Nurses are the backbone of the healthcare system. They provide vital care to patients in hospitals, clinics, and private homes, and they must constantly develop themselves to keep up with the latest advances in the industry. Nurses are also emerging to fill the void left by the absence of primary care physicians in healthcare. This has resulted in nurses taking on more roles and having even busier schedules.
Earning advanced degrees and building qualifications in different specialties has become challenging for many nurses. Fortunately, online learning in nursing education enables nurses to build competence in their careers and transition into newer roles as nursing professionals. Here is a closer look at how nurses can develop their skills despite busy schedules using online learning.
What is online learning, and how can nurses use it to build new skills?
Online learning, also referred to as e-learning, is any type of learning or education that takes place over the internet. Online learning can also be referred to as distance learning. It is a prevalent form of virtual education in higher education and for developing a knowledge base in emerging industries and fields.
Initially, online learning in nursing education was severely limited since nursing is a highly practical profession. However, over the years, constant innovations in the virtual education space and the increased demand for flexible nursing education has led to greater adoption of online learning by nursing professionals and educators.
Here is a look at some of the many benefits offered by online learning for nurses.
Flexible schedule
The flexibility of online learning is perhaps the greatest benefit for nurses. Online learning allows nurses to manage the intensity of an advanced degree program with their work and personal life through its flexibility because you can take your classes from anywhere at any time.
Reduced costs
Online learning reduces the expenses of professional development. The cost of an online degree is lower than that of a traditional degree in an accredited institution. Therefore, online learning allows nurses who might otherwise not have access to an advanced program for financial reasons to develop their skills.
Learning at your own pace
Nurses have busy schedules that might get busier during health crises such as pandemics, outbreaks or seasonal breakouts. Managing school work and classes might be difficult for nurses during this period. Online learning can help nurses easily catch up with their education at their own pace.
Developing technical skills
Online learning enables nurses to develop technical skills that can be useful in the workplace. For example, online students must work on presentation slides and present case studies. As a result, they build their presentation skills and improve their proficiency in using technological tools and resources. With the current trend of virtually performing patient care and interacting with medical teams online, it is becoming increasingly important for nurses to possess excellent technical skills.
Continued work experience
Online learning means nurses do not have to leave their jobs before obtaining further education. This means a lot in an industry where years of experience matter and influence decisions such as role, pay, leave, and other work benefits. Online learning ensures that there is no break in the nurse’s work experience while self-development is in progress.
Why should nurses build new skills?
Nurses are now being relied upon to provide more specialized care rather than serving chiefly as caregivers. Here is a look at some of the reasons nurses should build new skills.
Professional relevance
The monotonous nature of nursing tasks can sometimes lead to a lack of intellectual curiosity. Constantly building new skills can help combat this and help nurses stay relevant professionally.
Nurses should build new skills in emerging practice areas and keep themselves updated with trends and happenings in the clinical sciences.
Area of specialization
Nurses should develop new areas of specialization for themselves and carve out a niche. Specializing as a nurse allows you to capitalize on your strengths and apply yourself to an area of medicine that interests you.
Financial rewards
Being highly skilled will naturally qualify you for more opportunities for career growth, which can increase your income. Developing skills might even enable you to cultivate multiple streams of income for yourself outside of clinical practice.
Competition
Working on new skills allows you to stay competitive in your profession. Although nursing comes with a considerable amount of job security, it does not mean that you won’t face competition from other experts in your field. In a highly digitized world, physical location is not a limitation when it comes to taking advantage of opportunities online and staying ahead.
Better work benefits
The more valuable you are as a nurse, the better your chances are of negotiating better work benefits. Being a highly skilled nurse is a surefire way to get an employer to offer you different perks and stay invested in your growth as a professional. Make yourself valuable to your employer, and they will be willing to go the extra mile to keep you on board.
How to improve your skills as a nurse
Becoming a registered nurse takes years of hard work and dedication. It is a profession that requires technical skills as well as the ability to care for others and provide emotional support. Here are some tips for improving your skills as a nurse and making the most of your career.
Never stop learning
As a nurse, you have to embrace the mindset that learning never ends. Healthcare is constantly evolving, and new treatment methods are developed every day. You have to keep learning and updating yourself so you do not harm your patients. There are many certifications and training that you can look into as a nursing professional, either online or on-site, to boost your resume.
Get an advanced nursing education
An advanced nursing education significantly expands your clinical knowledge as a nursing professional and offers you a chance to improve your career prospects. An advanced degree enables you to stay ahead, earn more, gain greater autonomy in your career, and become eligible for leadership positions.
Join a professional body
Professional bodies generally have webinars, conferences, and symposiums for their members to learn and network. Joining a professional body helps you stay in the loop and opens you up to opportunities when they arise. It also gives you access to more experienced colleagues who can help you further your career.
Volunteer
Volunteering allows you to put your skills to use in a humanitarian way. Volunteering your time and skills allows you to keep learning innovative ways to practice nursing, as volunteering usually takes place outside the ideal clinical setting. Volunteering helps you learn how to think on the spot and improvise in clinical practice.
Develop digital skills
Another way to improve yourself as a nurse is to develop digital skills. Content creation, coding, and software programming can be useful for nurses who are looking for ways to make an impact outside the clinic. Gaining digital skills will also help nurses pursue interests outside of patient care and nursing practice.
Learn health tech
Medical technology works better when the key actors in the healthcare delivery system contribute to its development. However, many nurses and healthcare practitioners are ill-equipped to make significant contributions to the development of medical equipment and programs. A nurse can improve themselves by learning the different tech systems used in healthcare.
