Comparing Face to Face Nursing Education versus Online Options

Education is evolving due to the impact of the Internet. Change is necessary to engage students; this generation of students has the advantages of instant knowledge that previous generations did not have. Academic facilities, specifically nursing, are slowly adjusting to technological advances in education and are hesitant in accepting online courses as a creditable source of teaching. The purpose of this study is to compare traditional, face-to-face nursing education to education delivered through online classes.

As modern as online education is, does it offer any benefits, academically or otherwise, to participating students? Many institutions have conducted studies to answer this very question. The results appear to suggest that in terms of academics, online education neither increases nor decreases student performance significantly. However, it has been observed that the online medium is largely beneficial to students who could not otherwise access nursing knowledge easily, and to those whose physical time spent in classes translates to less time spent working and, as a result, less income with which to live. Ultimately, while online education is not detrimental to the pursuit of higher learning with respect to the nursing profession, it can often be beneficial.

The nursing profession largely deals with the care of the sick and diseased; those of the profession are often exposed to life-or-death situations. Educational facilities teach their students to react swiftly and appropriately to these situations in order to preserve the lives of fellow members of society; whereas in other professions, a poorly-trained employee could mean the loss of revenue or customers, in this field, an inefficiently-educated nurse could prove to be...

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.... Five more onsite students reported taking off from work two or three times. Seven onsite students, 30% of the onsite group, reported taking off from work on one occasion, while one onsite student, 13% of this group, claimed to have never taken time off from work throughout the participation process.

References

Cameron, N. (2013). Comparative descriptors of applicants and graduates of online and face-to-face master of science in nursing programs. Nursing Education Perspectives, 34(6), 372-376. doi: 10.5480/11-518.1

Coose, C. (2010). Distance nursing education in alaska: A longitudinal study. Nursing Education Perspectives, 31(2), 93-96.

Klaassen, J., Schmers, C., & Skarbek, A. (2013). Live health assessment in a virtual class: Eliminating educational burdens for rural distance learners. Online Journal Of Rural Nursing & Health Care, 13(2), 6-22.