Which Online Resources for Free Nursing Education Are the Best?
Overview
Nurses must always be learning in the fast-paced healthcare world of today. It is essential to stay current with the most recent medical information and nursing practices, regardless of your level of experience as a student nurse, registered nurse (RN), or advanced practice nurse. Thankfully, there are plenty of free online resources available that offer top-notch nursing education, such as research articles, video lessons, textbooks, and courses.
This article explores the best free online resources for nursing education, such as websites, classes, video lectures, e-books, and study guides, that can enhance nurses’ knowledge and skills without incurring significant costs.
Top Free Online Resources for Nursing Education
1. Open Courseware and Online Learning Environments
Free nursing courses on subjects including anatomy, pharmacology, patient care, and evidence-based practice are offered via a number of sites.
a) Coursera offers free courses with the option to audit them.
provides nursing programs from prestigious colleges, like Stanford, Johns Hopkins, and Yale.
Global health concerns, patient care, and nursing leadership are among the subjects covered.
Free audits of the courses are available, and certificates can be purchased.
b) Free Nursing Courses from Top Universities (edX) offers free enrollment in nursing programs offered by Harvard, MIT, and other esteemed universities.
Clinical skills, emergency nursing, and public health are among the topics covered.
You can purchase a certificate or audit courses for free.
c) Alison (Completely Free Nursing Courses) provides nursing courses covering subjects including infection control, drug safety, and nursing ethics at no cost.
offers a large selection of courses for students at all skill levels.
d) FutureLearn provides brief nursing courses from academic institutions and medical facilities.
Evidence-based practice, end-of-life care, and nurse communication are among the subjects covered.
2. Free Online Study Guides and Nursing Textbooks
Numerous websites offer free nursing reference books, textbooks, and PDFs so that professionals and students can learn without worrying about money.
a) OpenStax (Free Nursing Textbooks) offers thorough, peer-reviewed nursing textbooks covering subjects like microbiology, anatomy, and physiology.
Books can be found online in PDF and EPUB formats.
b) NCBI Bookshelf (Free Medical and Nursing Books) provides full-text medical and nursing books for free.
contains citations for patient safety, evidence-based practice, and nursing research.
b) Merlot (Open Educational Resources for Nurses) offers lectures, videos, and tests as well as other free nursing education resources.
covers patient care, pharmacology, and nursing basics.
d) A selection of open educational nursing resources is available through OER Commons (Nursing Learning Resources).
incorporates simulations and interactive learning modules.
3. Free Journals and Research in Nursing
Professional development requires staying current with nursing research and evidence-based practices. Nursing research publications and journals can be accessed for free on the following websites.
a) Millions of nursing and medical research publications are freely accessible through PubMed Central (PMC).
includes case studies, nursing interventions, and clinical guidelines.
b) Open-access, peer-reviewed nursing journals are published by BioMed Central (Nursing Research).
covers subjects like patient safety, nursing practice, and healthcare regulations.
c) Free reports, white papers, and educational materials are offered by the American Nurses Association (ANA).
discusses nursing regulations, patient care techniques, and ethical standards.
d) The Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) provides free access to excellent medical and nursing journals. Emerging Nursing Technologies: What Every Nurse Should Know
Perfect for researchers, teachers, and nursing students.
4. Free Video Lectures and Tutorials in Nursing
These platforms offer free online nursing courses, seminars, and demos that are beneficial to visual learners.
a) Khan Academy (Free Anatomy and Physiology Courses) offers top-notch courses pertaining to medicine and nursing.
covers medical ideas as well as human anatomy and physiology.
b) YouTube (Free Channels for Nursing Education)
Free tutorials on nursing concepts can be found on channels such as Osmosis, RegisteredNurseRN, and Simple Nursing.
discusses clinical skills, patient care advice, and NCLEX preparation.
c) Free lectures and notes on healthcare subjects are available through MIT OpenCourseWare (Free Health and Nursing Courses).
covers patient safety, pharmacology, and biological sciences.
5. Free Resources for NCLEX Preparation
Numerous websites offer free practice exams, study materials, and exam advice to nursing students getting ready for the NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN.
There are thousands of free NCLEX practice questions available at Nurse Labs (Free NCLEX Practice Questions).
contains justifications and explanations for every query.
a) NCLEX Study Guides and Quizzes for Union Test Prep
offers free NCLEX study guides.
offers comprehensive practice tests as well as flashcards.
b) Limited Free Access to NCLEX Mastery
provides free NCLEX study guides and questions every day.
includes test-taking techniques and nursing mnemonics.
c) Kaplan Nursing (Free Sample Questions for the NCLEX)
offers test-taking tips and sample NCLEX questions.
In conclusion
Since nursing is a vocation that requires lifelong learning, students, novice nurses, and seasoned professionals can all greatly benefit from having access to free, excellent educational resources. The internet provides a wealth of free learning resources, whether you’re searching for NCLEX study guides, research papers, nursing courses, or textbooks.