NSU Catalog 2020-2021 
    
    Mar 29, 2024  
NSU Catalog 2020-2021 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Nursing (Pre-)


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When it comes to medical professions, nursing is crucial. As a nurse, you’ll demonstrate compassion and critical thinking while taking care of your patients. Northern will help you gain those skills and more, preparing you for admission into any school of nursing. While pre-nursing itself isn’t a major, we’ll match you with a degree program and provide required coursework.

If you already have a bachelor’s degree and want to explore a career in nursing, our Accelerated Nursing Program might be the right fit for you! Through a unique partnership with South Dakota State University, we offer this one-year nursing program right here on our campus, providing another avenue for you to succeed in this vital field.

This program will be a good fit if you are:

  • Caring and compassionate
  • Detail-oriented
  • A good problem solver and critical thinker
  • A skilled communicator with active listening skills
  • Someone who likes to work with people and help others
  • An individual with integrity
  • Someone with a desire to continue learning

As a nurse, you’ll be in high demand. Registered nursing employment in the U.S. is projected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations. With a degree in nursing, you could work as a registered nurse, nurse anesthetist, certified nurse practitioner, respiratory therapist or even as a teacher.

Beyond the traditional hospital or clinic setting, nurses are needed in countless areas, including:

  • Schools
  • Military units
  • Home healthcare services
  • Nursing care facilities

Students in our pre-nursing program often major in:

Northern State University has a cooperative program with the College of Nursing at South Dakota State University for students wishing to take two years of the curriculum prior to transferring to the professional nursing course sequence at SDSU to complete the Bachelor of Science degree with a major in nursing. The baccalaureate degree in nursing is now the recommended degree for entry into a professional nursing career. The South Dakota State University nursing program is fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). The student should complete as many as possible of the basic science and general education requirements at Northern State University prior to transfer to ensure flexibility in planning and scheduling of courses at SDSU. To be considered for admission, students must have a 2.7 GPA or higher and a grade of “C” or higher in all completed required nursing major support courses and complete an Application for Admission to the College of Nursing, SDSU, by mid-term of the semester preceding transfer.

You may enter the nursing major sequence at SDSU in either fall or spring semester. Upon completion of all course requirements, the degree Bachelor of Science with a major in nursing will be conferred by SDSU, after which you are eligible to take the National council Licensure Examination- RN which is given twice yearly (once in February and once in July). Successful performance on this examination will enable you to enter practice as a professional (registered) nurse.

Contact the Dean, College of Nursing, South Dakota State University, Bookings, South Dakota 57007 for additional information or Dr. Andrew Russell (605) 626-2352 .FAX: (605) 626-3364

Program Information


Sophomore Year


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