Online schools respond to demands of healthcare job market

Online schools respond to demands of healthcare job market

The field of nursing is characterized by numerous job openings, but employers increasingly demand better educated candidates. Therefore, schools around the country have been offering innovative programs, many of which may be completed via online courses.

One such institution is Daytona State College which announced it has plans to launch an RN-to-BSN program which will allow two-year degree holders working as registered nurses to take courses online to earn a bachelors of science degree in nursing, according to NewsJournalOnline.com.

The news provider quoted Sharon Hesher, a single mother of two, who said she was looking forward to having an opportunity to earn her degree on her own time, saying that "having to work full-time, doing my course study online is a great benefit."

The University of Central Florida offers a similar program in Daytona Beach, as does Bethune-Cookman University, says the news source.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, demand for nurses is expected to grow by a dynamic 23 percent over the next seven years. The top salaries in the field already exceed $83,000 per year.

Labor Department analysts predict that by 2012, a total of 1 million nurses will be needed to care for the aging population, and some 587,000 new nursing jobs will be created nationwide.