Those currently working in nursing might soon have to juggle another demand in their day-to-day lives: more continuing education. A recent report from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching recommends all entry-level registered nurses be educated at the baccalaureate level and that all RNs earn a master's degree within 10 years of gaining a license, which could send nurses back to school to meet new nursing education requirements.

As a result, members of the nursing profession may increasingly turn to online programs to get nursing degrees as the demand for a better-educated workforce grows.

"Profound changes in nursing practice call for equally profound changes in the education of nurses and the preparation of nurse educators," the report states.

Other recommendations include:

• Develop local articulation programs to transition from the associate's degree in nursing to the bachelors of science in nursing
• Develop more associate's degree in nursing and master's of science in nursing programs
• Introduce pre-nursing students to nursing early in their education
• Provide more financial aid for all students, at all levels

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing applauded the Carnegie report, saying, "AACN strongly believes that nurses with baccalaureate degrees are better equipped to meet the demands placed on today's RN."

AACN found in a report last year that "though interest in nursing careers is high, the latest data show that almost 50,000 qualified applications to professional nursing programs were turned away in 2008." Academic administrators face, among other challenges, "funding cuts, limited classroom and clinical space."

Online nursing bachelor programs stand to benefit these institutions that are facing budget squeezes and increases in applicants. Demand for earning a nursing degree online is on the rise, and according to the AACN, the number of online RN to bachelors of science in nursing programs has increased by more than a third since 2007.

For example, a new online RN to BSN program was just announced in February at Herzing University Online. The online nursing degree program is designed for those who are "already working as nurses but want to advance their careers by earning their bachelor's degree." Dr. Todd Rickel, campus president of Herzing University Online, said professionals can advance their careers through "convenient online classes that give them the flexibility to fit classes around their work and family schedules."

For more information:
American Association of Colleges of Nursing's resources for prospective students planning a nursing career
Resources for nursing professionals by the National Library of Medicine