy to use. It's not difficult to find people and topics of interest. People can find and connect with their peers, family, and friends. They have unlimited access to the entire world.

Before anyone begins (or continues) their adventures into the world of social media, there are a few points to be aware of as a healthcare professional. With freedom comes advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages:

• Connecting with anyone in the world. Simply Googling a word, topic, business, or an individual will give anyone complete access to anything they want to know. Whether they are blogging, using Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or any other social media platform, there are people there to talk to.
• Networking has never been easier. Sharing information and learning is at anyone's fingertips. Whether they are talking to someone local or across the world, social media brings you together. Distance is no longer a problem.
• Since 80% of all internet users are looking for health information, anyone can and will reach a large audience with their outreach and posts. People want information and Nurses have plenty to give them. They are able to correspond at their convenience and have the time to do so.
• Education for Nurses and others is available. There are numerous groups and programs that offer classes and give them opportunities to learn and interact with their peers and other students.

Communication flows easily and in abundance on the internet and that's also where the disadvantages come into play.

Disadvantages:

• Privacy doesn't truly exist on the internet. Regardless of any and all security features, once something has been posted, it's there forever. Even deleting it doesn't get rid of it. It is still stored somewhere in the clouds and is never truly gone. It's crucial that a person think twice before posting. Screen shots cause the comment or post to remain forever on someone's computer.
• The risk of inaccurate information becoming a "fact" is common. It takes a bit of work and due diligence to research the accuracy of what you’re reading, but it's worth the time. A person should only share or repeat what they themselves have thoroughly researched and confirmed as accurate.
• Not HIPAA compliant. Very few software programs meet the strict guidelines for HIPAA regulations, including but not limited to Skype and Google Hangouts, texting and email. Unless the individual is discussing a patient as a Nurse and on a secure platform, one should never post anything about their patients.

Violating HIPAA regulations has resulted in healthcare professionals facing disciplinary actions such as:

•  Fines levied
•  Suspension from work
•  Being expelled from Nursing school
•  License revoked/fired
•  Criminal charges being brought
•  Incarceration

Abuses on social media as a Nurse are far reaching. Whether a Nurse violates HIPAA or behaves in an improper and unprofessional manner (arguing online, breaching patient confidentiality, harassment, etc.) can and does impact not only them, but their employer and their professional affiliations as well. This can also involve the state board and violate state laws.

Posting the pictures of patients, even when their identity is concealed, has resulted in the above actions being taken against a Nurse and other healthcare professionals.

The best rule of thumb with social media is this: Remember that what you are about to post will be accessible to 7 billion people, so post as if everyone will read it. Social media can be fun as long as you understand the good and the bad.

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The new year is here and the opportunities for a fresh start it brings shouldn't be cast aside. Nurturing the opportunity as if it were a patient can yield surprising benefits both in and out of the job title. There is always room for improvement in a position that demands the hardest work for the sweetest reward, the gratitude of well-cared for patients.

Mind and Body

It is never too late to get personal health on the right track. Though the push for a healthier lifestyle should come from within, the simple fact is much like fitness instructors or your fellow doctors, patients ultimately expect those in health care roles to be healthy themselves. So whether it involves starting (and sticking to) that new gym membership or curbing poor eating habits, do your best to stand firm.

As a Nurse, the mind is just as important to nurture as the human body. With the continuous implementation of newer technology into the healthcare field, it can never hurt to be one step ahead by taking classes, particularly given the fact they look great on a resume. Focus on adding in new certifications such as those for operative nursing or ACLS, or expanding current skills. Regardless of qualms, continuing your education or taking the plunge on the journey to a BSN, MSN, NP or PhD is a worthy cause for the new year.

Tools of the Trade

Clearly technology is only as effective as the individual operating it, but that doesn't mean Nursing staff don't benefit from productive upgrades in the work space. Many programs and devices can increase efficiency enough to make good Nursing care, great Nursing care. Even if the requests for technology and program upgrades were rebuffed, all is not lost. Focus on using what is available even if it is only yourself. Vow to be more patient focused and less task and goal focused, which is the line that separates the average from the amazing in the eyes of the patient. Spend the new year becoming a better you, as this will ultimately equal a happier and better Nurse.