Medical research
Another way to improve yourself as a nurse is by engaging in ethical medical research. The medical field keeps progressing thanks to the work that health researchers are conducting. Nurses who are looking to build new skills can get into medical research in any area that interests them and try to solve some small and big problems in nursing practice.
Learn to use social media and other software
Social media is a useful medium not just for making social connections but also for sharing knowledge and information. Nurses have a duty to share medical information with members of the public. Learning how to leverage social media can help achieve this. Social media can even help nurses develop a valuable brand that can be monetized outside of clinical practice.
Online degrees for nurses
There are many skills that nurses can develop online. They can enroll in massive open online courses to learn any skill of their choice, such as patient safety skills, specialty care skills, urgent care and emergency care, patient and family education, and integrative healthcare. Similarly, they can improve their professional qualifications by obtaining advanced degrees online.
Many bridge programs for nurses are offered entirely online (excluding clinical hours). Such programs are designed to help nurses move on to the next stage in their careers.
Here is a look at some of the most popular bridge programs
CNA – LPN & MA to LPN programs
These are programs designed to help clinical nursing assistants and medical assistants transition into licensed practical nurses.
LPN to RN programs & Paramedic to RN programs
These programs are designed to prepare licensed practical nurses and paramedics for careers as registered nurses. LPNs and paramedics usually work under the supervision of a registered nurse.
ADN to BSN, RN to BSN & LPN to BSN programs
A bachelor of science in nursing is now the standard qualification required for a nursing role in a good institution. Any nurse who wants to advance faster and gain more administrative duties along the way can get a BSN online.
RN to MSN programs & BSN to MSN programs
Nurses who are trying to become advanced practice registered nurses must obtain a master’s of science in nursing degree. This can also be obtained online.
MSN to FNP programs
Nurses who already have MSNs in other fields but wish to get an online second degree MSN-FNP can enroll in this program to become qualified as family nurse practitioners.
BSN to DNP & MSN to DNP programs
The highest academic qualification in nursing is a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP). A nurse can get a DPN online with a BSN or MSN.
How to manage your busy schedule as a nurse
Nurses cannot take advantage of online learning to develop themselves if they are unable to carve time out of their busy schedules for it. How can nurses manage their clinical engagements while developing their skills?
Prioritize tasks
As a nurse, all your tasks often seem to have a high priority, but this might not be the case. You need to learn to be objective with your tasks and prioritize them. The Eisenhower matrix is one good approach to consider.
Start earlier
Another way to effectively manage your busy schedule as a nurse is to start your tasks earlier than you ordinarily would. Starting earlier means that you do not waste time procrastinating, especially on seemingly small tasks.
Learn delegation
As simple as it may sound, delegation is something many people struggle to adopt. You might find it difficult to trust others to do some of your tasks if you consider yourself a highly effective person. However, handling everything yourself will take valuable learning time away from you, so you must learn to trust others and delegate whatever you can.
Ask for help
Asking for help does not make you any less qualified as a professional. In fact, it will allow you to gain valuable insights from other people and take advantage of their knowledge and skills. When you ask for help, you free up the time you would ordinarily spend looking for solutions. This does not mean that you should not do your research when you have to; it just means that you know where to start.
Take breaks
Taking breaks might appear counterintuitive as a time management tip, but it can help you to save time in the long run. When you work or study for long hours, your performance dwindles gradually. If you do not take time to refresh, you may end up spending a long time doing tasks that could be performed within a short period.
Use time management tools
Automating tasks that can be automated and using the different time management tools available for professionals will also help you manage your schedule better. To-do lists and schedules can help you stay grounded and avoid wasting time on unimportant tasks that may come up during the day,
Anticipate unforeseen events
Finally, to properly manage your schedule as a nurse, you must always anticipate and plan for contingencies that may arise during your work. If you foresee that you might be required to work longer hours or stay longer at work due to an expected storm, for example, it makes sense to plan to study at work. You can go to work with your study notes to prepare for this possibility.
How to use online learning effectively
Nurses are in high demand, and online learning can be an effective way to gain the skills needed for this profession. However, there are some things that nurses need to know to use online learning effectively. Here are some useful tips.
Set your goals
You cannot have a worthwhile learning experience online if you do not have a solid idea of what you want to get out of that experience. You must set your learning goals and make an actionable plan to implement those goals. In addition, you should make sure your goals are as realistic as possible. As a nursing professional, you must factor in the time constraints you have as a result of your job when setting goals. You cannot aim to complete two weeks of classes in three days; it is simply not realistic. Even if you find a way to cram all your lessons into three days, it would not be an effective learning experience.
Interact with your instructors
Online learning can create a barrier between students and instructors if there is no intentional plan to break such a barrier. Student-instructor interaction is a valuable part of learning. If you are in a program where you can get access to your instructors, make a point of interacting with them. Ask relevant questions, request feedback on your work, and offer your insights on the lessons.
Explore all materials provided
Make sure you explore all the learning materials provided for your use. It is not uncommon for students in online classes to focus only on video or audio lessons while ignoring the recommended reading materials. There is a good reason your instructor has recommended specific material, so be sure to stay on top of everything.
Discipline yourself
The retention rate in online learning programs can be low because many students lack the discipline to stay committed to their learning. You need to discipline yourself if you want to get the most out of online learning. Set up a reward-punishment system for yourself to help you stay on track.
Practice self-care
Taking care of your physical and mental health will help you manage your online learning experiences effectively. If you do not actively take care of yourself, you might feel overwhelmed and stressed, which is not a conducive mental state for effective learning.
Online learning has provided a platform for nurses to continue developing their professional and personal skills. Nurses must take advantage of the available tools and resources as healthcare professionals need continuous learning to stay relevant and maintain competency.
