Using search is the best place to start. Search, then ask questions.
You can use this site's search feature. You can also use a commercial search engine such as Bing or Google by using the following search string:
nau site:degreeforum.net
As far as the nursing question is concerned, it was addressed a few days ago in this thread:
http://www.degreeforum.net/general-educa...rsing.html
It will take more time, money, and effort to go to a community college and later obtain a RN to BSN degree. If you have a major university and a community college in the same town, it is likely that the university will have better clinical placements than the community college. Both programs will probably be 4 semesters long. If you want to spend 4 semesters in school, you want to get the best clinical experiences possible.
Nursing schools offer information sessions. Formulate a list of specific questions and attend information sessions. Get answers from the school officials instead of us keeping in mind what the linked post above warned about - schools manipulate on-time graduation rates and NCLEX pass rates. Things get clearer as you attend more information sessions at different schools.
Yes, an RN can be obtained in an online program. Just to be clear and prevent misunderstanding by random people reading this, education to become an RN consists of two parts, classroom education and clinical education at a hospital. The classroom part can be done online. The clinical education must be done in person, something like 700-800 hours at a hospital working with patients. An RN-BSN can be done completely online with no patient contact, but you have to already be an RN before getting admitted. An RN-BSN does not make a student a nurse - the entering student is already a nurse, someone who wants to get a BSN.