Related Story:  Nurses' perseverance to be rewarded New Year's Day

Cultural Diversity

The emergence of cultural diversity in today's society has impacted the inner-framework of the healthcare sector. By the year 2043, studies predict that the current ethnic and racial minority group populations will become the new majority. Diversity, Inclusion and Cultural Competence are topics that carry weight and emphasis in many aspects of the healthcare system. Efforts made to exercise inclusion and integrate cultural knowledge into professional environments have become integral in providing quality service to clientele. The practice of cultural awareness and competence in healthcare organizations leads to an encompassing sense of community and corporate respect of all cultures.

Benefiting Organizations

When there is a marked emphasis on cultural competence, diversity, and inclusion in an organization, a myriad of internal and external benefits result. Below is a list of benefits that organizations have experienced after putting pointed emphasis on supporting diversity. 

• An increase in recruitment of culturally diverse employees
• Better group process (an increase in creativity/communication)
• Reduction in costs
• Wide-spanning marketing

Employing Cultural Advocates

Caucasians fill the majority of Nursing roles in the healthcare system, with minority groups making up only about 19 percent of the Nursing field. As the number of culturally diverse patients increase in the United States, the need for a diverse culture of healthcare workers grows with it. Organizations that rally their employees and their core values around cultural awareness garner support from other organizations and appeal to diverse potential employees. They are showing the community, through practical application, how support of diversity plays an important role in the quality of care that is given and received by employees and clients.

If policies of inclusion are implemented effectively in healthcare, employees become a creative force in improving communication and conflict-resolution. Because the emphasis in inclusion is cohesion, the medical staff is taught the value of going beyond the confines of their own understanding. They gather information from other staff or diverse sources to supplement what they know with other perspectives and values. Nursing staff that exhibit characteristics of inclusion exude flexibility and model cultural competency. They become powerful advocates for respect of diversity in patient-care.

Cultural Competence

Healthcare leaders that emulate cultural competency focus on one key ingredient, respect. If leaders in healthcare teach by example and pass initiatives to support cultural integration, everyone benefits. By providing ample opportunities for cultural understanding to permeate healthcare, healthcare officials communicate respect for diverse groups of people.

We’ve developed a questionnaire to assist you in evaluating how your healthcare system is doing with regard to Diversity, Inclusion and Cultural Competence. Please take a few minutes to assess your strengths and weaknesses.

Many times, Nurses will choose to pursue a career in healthcare so that they will have the chance to spend their days helping others.  There is an added bonus though.  Many of the Nursing Specialties have a career trajectory of solid growth with a Nursing salary that is well above the income level of the median population.

Which one of the Nursing Specialties will give you the most job security though?  Which one has the highest salary?  The specialties listed below have been in demand the most and have the highest nursing salaries.

CRNA (Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist)

Nursing Salary: $110,000 with 1,975 job postings annually.  This Nursing Specialty is the main provider for anesthesia in hospitals that have rural locations.  These Nurses assist in administering over 34 million anesthetics to various patients every year in the USA.

Pain Management Nurse

The average salary for this type of Nurse is right at $93,000 annually.  Each year there are around 871 job openings for Pain Management Nurses.  These Specialty Nurses work in tandem with other Nurses and doctors in order to treat patients who suffer from both chronic and acute pain.  They also have the responsibility of educating their patients so they can handle pain management in the future.

Geriatrics Nurse/Gerontology Nurse

The mean Nursing salary for a Geriatrics Nurse is $91,000 and annually there are close to 400 job openings across the US per year.  These Nurses can be the primary provider of health care for elderly patients in a variety of settings.  Their duties include exams and diagnosis to actually prescribing medications.  As the Baby Boomers age, this is an area where there is expected to be growth.

Family Nurse Practitioner

The mean salary for this Specialty Nurse is $88,000 annually and there are more than 7,000 job postings per year for this specialty.  These Nurses are like your family doctor.  They work with the same patients throughout their entire lives.  Many times, they will be the only health care professional for patients.  They conduct exams and can prescribe medications.

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

The salary for this type of Nurse is $86,000 annually and each year more than 4,500 job openings for this niche are posted.  This type of Nurse will treat, counsel and even medicate their patients who suffer from mental health issues.  They can work in quite a few different settings from private practices to correctional facilities and mental health clinics.

General Nurse Practitioner

The mean salary for a general Nurse Practitioner is $81,000 and there are more than 85,500 job postings for this specialty each year.  These Nurses are a critical element in regard to the health care industry and they are expected to fill the gap of primary care physicians in the years to come.  They are able to prescribe medicines and many times, they are the only health care professional that some people have.

