Step 1: Take pre-requisites (all courses must be completed with at least a C (not a C-) and a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5.

Prerequisities

Step 2: Apply for Associate of Science Nursing-Registered Nursing program

Students must be admitted to Great Falls College prior to submission of the Associate of Science Nursing-Registered Nurse program application. Students must be in good academic standing with the institution. Therefore, no applications will be reviewed unless the applicant applies first to the Great Falls College and the official transcripts are reviewed by the Registrar.

Acceptance to Great Falls College requires a completed admissions application file. For more information on applying to Great Falls College please visit the Admissions page [link to admissions].

The Registered Nurse program is a limited enrollment program with an intake of 30 students once per year. Interested students must apply for entry into the program. Applications become available mid-February and are due by the last day of the month of May. Students are notified of acceptance via electronic Docusign at the end of July for an anticipated program start in the fall. Declined students will be notified by mail in early August.

Step 3: Take the four-semester program

Step 4: Graduate and sit for the NCLEX-RN exam and go to work as an RN

Both LPNs and RNs provide essential nursing care, but RNs usually have more autonomy and responsibility. LPNs typically handle basic nursing care and support RNs and physicians. RNs often work in hospitals, while LPNs frequently work in residential care facilities. The demand for both roles is increasing, especially in settings serving aging populations and outpatients.

Montana Board of Nursing Approval

In order for a nursing graduate to be eligible to take the NCLEX exam, the nursing program needs to be regionally approved by the presiding Board of Nursing and needs to meet the curriculum requirements for that particular state. Great Falls College’s Associate of Science Registered Nursing (ASN-RN) program is based on statewide curriculum and is fully-approved by the Montana Board of Nursing, meeting all the requirements to make students eligible to take the appropriate licensing exam (NCLEX-RN).

National Accreditation

Great Falls College’s registered nursing program is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education. The Associate of Science Registered Nursing program began in the fall of 2016. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the goal of accreditation is to assess and ensure the quality of academic programs at institutions of higher education is acceptable. This accreditation process is completed by an accrediting agency, a private educational association of regional or national scope. As a fairly new program, Great Falls College’s RN program is not yet nationally accredited. However, Great Falls College RN graduates do not have any state limitations on employment. Once graduates pass the NCLEX exam, they are eligible to apply for licensure in all 50 states. Most employers do not require graduation from a nationally accredited program, with rare exceptions primarily limited to specific military installations. While some Bachelor’s of Science Nursing completion programs indicate that ASN graduates need to have graduated from an accredited program, not all programs require this. Additionally, Great Falls College’s nursing program students are recruited and welcomed at MSU Northern and MSU-Billings for their BSN completion programs.

Current LPNs looking to become RNs are required to complete and meet all competitive entry requirements for consideration of their application into the ASN-RN program. Pre-requisite coursework needs to have been completed within the appropriate guidelines, without exception. If an LPN is selected for one of the 30 competitive entry spots within the ASN intake, specific courses are waived in lieu of previous coursework or experience. The courses an LPN-to-RN student would not be required to take include:

First Year – Fall semester

NRSG232 Foundations of Nursing

NRSG233 Foundations of Nursing lab

First Year – Second semester

NRSG234 Adult Nursing I

NRSG235 Adult Nursing I Clinical

After graduation from a nursing program, the entry level wages and locations of employment are often very similar for RNs with either an Associate of Science in Nursing or a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing. Some facilities may have precedents that require employees to obtain their BSN within a set number of years. After completing our ASN-RN program, students looking to pursue a BSN should anticipate taking additional courses in leadership and management, research, community/global health and ethics. Great Falls College’s nursing program students are recruited and welcomed at MSU Northern and MSU Billings for their BSN completion programs. While this streamlines continuing a student’s education beyond Great Falls College, it does not limit a student’s ability to attend other universities.

Information about Montana Tech’s ASN-BSN program can be found here: https://www.mtech.edu/nursing/BS_Nursing.html

Graduates who pass the NCLEX-RN exam can apply for licensure by endorsement in any state. Montana is part of the Nurse Licensure Compact, allowing nurses to practice in 34 states with a multi-state license. For details, visit www.ncsbn.org/compacts.htm. They likely have additional licensing requirements to complete prior to practicing in a state outside of Montana. Students should review licensing requirements for other states at Great Falls College’s State Authorization page before enrolling.

Nursing Program Assessment Plan: Curriculum map and plan will be reviewed AY 22-23. Annual report will be submitted in May 2023.