Online and Distance Learning

Campus-based and online associate degree in nursing (ADN) programs represent a great opportunity to begin a career in nursing, especially for students who don't want to attend a four year school.

What is studied in an associate degree in nursing?

An ADN program usually includes courses in: human anatomy and physiology, human nutrition, psychology, fundamentals of nursing, pharmacology, adult nursing, maternal child nursing, nursing role and scope, sociology, success strategies.

But you can't necessarily learn everything about being a nurse online. Many programs also include supervised clinical experience in hospitals and other healthcare facilities.

Make sure that you take a program that is designed to prepare you for the NCLEX licensing exam to become a Registered Nurse.

Selected schools offering an online associate degree in nursing or in related areas

The following is a list of selected schools offering associate degrees in nursing or in related areas:

• American InterContinental University Online
  
  • AABA in Healthcare Administration
• DeVry University
  
  • Associate in Health Information Technology
• Kaplan University
  
  • AAS in Medical Transcription
• Virginia College Online
  
  • AS in Healthcare Reimbursement
• National American University Online
  
  • Associate of Science degree in Nursing

Use the Search Box and the links to the right to find other schools offering nursing and related associate degrees.

What nursing jobs are there on completion of an ADN?

Registered nurses with an ADN are found in several major settings, including:

• Hospitals - usually assigned to one department;
• Clinics/Centers/Healthcare Offices - caring for outpatients;
• Nursing Homes - caring for residents;
• Schools;
• Home Care/Hospice - providing nursing services to patients at home;
• Prevention/Education Programs;
• Public Health;
• And there are many other opportunities for nurses.

Opportunities for nurses are increasing world-wide. In the USA, thousands of job openings will result from the need to replace experienced nurses who are leaving as they reach retirement. With the world population living longer and so needing more care, jobs in health care are increasing, and will likely stay that way for many years to come. The US Department of Labor reports that employment of registered nurses is expected to grow over 20% up to 2016.

How much can you expect to earn with an ADN?

The median expected salary for a typical Staff Nurse - RN it is over $61,000 (prepared using Salary.com's Certified Compensation Professionals' analysis of survey data collected from thousands of HR departments at employers of all sizes, industries and geographies).

More information about online associate degree in nursing programs

You should see the online associate degree in nursing as the first step in your career. There are many online RN to BSN degree programs that exist specifically to help Registered Nurses who have associate degrees complete their BSN degrees.

If you don't find what you want here, try using the search facility on this site using online associate degree in nursing as your search term.

Use this link to find nursing programs and schools.

Remember to compare the admission requirements and course content of several schools before you choose a program.

Campus Programs

If you don't feel that online learning and distance education is for you, the web site also has a section on campus programs which you can explore for nursing programs. 

You can also search for a program or a school near you.