Missoula College Associate Degree in Nursing Ranked No.1 in Montana
MISSOULA – Missoula College’s associate of science degree in nursing has been ranked the No. 1 ASN program in Montana. The ranking comes from NursingProcess.org, a nonprofit online resource that provides students with nursing education and career information.
Rankings are based on the first-time pass rate for the National Council Licensure Examination, academic quality and statistics gathered from U.S. News & World Report, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System and state board of nursing websites.
The organization noted Missoula College’s focus on providing quality training for students interested in professional nursing careers. The organization also cited the program’s low student-to-faculty ratio that is as low as 13:1, in addition to the close support from faculty and mentorship on career placement.
Linda Barnes, Missoula College Nursing Program director, said the ranking reflects the commitment of MC to provide the training necessary for building nursing skills and career development.
“The Missoula College ASN program offers students a strong foundation in nursing skills, as well as didactic theory that enables graduates to work in a variety of health care settings, including hospitals, clinics, home health care and hospice, to name a few,” she said.
Barnes said the mission of MC nursing faculty is to create a supportive environment where students can practice their skills in a non-judgmental, safe setting before taking care of patients in the clinical setting.
“With over 100 years of combined nursing experience, our faculty are dedicated to offering real-world examples of nursing care,” she said. “Our state-of-the-art skills lab is the perfect environment for achieving competency in the necessary skills needed for safe nursing practice.”
The college also includes other health care programs including respiratory care, radiologic technology, surgical technology and paramedicine, which offers a unique opportunity for students to practice interprofessional collaboration. Hands-on learning ꟷ including live simulation scenarios that emphasize teamwork with a variety of health care occupations that mimic the environments in hospitals and clinics ꟷ are central to the program.
Accredited by the Commission for Education in Nursing, the MC degree program requires 72-73 credits that can be completed in four semesters. For the registered nursing track, the college cites a 100% job placement in 2020 and a 94% three-year pass rate on the NCLE exam.
The ASN program prepares students as excellent nurses who will play a vital role in patient care and recovery as they obtain the knowledge and skills to promote health, prevent disease, help patients cope with illness and advocate for patients, families and communities.
For more information on the Missoula College Nursing program, visit https://mc.umt.edu/nursing/default.php.
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Contact: Linda Barnes, Missoula College nursing program director, 406-243-7875, linda.barnes@mso.umt.edu.