Clinical Nurse Specialist

The Nursing salary for this specialty is $80,000 and each year there are nearly 7,000 job postings.  This type of Nurse focuses on a single area of expertise and they act as a sort of consultant to all of the rest of the Nurses on staff.  Their specialties can be anything from oncology to pediatrics and they also serve as coaches for both the staff and the patients.

Armed with this information, which one appeals to you?  If you are already on this list, would you switch to another specialty?  Which one and why?

Top 10 highest paying nursing specialties (national average)

The healthcare industry is filled with challenging and rewarding job opportunities. For those who are actively pursuing a career in nursing and who eventually wish to acquire leadership roles in that field, striving for the occupation of Chief Nursing Officer is a worthwhile endeavor.  To be a successful CNO in the healthcare system there are specific requirements, qualities, and skill sets that the industry requires of their employees. These attributes can determine the likelihood of potential employment. Along the same vein, what does it really take to become a good CNO (Chief Nursing Officer) in the medical sector?"

Basic Requirements

The requirements for the role of CNO vary depending on the preferences of the employer.  There is, however, a general consensus that to be considered for the position of CNO, the applicant needs years of nursing experience and some form of a graduate degree. Some hospitals or medical affiliates require as little as 5 years of experience while others require applicants have 7 - 10 years of practice in the medical industry. The CNO position is the highest ranking Nurse in administration and that role is not taken lightly.

Taking the right educational journey to a specific career is important. The value and focus a Chief Nursing Officer hopeful applies to their education path speaks volumes to potential employers.  Having a MS Nursing (management and organizational leadership) degree, a MS in Nursing (leadership in health care systems) degree or a Master of Science in Nursing Administration is a common trend among current Chief Nursing Officers. Earning a combination of a science-oriented Nursing degree along with a business emphasis degree is encouraged when seeking a leadership position in healthcare.  

If a healthcare employee is seeking admission into a Master's degree program to aid them in their journey toward career advancement, they have expectations to meet. Those in the Nursing field are required to have an active RN license, a Bachelor's degree, and should be aware that RN clinical experience bears heavily in the admissions process. While there are many technical aspects to attaining the title of CNO, becoming a "good" CNO goes beyond the basic requirements.

 10 Qualities of a CNO

• Has a passion for fulfilling a leadership role
• Desires to be a positive mentor
• Exhibits a conscious concern for patient care
• Focuses on quality and safety
• Enjoys implementing strategies to solve existing problems
• Decisively initiates responses to emergencies
• Displays commitment and the highest level of competency
• Is a proactive force in a hectic environment
• Exudes compassion and dependability on a daily basis
• Has a keen sense for business matters and has developed organizational skills

Skill Sets of a Good Leader

Chief Nursing Officers realize the importance of setting long and short term goals for the betterment of their facility. As a consummate problem-solver, the business-minded and client-conscious leader balances passion for patient welfare with administrative management. Implementing processes that ensure the business side of healthcare runs smoothly, the leadership role of a CNO is fraught with responsibility, but also with rewards.  They are the faculty informers, the interviewers, the proficiency job monitors for Nurses, staff schedulers, and that is just the start to their long list of duties.

Boasting of better pay, job security, and intrinsic rewards, there are many reasons why a CNO values their many-faceted position. Leaders are born through adversity, and a confident Chief Nursing Officer can handle with marked professionalism, the many conflicts that come their way.  A good CNO values people and the efficient processes that bring order to chaotic environments.

Any Chief Nursing Officers looking to grow diversity in their facility can click below for contact information. We would be more than happy to help you.

Being able to read, write, and speak a second language is a highly desired skill in almost every career. However, being a Multilingual or Bilingual Nurse within the healthcare industry has some exceptionally high benefits that make such skilled individuals a prized asset to any team.

This is especially true in the United States where there's an influx of non-English speaking individuals. In fact, the US now has 41 million native Spanish speakers with another 11.2 million people using it as their second language. That's more people speaking Spanish in the US than all of Spain!

