Montana Technological University has received approval from the Montana State Board of Nursing to expand its bachelor of science nursing degree program. The nursing program will admit an additional ten students each semester beginning in fall 2020. The increase allows a more significant number of qualified applicants to be accepted into nursing education. Once fully implemented (fall 2020-fall 2022), there would be a 50% increase (100-150) in enrolled nursing students. The desire of students to access nursing education, support by our administration, and the projected shortage of nursing professionals in our local community, state, and beyond support the need for the proposed enrollment change.
“I am excited for our students, faculty, staff, and institution and thank all clinical partners who supported the proposal. With increased enrollment and the future Nursing Simulation Center, Montana Technological University will have an impact on nursing, healthcare, and Montana,” noted Karen VanDaveer, interim Dean of the College of Letters, Science, & Professional Studies at Montana Tech.
Montana Tech has a strong nursing program. Students study in the newly renovated Health Sciences Building (HSB), which conveniently includes all nursing courses and faculty under one roof. The department will be expanding its facilities with the construction of a nursing simulation center on campus. The innovative center supports the integration and expansion of simulation experiences throughout the curriculum and improves the quality of our nursing graduates. Current simulation spaces in the Health Sciences Building will be converted to larger classrooms, accommodating larger cohort sizes. The plan is to have the simulation center open in spring 2021.
“I am grateful for the support from administration, our generous donors, and the community in the expansion of our program. We are committed to delivering quality and innovative nursing education. I am proud of our nursing graduates and so excited for the opportunities that the new simulation center and expanded enrollment will bring to Montana Tech and the community,” explained Janet Coe, interim Nursing Director at Montana Tech.
There will be no modification in the number of credits or courses offered in the 120-credit Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree Program. The increased enrollment will be managed through the addition of lab and simulation sections on campus.
Montana Tech’s nursing students received a 100% pass rate on the NCLEX-RN exam for the first quarter of 2020. The pass rate exceeds both the Montana average of 90.22% and a National average of 89.52% and supports the quality education nursing students receive at Montana Tech. To learn more about Montana Tech’s nursing program, please visit mtech.edu/nursing/.