Can you get a nursing degree online? The need for in-person nursing skills labs, clinical simulation, and clinical learning experiences means you cannot earn this degree 100% online. Degree programs like Marquette’s Direct Entry MSN integrate online nursing theory coursework with in-person labs and clinicals.
Most nurses work in person, intervening when a patient’s condition worsens and applying their education and training to quickly respond to each scenario. If you’ve been considering a nursing career, you might wonder “Can you get a nursing degree online?” No, you cannot earn a nursing degree completely online because of the needed in-person experience of labs and clinicals. A nursing degree program that contains an online component could be the best way to proceed.
Marquette University’s Direct Entry Master of Science in Nursing (DE-MSN) program could be your path into nursing, allowing you to earn a master’s degree in five or eight semesters, depending on program format. This could be less time than earning a second bachelor’s degree, and an MSN can provide more opportunities and flexibility in your future career path.
Can you really get a nursing degree online? What does a DE-MSN program with an online component look like for students? Learn more and see if this option might be right for you.
Can You Get a Nursing Degree 100% Online?
Note that no accredited prelicensure nursing degree programs are offered completely online. Nurses must be able to think on their feet, applying clinical knowledge while quickly responding to what could be a life-or-death situation. This makes experience essential to any quality nursing education, which is why a significant portion of our nursing curriculum is delivered in person.
Prospective Marquette DE-MSN students may apply for start dates in January, May and August at our Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, campus. We offer a hybrid-online format at this location for completing digital nursing theory coursework, as well as in-person lab and clinical experience. An extended eight-semester track is offered exclusively with a May start date in Pleasant Prairie.
Classes are held primarily in person for those enrolled at our main Milwaukee, Wisconsin, campus.
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How Do Online Nursing Degrees Work?
While you cannot earn a nursing degree 100% online, online coursework is a standard experience for students. Online nursing theory coursework in a DE-MSN program is just one component, augmented by labs and clinical learning.
Nursing Theory Coursework
If enrolled at our Pleasant Prairie program site, you will engage with peers and instructors through asynchronous online coursework, which provides crucial nursing theory instruction through our learning management system. On this platform, you’ll find instructor-recorded videos, interactive activities, discussion forums, quizzes, and even virtual “office hours” where professors will review key concepts and case studies and allow opportunities for student questions.
“I really like pharmacology,” says Marquette DE-MSN student Odie Deocariza. “I do like to know how to prescribe, knowing what medication's appropriate, why we’re choosing that med over the other med.”
Nursing Skills Labs and Clinical Simulation
Nursing skills labs and clinical simulation offer a safe setting to learn fundamental and advanced nursing skills, like performing a physical assessment, and apply those skills in simulated care scenarios like a patient having a heart attack.
Students work with hospital-grade equipment and “treat” medical manikins that replicate a wide range of symptoms. After each session, instructors will debrief with students to examine what went well and what could be improved on.
Clinical Learning
Lastly, in-hospital clinical learning experiences allow you to care for patients under supervision from experienced nurse preceptors. No individual practice area is assured, but students can gain experience across practice areas including:
- Adult nursing
- Gerontological
- Intensive care
- Mental health
- Neonatal
- Neurology
- Obstetrics (labor and delivery)
- Oncology
- Pediatrics
The Benefits of Online Nursing Coursework
With a better understanding of how online nursing coursework works within the framework of Marquette’s Direct Entry MSN program, now let’s cover some of the biggest benefits that online nursing coursework can offer.
Online Coursework Offers Convenience and Accessibility
Perhaps the most frequently touted benefit of online learning is the convenience factor. While there’s no getting around the importance of in-person labs and clinicals, being able to go through the coursework at your own pace is helpful.
Online learning requires you to stay self-motivated. If you prefer the external motivation of attending lectures and handing in assignments in person, fully on-campus learning might be best for you. Before making a choice, carefully consider your own personal learning style.
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Online Learning Can Help You Keep Pace with Your Studies
If you enroll to earn your master’s in nursing, know that the process will be a challenge regardless of program format. For a DE-MSN program like Marquette’s, the commitment level is high. Your time spent on studies each week will be similar to the load of a full-time job. One of the largest benefits of online coursework is the ability to schedule when you will read and complete assignments.
With increased flexibility while still meeting deadlines, students can learn in whichever time and place works best for them.
Online Learning Lets You Connect with Your Professors Virtually
There’s a misconception that students enrolled in online learning programs won’t have contact with their professors. Our Direct Entry MSN program is far from that. In addition to labs, quizzes, and other learning center activities, students also meet faculty in person at the beginning of the program, at orientation, and at the beginning of each semester.
Many instructors host regular synchronous sessions, and students can also reach out through email, phone, text, and even virtual office hours and question-and-answer sessions, accessible through our learning management system. Free individual tutoring is also available to all DE-MSN students, helping to ensure that each student feels supported and has the tools for success.
Odie has been encouraged by Marquette’s DE-MSN faculty throughout his time in the program, saying about their support “It really allows me to branch out into other areas and see what I like and what I don’t like.”
Ready to Earn Your MSN?
Having learned more about earning a nursing degree online, if Marquette’s Direct Entry MSN program seems like a good fit for you, get in touch for more information. One of our admissions advisers will reach out about whether you could earn your MSN in five or eight semesters.