Nursing Scholars Edge Direct Entry Program helps Columbus student pursue dream of becoming a flight nurse

To be a flight nurse is to commit to caring for individuals who are often in the most critical condition. They are a member of the staff on the helicopter who land on the highway after bad car crashes or the fixed wing aircraft that transport rural Montana patients to bigger facilities in Denver, Seattle, or Salt Lake City.

Montana Tech junior Kelsey Westervelt, of Columbus, MT, was able to job shadow a flight nurse in her senior year of high school. She went up in the helicopter three times that day, and immediately knew what career she wanted to pursue.

“Flight nurses have to be the best,” Westervelt said. “I want to be the best nurse that any of my patients have ever encountered. I deal with stress well, and I felt like being a flight nurse would be a good fit, and I would be able to meet my goals in that position.”

Westervelt considered a number of nursing programs in her quest to become the best nurse. There were other programs that caught her eye, but in the end, Montana Tech rose to the top of her list.

“Montana Tech had smaller class sizes, the simulation lab, excellent graduation and job placement rates, and came highly recommended by the flight team and the head of the emergency room at St. Vincent’s in Billings,” Westervelt said. “Plus, Montana Tech has the #1 ranked nursing school in the state.”

When she was a high school senior, Westervelt came across promotional materials from Montana Tech about a program called Nursing Scholars Edge. The program helped Westervelt secure a clinical seat in upper division nursing classes before she ever set foot in Montana Tech’s classrooms.

The Nursing Scholars Edge Program is a direct entry opportunity that selects 25 top Montana high school seniors every year from a pool of qualified applicants. Additionally, applicants will be considered for a $500 scholarship. All incoming freshmen selected for the Nursing Scholars Edge Program secure clinical spots in the Sherry Lesar School of Nursing. Earning a seat in the clinical program is a highly competitive process for students who don’t have the Nursing Scholars Edge Program advantage. The Sherry Lesar School of Nursing has been named the #1 nursing program in the state in numerous publications over the past several years, and was named a Top 20 BSN Program in the U.S. by EDsmart in 2022. The school’s excellent reputation helps draw applicants from across the United States.

By applying and being selected for one of the Nursing Scholars Edge Program spots, the student needs to maintain a 3.5 grade point average in pre-nursing coursework in order to enroll in the clinical portion of the nursing program, after taking prerequisites. Program participants get to bypass one of the major hurdles to clinical selection: the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) exam.

The TEAS exam is a test administered to gain admission into the clinical portion of nursing schools. At Montana Tech, your exam score is factored into your application, along with your overall GPA, and grades in certain prerequisites. The TEAS exam is known for being a difficult test, and poor scores can often be a roadblock to clinical placement.

“The best part of being in the Nursing Scholars Edge program is that there was little to no stress for me compared to my classmates who had to study for the TEAS exam,” Westervelt said. “I had to keep my GPA up, but I have scholarships that also require a GPA above a 3.7, so I wasn’t going to let my GPA drop anyway.”

Once Westervelt graduates she plans to return to St. Vincent Regional Hospital in Billings to complete the five years of experience and multiple certifications needed to become a flight nurse. She also might consider travel nursing one day, but says that is a long way off. For now, she’s focused on her coursework and says she’s confident Montana Tech will help her realize her dream of being an elite nurse. She’s grateful for the role the Nursing Scholars Edge Direct Entry Program played in getting her to where she is now.

Director of Nursing Janet Coe, MSN, RN, CHSE calls the Nursing Scholars Edge Direct Entry Program a tremendous opportunity for students like Westervelt who are already highly motivated to become the best nurses.

"The ability to have direct entry into the clinical portion of a nursing program is a tremendous opportunity for our Montana students,” Coe said. “It awards a prestigious honor for students with a clear understanding of the professional nurse role and who demonstrate high academic performance along with strong work ethic and leadership. Selection criteria gives students from all Montana communities, large and small, an opportunity to be honored."

Montana high school seniors need a 3.5 grade point average to be eligible for the program.  Students are asked to apply for the program, in addition to a regular application to Montana Tech, high school transcript, résumé, and written responses to essay questions.

This year’s essay questions include:

• What is your understanding of the role of the professional nurse and why have you chosen to pursue nursing as a career at Montana Technological University?
• What are your views on rural health? Would you ever consider working in a rural area?
• Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution, or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud, and how does it relate to the person you are?
• Do you have any experience in healthcare or with patient care (such as volunteer opportunities, job shadowing, employment etc). Please describe.
• Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for the Nursing Scholars Edge Program?

Applications to the Nursing Scholars Edge Program are open now. The deadline to submit is 4 p.m. on January 15, 2025. Questions? Email nursing@mtech.edu.Visit the Nursing Scholars Edge website for more information. 

Montana Tech’s general acceptance application can be found here. Students must be admitted to the university first in order to be accepted into the Nursing Scholars Edge Direct Entry Program.