Online Nursing Degree Courses

Taking online nursing degree courses is simply an alternate way for nursing students to obtain a nursing degree. This alternate style of learning is usually compatible with those who do not have time to sit in a classroom setting. By obtaining a degree in this manner, all coursework is done via the internet. The only exception would be the clinical portion of the program, which must be taken in a clinic or hospital setting.

Five Popular Online Nursing Degree Courses

Following are five popular online nursing degree courses that students in one of the top online nursing degree programs can expect to take throughout the course of their education.

Anatomy

An anatomy course is one popular course found in the study of nursing. This course provides an understanding of the various body systems within the human organism. Some body systems that will be studied include the hepatic system, the pulmonary system, and the circulatory system. An understanding of the body systems will allow nurses to correctly identify the location of anatomical structures. It is important for a nurse to know where to check a pulse or a collapsed lung.

Physiology

Physiology is the study of the biological and chemical processes within the human body. These processes are not seen with the naked eye. An understanding of physiology is valuable in a nursing program because it will provide nurses with the understanding of how to properly diagnose diseases. Additionally, the knowledge gained from this course will help the nurse to understand the required quantity of a medication or vaccination that should be given to an infant, child, or an adult.

Microbiology

In microbiology courses pathogens are studied in detail. The origin, growth, and reproduction processes of these disease-causing organisms must be understood in order to keep them at a level that is not detrimental to human life. Knowing the overall life-cycle of a pathogen is important in understanding how to development and implement preventive measures or knowing how to obtain destructive measures if necessary. An understanding of this topic can also assist nurses by helping them to contain live pathogens and prevent the transfer of diseases.

Medical Ethics

Although a course in medical ethics does not relate to the understanding or function of the human body, it is, however, as equally important as any other course in a nursing program. This course teaches professional in the healthcare field how to interact with patients in every situation. Regardless if the patient is an infant or a mentally challenged individual, respect and professionalism should be shown to all patients at all times regardless of their age, medical condition, gender, ethnicity, or financial status.

Medical Terminology

Medical terminology is another important course in the study of nursing. This course helps with the pronunciation and understanding of medical words. Knowing the derivation of a given root word in addition to its prefix and suffix will allow a nurse to determine the definition of a word in question.

Although Online Nursing Degree Courses previously noted are traditional courses, some nursing programs offer unique courses in addition to the traditional standard ones. Excelsior College is an example of an online college that offers two unique courses. One is titled Death, Dying and Bereavement; the other course is Spirituality in Life Transitions. Unique courses can also be found at Walden University. This college offers Pathopharmacology and a course titled Family, Community, Population-Base Care as part of their online nursing degree courses.