Can you trust nurses who completed their education through an online program?

According to Distance Learning Net and Nurse Without Borders, nurses who acquire their degrees online can be trusted if they are educated by a reputably accredited institution that also has a traditional campus. There are drawbacks, however, such as a lack of opportunity to learn by working directly with patients.

Online nursing programs attract students from across the globe. This ensures global collaboration that contributes to a vast body of knowledge. On the flip side, there are many online nursing programs that have not been accredited, and therefore are not reputable. In addition, online nursing programs lack the requisite hands-on experience to prepare students for a hospital setting. This setback, however, can be mitigated if students supplement their degree with a hospital internship.