Online education is proving to be part of the healing process for the accelerating nursing shortage, according to recent information from eLearners.com, a web resource of EducationDynamics that connects prospective students with online learning providers. According to eLeaners.com, nursing subjects are the second most searched programs on the site behind business degrees among the more than one million unique visitors to the site each month. To answer this demand, eLearners.com offers a Guide to Online Nursing Degrees.

"The growth in demand for online nursing programs comes as no surprise given the data," said Terrence Thomas, Chief Marketing Officer for eLearners.com. "But, what is surprising is the number of prospective nursing students that are turning to online education to achieve their nursing career goals."

As the baby boomer population continues to age, the healthcare industry is feeling the pinch. According to a March 2008 report " The Future of the Nursing Workforce in the United States: Data, Trends and Implications", the U.S. will be short by about half-million nurses by 2025. Despite the interest in this career field, there is a lack of space and resources at traditional nursing colleges which is hampering the progress toward addressing this shortage. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing found that more than 30,000 qualified applicants didn't make it into nursing programs in 2006, due largely to a lack of nurse faculty.

"This is quite an astonishing and disturbing stumbling block for the nursing profession, which requires nurses to hold a bachelor's and/or master's degree," continued Thomas. "Fortunately, online education breaks down the barriers of traditionally delivered education. The classrooms and faculty are essentially limitless."

In March 2008, The Council on Physician and Nurse Supply reported that 30,000 nursing students need to graduate every year to meet U.S. healthcare needs. That's a 30 percent increase over the number of nurses currently graduating every year. In addition, the U.S. Bureau of Labor says more than one million new and replacement nurses will be needed in the next eight years, making it one of the fastest growing professions in the U.S.

To help provide answers to prospective nursing students about online degree programs, eLearners.com has created the " Guide to Online Nursing Degrees". In addition to providing information on more than 80 accredited online nursing degree programs, ranging from an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing to a Nursing Ph.D., the guide answers questions such as:

• What is nursing?
• Is an online nursing degree right for me?
• What concentrations exist for online nursing degrees?
• What courses will I take in an online nursing degree?
• What careers in nursing will I be ready for?
  

For more information on nursing degrees, online education, and how to finance a college education, visit eLearners.com.