Many working mothers would like to go back to school and receive a higher education, but just don't feel that they have the time or the resources to make that happen. eLearners.com, which is a website of EducationDynamics, set out to make the dream of a higher education a reality for many women with their Project Working Mom scholarships program. The program received more than 50,000 applications for full ride scholarships that would allow working mothers to go back to school.

eLearners.com teamed up with several other resources such as American InterContinental University, Devry University, and Walden University to give away more than two million dollars in full ride scholarships. The scholarships are meant to empower women to make positive changes to their lives and the lives of their children. To date, education paths have led to online nursing degrees, culinary programs, business administration and more.

Project Working Mom scholarships are needed much more than the average person may even realize. According to statistics, children who have parents with a higher level of education usually grossly outperform the children whose parents do not have this education. While the two million in full ride scholarships will not help every mother out there get the education she needs to make a change, it will help many make positive changes in their lives and the lives of their children.

Project Working Mom scholarships are useful for the women who want to go back to school, but cannot go back full time. The American Council on Education has reported that part time students often do not qualify for financial aid; in fact, as few as 35% of part time students receive any financial aid. The Project Working Mom scholarships will help many mothers get the funding they need for even part time education. The scholarships are even helpful for those that want to get an online degree, which is ideal for many working mothers, as it allows them to continue working and caring for their children while advancing their education.

In addition to the two million dollars in full ride scholarships, Project Working Mom also features a database of $15 billion in scholarship opportunities. These scholarships will allow women to get the funding they need so they can see a higher education as a part of their life. While the Project Working Mom scholarships may only be a Band-Aid® for a larger problem, it will put many mothers through school that will hopefully go on to inspire their children to be the best they can be in the future.

Labels: Nursing Scholarships, Nursing School, Online College, Online Degree, Online Nursing Degree

People now have longer lives compared to generations ago. The explosion of the baby population will need vast medical care but nurses are insufficient

The scarcity of nurses may have a negative effect on medical care. It means an increase to the ratio of the number of patients per nurse, resulting to less attention to each patient. There will be fewer nurses to monitor the patient's vital signs and administer necessary medications. Nurses also offer a human face to a cold and sterile environment.

Based on a study on nursing made by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), there were 1,891,000 full-time equivalent licensed nurses on year 2000 but there was a demand for them to nearly 2,001,500. By 2020, it was seen that there will be less FTE nurses at an estimate of 1,808,000, yet the need increases to 2,824,900. It is estimated that the country could lack nurses close to 500,000 or even 1 million. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) made a similar projection in April 2006. In a report entitled "What is Behind HRSA's Projected Supply, Demand, and Shortage of Registered Nurses?" analysts show that shortage of nurses in varying degrees will be experienced by all 50 states.

Statistics also confirmed that the number of nursing school graduates has declined significantly. The Council on Physician and Nurse Supply, an independent group of health care leaders based on University of Pennsylvania, released a statement last March 2008. They concluded that that to meet the needs of the nation's health care, there should be 30,000 additional nurses to graduate annually either from traditional campus colleges or online nursing programs. This is a 30% increase compared to the present number of annual nurse graduates.

Additionally, fewer nurses choose to teach due to low income, which also affects the figure of new nurses. More nurses prefer to work for pharmaceutical companies because they offer higher salary than hospitals, clinics, emergency rooms, and other health care facilities.

Salaries and wages vary, depending on your location and specialization. To give you an idea, we listed below the median of annual salary figures from CBSalary.com.

• Registered nurse: $66,427
• Intensive care unit (ICU) nurse: $67,548
• Head nurse: $85,967
• Critical care unit (CCU) nurse: $67,016
• Nurse midwife: $98,008
• Home-care nurse: $65,507

Just like other professions, the nursing job is not for everyone. But if it appeals to you, this could be the right moment to take a look into it. The call for nurses will continue to increase in the coming years, so you will definitely be in demand.

Labels: Nursing Career, Nursing Jobs, Nursing School, Nursing Shortage, Nursing Student, Online Degree

While most employers will value a degree from an established campus college without question, there is a different response from employers reviewing applications for those that list an online college degree completion. Should a degree from an online college be valued the same as a campus college degree? The times are quickly changing and while the question is valid now, as online education continues to grow and improve their technology for course delivery, in the near future there may be no question at all to consider.

Frequently, online students encounter questions about the validity of their degree. However, if you avoid the "degree mills" that give you an official sounding degree but offer no accreditation, you should wind up with a legitimate degree. Consider taking virtual courses from an established school, like George Washington University, or register for a recognized online classroom course.

Unfortunately, un-accredited universities and degree mills are besmirching the reputation of distance learning. It may be worth your time to perform a quick search online for the name of the college you are considering with the word "unaccredited" or "fraud". The results can either bring you peace of mind or reasons to investigate further.

However, there are still dozens of schools with quality reputations; just make sure to research your online college before you enroll. Employers have expectations about the quality of worker hired when his credentials list Harvard University, Boston College or UC Berkeley, but there is less known about distance learning institutions.

As a consequence, completing a degree program with very little history or reputation as a credible establishment can have an effect on how your education is perceived. Those who attend more recognized online schools like University of Phoenix or Walden University will see that human resource managers have less questions about the validity of those types of colleges as they are well-known across the country.

In terms of what kinds of degrees you should be taking classes towards in an online program, Masters degrees are considered more credible than bachelor's degrees, although neither have the prestige of a traditional degree. 26% of human resource professionals accept an online degree as the equivalent of a campus degree, while they accept 37% of Masters degrees as a brick and mortar equal.

Depending on the industry you plan on entering, some online degrees may be more accepted. Those in technology, interior design or culinary arts fields can expect employers to be more open to interviewing applicants with degrees from an online institution, whereas those seeking employment at law firms or in specialized fields of medicine will have a more of a challenge competing with other applicants who have traditional campus degrees. This is due to the face-to-face interaction of standard classroom format. Degrees that are based on computers allow you a day-by-day interaction through the class, whereas a Biology major from an online program would not have been given the same materials as a traditional student.

In the end, the credibility and validity of your degree truly depends on the person that is hiring you and your ability to sell yourself based on the knowledge you gained through your online education. Some may favor work experience; others may care about the university from which you graduated upon. Additionally, choosing a college with a broad alumni base will help you network in the future, as it increases the potential that one of the employees already hired will be from the same college as you. Nonetheless, as the number of students enrolling online continues to increase exponentially, companies are being forced into the 21st century and are incorporating ways to seriously consider virtual degree applicants evenly with campus degree applicants.

A lot of companies these days are adding continuing education to employee benefits and support those that want to advance their career through online training. Many employers even offer financial assistance or paid leave for employees to participate in these programs, just like they would for someone heading back to a campus for traditional schooling.

Labels: Online College, Online Degree, Online Nursing Degree