Registered Nurse Program
Delivery Options:
In-Person
Delivery Type:
Associate of Applied Science Degree
Program Length Once Accepted to Program:
4 Semesters
Why Pursue the Registered Nurse Program?
If you’re looking for a fast-paced, rewarding nursing career, Great Falls College’s associate of science nursing program is a great choice. With frequent tests and assignments, you’ll build the skills needed to succeed in your career. Once accepted, you’ll complete four intensive semesters of coursework and clinicals while gaining real-world experience. This full-time commitment prepares you to excel as a registered nurse as 100 percent of the program’s graduates passed their boards on the first attempt in 2024.
Graduates are Prepared to:
- Take and pass the national licensure exam (NCLEX-RN).
- Enter the workforce ready to work and make a difference.
- Understand complex patient needs.
- Provide competent and compassionate care.
- Collaborate with other healthcare providers.
- Support and facilitate decision making.
How to apply to the Practical Nurse program
Step 1
Step 1: Complete all prerequisites with at least a C (not a C-) grade and be in good academic standing with a minimum cumulative GPA in prerequisite coursework of 2.5.
Step 2
Step 2: Collect official transcripts if all prerequisites were not taken at Great Falls College
Step 3
Step 3: Be admitted to Great Falls College and have a complete admissions file before applying to the program.
- New to Great Falls College? Apply here
- Continuing student at Great Falls College? Your admissions file is already complete.
Step 4
Step 4: Submit the program application (instructions in application).
Application opens March 3 (delayed from Feb. 15) and application packets are accepted on an ongoing basis but must be dropped off or postmarked on or before May 31 to meet the priority deadline to get into the Practical Nurse program for the upcoming semester. Only complete application packets will be processed, so do not send items separately.
Types of Courses
| NRSG 230 | Nursing Pharmacology |
| NRSG 234 | Adult Nursing I |
| NRSG 246 | Health and Illness of Child and Family Nursing |
| NRSG 266 | Managing Client Care for the RN |
Career Opportunities
Demand continues to grow across Montana and the United States for educated and highly skilled nursing professionals. About 60 percent of RNs work in hospitals. RNs also find work in ambulatory healthcare services, nursing care facilities, government agencies, educational services and many other settings.
| Job Title | Median Wage | Annual Job Openings | Expected Growth |
| Registered Nurse | MT: $67,920 US: $73,300 | MT: 10,681 US: 3,096,700 | MT: 10.3% US: 7.2% |
| Practical Nurse | MT: $45,330 US: $47,480 | MT: 2,437 US: 721,700 | MT: 10.9% US: 9.1% |
It's one of those goals that I've had for nearly 15 years. And finally getting to accomplish that goal is incredible. ...The instructors here have been super helpful, being there right by my side for whatever comes down the line.
Additional Program Information
Registered Nurse Pathway
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.
Step 2: Kaplan Admission Test [link to PDF on current website]
Step 3: 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 4: Take the four-semester program [?make this a link to classes from the catalog? From above]
Step 5: Graduate and sit for the NCLEX-RN exam and go to work as an RN
LPN or RN: What’s the difference?
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.
Certification/accreditation
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. The certificate of applied science Practical Nursing program is based on statewide curriculums 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-PN).
National Accreditation
Great Falls College is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education. The Practical Nursing program began in the spring of 2017. 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 LPN program is not yet nationally accredited. However, Great Falls College LPN 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.
Already an LPN looking to pursue an RN?
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
Continue your education
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
Work in another state
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 MSU’s State Authorization page before enrolling.
Curriculum Map & Assessment Plan
Nursing Program Assessment Plan: Curriculum map and plan will be reviewed AY 22-23. Annual report will be submitted in May 2023
