Start A Degree In The Medical Field And Open New Careers!
Friday, July 16th, 2010Health care is a growing field that many people are interested in entering because of the many types of jobs that are available. In health care, a person can choose a career that deals with patients and doctors or in the administrative venue managing health care systems and the people who work in them. A degree from an online college can help a person enter into the medical field in any one of these areas; but two medical degrees that offer very bright prospects are in respiratory therapy and nursing.
Online nursing degrees remain one of the most popular online medical degrees. There are many different types of nursing jobs, from licensed practical nurses to registered nurses and even nurse practitioners who work alongside doctors providing primary care to patients in a practice or in a hospital setting. Nurse practitioners, unlike registered nurses, also write prescriptions and treatment plans for their patients. If you would like more information about distance education degree, check on the internet.
In an advanced program, a person can complete an online nursing degree in licensed practical nursing in about eighteen months. Other types of nursing degrees can take two to four years, depending on the number of classes a student wishes to take at any given time. Nurses who already hold degrees but want to attain graduate degrees in nursing can do so in online degree programs that offer master and PhD degrees in specialties like nursing education, nurse administration and nursing management.
Labor and statistics data indicate that nursing is a field that will continue to grow over the next several years, with a much higher concentration of growth of nurses needed in physician’s offices; about 48% over the next eight years. The latest data indicates that the median annual salary for a registered nurse is $62,450, not including benefits like health care, signing bonuses, flexible schedules and child care facilities, which many hospitals offer. Labor and statistics notes that four areas of nursing specialty are likely to be in the highest demand in the next seven years nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists.
Another online degree that focuses on patient interaction is respiratory therapy. A respiratory therapist works with patients who have heart and lung disorders due to disease, genetics, or other factors. Respiratory therapists provide diagnostic assessments as well as therapy to patients who need it, including surgical patients, premature infants, or accident victims in emergency rooms.
Respiratory therapists help their patients with breathing issues using highly technical equipment in hospitals and in other places like nursing homes and also in patient homes. A two- or four-year degree program is required by the National Board for Respiratory Care in order to sit for the Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) exam. Accredited online schools are recognized by the board as comparable to a traditional college environment. Once a therapist has achieved the CRT designation, they may choose to take the two exams that are required in order to become a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT). There is an abundance of information about online degree program on the web.
The large population of aging baby boomers has helped increase the projected job openings for CRTs and RRTs, especially in facilities that specialize in elder care. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that in the next eight years, respiratory therapy jobs for holders of respiratory therapy degrees from online colleges and traditional colleges are expected to increase by a whopping 21%. The increase of overall jobs is made even more attractive by the median annual salary of $52,200 that respiratory therapists earn.
An online degree in nursing or respiratory care can be the ticket to a high earning job. Online degree programs offer a level of flexibility that just isn’t available in a traditional school environment.