All of these native Spanish speakers, along with other non-English speakers, require healthcare services which emphasizes the value of having bilingual staff on hand. Consider these benefits of being a Bilingual Nurse:

1. Numerous Job Opportunities.  Most hospitals, clinics, insurance companies, schools and other healthcare organizations are centered around major cities, most of which contain high immigrant populations with areas of mega-cities dedicated to specific cultural groups. Take for example Miami's famed Cuban neighborhood entitled Little Havana or Seattle's bustling Little Saigon, the economic and social center of the region's Vietnamese community. Every one of the healthcare offices servicing these areas is in need of trained and experienced Nurses that can communicate directly with patients who aren't fluent in English. This means high demand and significant income opportunities for the flexible and Bilingual Nurse.
   
   
2. Satisfaction for Helping a Diverse Population.  Many individuals pursue Nursing out of a desire to help others. A Bilingual Nurse is in a unique position to significantly improve the quality of care patients receive due to their ability to not only assist them in the routine ways, but also to help them better understand medical terms, symptoms, and treatment options in their native tongue. 
   
   
3. Added Value to Employers.  Individuals pursuing a MSN degree that are also able to speak a second language, enhance their potential worth to their employer. A Bilingual Nurse can converse and assist more diverse groups of people to better market the employer's organization as being open and welcoming to people from different language and cultural backgrounds.
4. Exciting Foreign Job Prospects.  Some people are born with an itch to travel, and being bilingual is perhaps the single biggest factor in fulfilling that desire. That's because the ability to speak another language, translate, and converse opens doors to employers in non-English speaking countries. 
   
   
5. Critical to Ensuring Data is Accurate.  In this digital age of computers and consolidated electronic health records, it's important to stay on top of data input and security. Most larger hospitals and healthcare organizations have some basic translation services at their disposal to help with patients who are not native English speakers, but this often isn't the case with smaller offices, clinics, and other practices. And even if they do, too frequently errors in translations can come up. That's why it's so important for these organizations to keep a staff of Bilingual Nurses on hand to help collect information from the patient themselves and ensure that client files are correctly uploaded and stored. This provides inherent benefits both to accurate record keeping and patient safety.

In the end, not only are there many great benefits to being a Bilingual Nurse, but it's very important for healthcare organizations, whether they're large hospital systems or specialized clinics, to have Nurses with multiple language capabilities. The world today is becoming ever more diverse and interconnected. The ability to speak multiple languages alongside nursing or doctoring skills, is a very valuable and marketable commodity that also helps improve patient outcomes and safety.

Technology has made people's lives much easier. There are specialized apps for almost everything and everyone. Some very helpful technology exists for Nurses designed to make your life easier. Here’s the 2015 Top 10.

Epocrates

This is the #1 app in the medical community. It has a lite and a premium version and does many things including calculators such as BMI and lab and coding guides.  

Human Anatomy Atlas

This app is designed for Nursing students. It contains 3,800 three dimensional images of the human anatomy. It also includes quizzes about things like bone and muscle structure.

MedPage Today

MedPage gives you the latest news in the medical community and helps you stay up-to-date on the latest medical advances.

Nursing Central

This app includes 17 million journal articles, 4,600 medications, and 56,000 dictionary terms. 

Black's Medical Dictionary

This is an easy to use medical dictionary from a company that has been around for over 100 years.

Nursing Care Plans

With this app, you can make 100 customized care plans covering most medical topics.

MediBabble Translator

For Nurses working with non-english speaking patients, this translator app is a must have. 

Symptomia

This simple to use app lets you put in patient’s symptoms and it tells you possible diseases associated with these symptoms.

Davis Mobile: Nursing Procedure Checklist

With this app, Nurses stay on task with checklists covering 169 common Nursing procedures.

Nursing Shift Planner

A must have time management app designed for Nurses. You can input specific tasks to be done and even set up auto reminders.

There are apps out there to satisfy every Nurse’s needs. The use of technology for Nurses not only make your life easier, but it can also ensure better patient care.

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How can you tell if a burn wound has become infected? Wouldn’t it be great if a new technology can alert you to an infection without having to remove the bandage? Scientists in the UK are in the development phase of a bandage that changes color to alert you to an infection. As you know, antibiotics are often prescribed to help stave off infection, however this new technology may help prevent the need for antibiotics.

Burn wounds are a relatively common affliction. Alongside the obvious suffering that a wound of this nature can cause, infections can be a life-threatening problem.

Infections are the primary cause of complications in burn injuries, especially in children. This is partly due to a child's immature and less aggressive immune system. 

Significant thermal injuries can also induce a state of immunosuppression, further increasing the chances of infection. 

Even a relatively mild hot water scald can readily become infected.

Many deaths from burn injuries are due to sepsis, and even milder infections can prolong hospital stays. The likelihood of permanent scarring also increases with infection.

Diagnosing burn infections

Diagnosing a bacterial infection in young burn patients can be troublesome. The area around a burn wound may be red and inflamed, symptoms that normally indicate an infection; this makes a direct sample of the area essential for clarity.

The young patient's discomfort must also be considered. Removing the wound covering is an unpleasant procedure, and interference with the injury can lead to slower healing times. 

Currently, it takes around 48 hours to definitively diagnose an infected burn. Dr. Amber Young is involved in ongoing clinical trials of this new early warning system for burn infections. 

She says:

"Children are at particular risk of serious infection from even a small burn. However, with current methods clinicians can't tell whether a sick child might have a raised temperature due to a serious bacterial burn wound infection, or just from a simple cough or cold."

Because of the time delay in diagnosing an infection, and the desire to remove the invaders before they dig their heels in, antibiotics are often prescribed preventively. This has its own drawbacks. Antibiotic resistance is a genuine concern throughout medical institutions worldwide.

Researchers at the University of Bath, in conjunction with the Healing Foundation Children's Burns Research Centre and the University of Brighton - all in the UK - have created a groundbreaking solution to these serious issues.

The team has developed a prototype color changing band-aid when a wound becomes infected. The wound dressing on an uninfected area displays a discrete circular design:

Within four hours of an infection, the color and pattern change:

Dr. Toby Jenkins, project leader says:

"Our medical dressing works by releasing fluorescent dye from nanocapsules triggered by the toxins secreted by disease-causing bacteria within the wound. 

The nanocapsules mimic skin cells in that they only break open when toxic bacteria are present; they aren't affected by the harmless bacteria that normally live on healthy skin."

Bacterial biofilms

Research has shown that bacteria infecting a wound tend to congregate in biofilms. These films consist of mutually attached bacteria, coated in polymer. 

Within their exopolysaccharide cocoons, bacteria are afforded some protection from attack by antibiotics and the patient's natural immune system.

This ground-breaking, chameleon-like Band-Aid works by detecting these biofilms. The dressing is made of a hydrated agarose film that contains the tiny capsules of colored dye. These capsules are "trained" to specifically recognize Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis.

The team found that the color change response is stronger for bacterial strains that are considered to produce good biofilms. This could lend itself to an even more specific indicator in the future. The system might indicate not only whether there is an infection, but also what specific type of bacteria is present.

The experimental wound dressing is in the early phases of development but is soon to be tested on real patients. 

An innovation that can save lives, money and assist in the global problem of antibiotic resistance is a literal game-changer.

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If you’re feeling unappreciated, read this story to know that many people very much appreciate what you do. They’re not always very good at expressing themselves in a positive way. But most of you understand your patients feelings because as this husband explains, they’re going through one of the worst days of their lives. Many of my friends are Nurses and they are awesome just like you, Every Day.

When Bobby Wesson looked at his sleeping wife last week, he had no plans of his emotional reaction going viral. But that's exactly what happened.

Nurses are at times some of the most underappreciated yet hardworking people you'll find in medicine. Rayena Wesson is a trauma nurse at an Alabama hospital. She was taking a nap before work when her husband felt inspired to share her story with the world. "In an hour she will wake up, put on her scrubs and get ready for work," he said. 

"The tools and items she needs to perform her job will be gathered and checked meticulously... She will occasionally stare off blankly as we talk; silently steeling herself for the coming shift. She thinks I don't notice. "

Then, Wesson explained what his wife spends her work day doing.

She will kiss the baby, she will kiss me and she will leave to go take care of people that are having the worst day of their entire lives. Car wrecks, gunshot wounds, explosions, burns and breaks - professionals, poor, pastors, addicts and prostitutes - mothers, fathers, sons, daughters and families - it doesn't matter who you are or what happened to you.

She will take care of you.

She will come home 14 hours later and remove shoes that have walked through blood, bile, tears and fire from aching feet and leave them outside.

Sometimes she will not want to talk about it. Sometimes she can't wait to talk about it. 

"Sometimes she will laugh until she cries and sometimes she will just cry," he wrote. "But regardless of those sometimes she will be on time for her next shift."

Since writing the post, Wesson has become a viral hit with people commending him for speaking out on behalf all the hardworking nurses out there. The post has been shared more than 145,000 times on Facebook and published on numerous media sites. 

"My wife is a nurse," Wesson wrote. "My wife is a hero."

Co-signed on that one.

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If you are looking to change your career path or try something new in the Nursing field, click below to access our diverse job database.

If you’re thinking about continuing your education, this article offers some important questions to consider in helping you decide if an online program will accomplish what you want to achieve. We all know continuing your education, if at all possible both financially and personally, will enhance your career, your life and your earning potential.

For nurses who wish to advance their careers, pursuing an online master's or doctoral degree ​may be a great choice, experts say. Doing so can lead to higher salaries and roles with greater authority over patient care.

Some experts say that when it comes to graduate-level study, the nursing field is starting to move away from the master's degree and shifting more heavily toward doctoral degrees such as the Ph.D. or the Doctor of Nursing Practice. But master's degrees are still viable options for some students, and institutions including Capella University​ and Pennsylvania State University—World Campus ​are continuing to offer them online.

"A lot of schools have eliminated that master's degree for advanced practice nurses. That's not what we've opted to do," says Patrick Robinson, dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences at Capella University, which offers master's, Ph.D. and DNP degrees online.​​

It's important for online learners to select the nursing program that's best suited to meet their goals.​ Experts recommend asking the following questions about a program before deciding to enroll.

1. Which type of degree is best for your particular career?​​ In many cases, students will pursue a master's degree if they want to specialize in a specific area of nursing, experts say.

That was the case for Renae Epler of Hershey, Pennsylvania, a recent graduate of the online master's in nursing program offered through Penn State. The program allows students to choose specializations in nurse education and administration. Epler, who now works as a patient safety analyst at a hospital, chose the latter.

"For me, it was the right way to go," she says. "I didn't want to pursue a doctorate – something I didn't know for sure I wanted. This was a good place to start, I think."

When it comes to doctorates, the Ph.D. is generally meant for those who wish to become ​research-focused nursing scientists and develop the knowledge base on which nurses practice, says Robinson, of Capella. The DNP, meanwhile, is geared toward those who hope to use the science of nursing to advance nursing care out in the field​, he says.

There are other options out there, too. A bridge program allows students to save time and money by combining the curricula of two degrees. For example, the RN-to-MSN in care coordination offered at Capella gives registered nurses who don't have bachelor's degrees the opportunity to complete a Master of Science in Nursing.

2. How much time and money can you spend on a degree? Different degree programs cost different amounts of money and require various time commitments. When choosing a program, it's important for students to estimate how long it might take them to complete all the requirements and budget accordingly. A Ph.D. typically requires a student to complete more credit hours than a DNP or a master's degree, for example, Robinson says. 

At Capella, the Ph.D. requires 96 credits at $660 per credit​. The DNP requires 52 credits at $775 per credit​, and a master's requires 56 at $399 per credit​.

3. Is the program accredited? When looking into an online program, a student should verify whether it ​is accredited and if it ​is accepted in his or her current state of residence to meet licensing and other requirements​​, says Michele Pedulla, assistant academic graduate program chair at Kaplan University​'s​ School of Nursing. 

For instance, at Kaplan, the online nursing master's programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, she says. Other schools' programs may be accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.

4. Is there an on-campus component? Online nursing graduate degree programs can be structured in different ways. Some – like those hosted by Capella​, Penn State​ and Kaplan​ ​– enable students to complete all of their requirements, including the clinical experience​, in a location​ of their choice; others, like many of Vanderbilt University's, require students to spend some time on campus. 

Both options have advantages. The former allows for more flexibility. As for the latter, at Vanderbilt the weeklong on-campus component provides an opportunity to interact with faculty and other students. 

"It allows them to network with other students, hear renowned speakers, work together with professors and really become engaged," says Mavis Schorn, senior associate dean for academics at Vanderbilt's School of Nursing.

5. Who are the faculty, and what kind of support will you receive? Especially in an online course, where a student rarely, if ever, sees an instructor ​in person, communication and resources are ​key, experts say. 

A student should research whether a nursing program offers assistance such as academic advisers, writing help ​centers and library resources, says Pedulla, of Kaplan.

In the program offered at Penn State, students interact with the instructor and each other through online discussion boards, among other forms of communication, and there's an online help desk to address any technical issues they may encounter, says Judith Hupcey, associate dean for graduate education and research at Penn State's College of Nursing. 

"It's about more than just cost and speed," Hupcey says. "It's the quality of the program you're getting."