All provisions within this catalog are subject to change without notice. If you have questions or comments, please contact admissions@gfcmsu.edu.
Registered Nurse
Associate of Science Degree
Program Director: Russell Motschenbacher
Program Faculty: Kaylene Strutz, Julie Derby, Adriann Lewis and Kate Jones
RN Program Application (Fall 2025 Application available February 14th)
Registered Nurses (RNs) work to promote good health and prevent illness. They educate patients and the public about various medical conditions, treat patients and help in their rehabilitation, and provide advice and emotional support to patients' families. RNs use considerable judgement in providing a wide variety of services. The Registered Nurse Program at Great Falls College MSU is currently approved by the Montana State Board of Nursing. upon completion of the Associate of Science in Registered Nursing, students will be prepared to begin a successful career as a registered nurse. Students are prepared to sit for the national licensure examination for registered nursing.
The Registered Nurse Program is a limited enrollment program with an intake of 30 students. Interested students must apply for entry into the program. An application packet with the criteria for admission is available on the program website.
- The length of the program after acceptance is four consecutive semesters.
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Accepted students will be required to provide proof of Health Care Provider CPR certification, a DOT-compliant urine drug screen, a background check, and a series of other specific immunizations. Further detailed information will be included in the acceptance packet.
- The Hepatitis B immunization series is strongly recommended before entrance into the program. A student may be denied access to clinical rotations without an adequate Hepatitis B titer. Students having religious or personal conflicts against receiving the Hepatitis B vaccine must sign a release form.
Graduates are prepared to:
- Administer effective and ethical individual patient care, utilizing human needs as a foundation for assessing behaviors.
- Assign priorities to desired nursing assessments and interventions based on desired outcomes and planning needs.
- Incorporate knowledge of cultural, religious, and socioeconomic factors to provide nursing care for individuals in a variety of healthcare settings.
- Coordinate, delegate, and prioritize the delivery of care aimed at meeting the needs of patients, communities of patients, and their families.
- Practice collaboratively within the RN scope of practice, legal, and ethical frameworks, and within national and state standards of nursing practice.
- Use communication that is effective and therapeutic, along with technology, to implement problem solving processes in the evidence-based delivery of patient care.
Estimated Resident Program Cost*
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Tuition and Fees | $10,070 |
| Uniforms | $225 |
| Lab/Course Fees | $190 |
| Program Fee | 400 |
| Books/Supplies | $3,008 |
| Total | $13,893 |
- *
Fall 2024 MUS Student Health Insurance Premiums may be changing. Please check the Health Insurance website and/or Student Central for confirmed premium rates.
Many students need preliminary math, science, and writing courses before enrolling in the program requirements. These courses may increase the total number of program credits. Students should review their math and writing placement before planning out their full program schedules.
The Great Falls College Registered Nurse Program is a limited enrollment program, accepting 30 students each year. Interested students are urged to contact the Registered Nurse Program Director or Advising and Career Center Advisors for student advising specific to admission requirements and criteria for program acceptance.
Prerequisite Courses
The following courses must be completed prior to admission into the Registered Nurse Program. All prerequisite coursework must be completed with a minimum grade of C (not a C-) in each course and a minimum cumulative GPA in prerequisite coursework of 2.5. Grades in prerequisite courses are a major factor in ranking applications for program acceptance.
Science courses must be completed within five (5) years of application to the program, and other courses must be completed within 15 years of applying to the program.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| FIRST SEMESTER | ||
| BIOH 201 | Human Anatomy Phys I w/ Lab (= 301) **,+ | 4 |
| BIOH 211 | Human Anatomy Phys II w/ Lab (=311) *,+ | 4 |
| NOTE: UM Western students may substitute BIOB 160, BIOH 365 & BIOH 370 for GFC MSU BIOH 201 & BIOH 211. All 3 classes are required and must have a grade of C or higher (not a C-) within the last 5 years of application. | ||
| WRIT 101 | College Writing I **,+ | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | ||
| CHMY 121 | Intro to General Chem w/Lab **,+ | 4 |
| OR BOTH | ||
| CHMY 141 | College Chemistry I w/Lab **,+ | 4 |
| CHMY 143 | College Chemistry II w/Lab *,+ | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | ||
| M 121 | College Algebra **,+ | 3 |
| M 140 | College Math for Healthcare **,+ | 3 |
| M 151 | Precalculus **,+ | 4 |
| M 171 | Calculus I **,+ | 4 |
| NOTE: STAT 216 Intro to Statistics will no longer be accepted as a math substitution effective Fall 2014. For transfer students, M 115 Probability and Linear Math will be accepted. | ||
| Subtotal | 18-23 | |
Program Course Requirements After Formal Acceptance
Once enrolled in Registered Nurse program, a minimum of a grade of C (not a C-) in all courses is required to continue in the program. In the clinical setting, students must achieve a grade of 75% in all rotations of each clinical experience.
Students are encouraged to take PSYX 100, SOCI 101, and BIOM 250 with Lab prior to program acceptance due to workload requirements of the RN program.
The courses listed below are required in the program of study for the Associate of Science in Registered Nursing. The courses are offered at Great Falls College MSU in the following sequence:
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| NRSG 230 | Nursing Pharmacology *,+ | 3 |
| NRSG 231 | Nursing Pharmacology Lab *,+ | 2 |
| NRSG 232 | Foundations of Nursing *,+ | 3 |
| NRSG 233 | Foundations of Nursing Lab *,+ | 3 |
| Credits | 11 | |
| Spring | ||
| NRSG 234 | Adult Nursing I *,+ | 3 |
| NRSG 235 | Adult Nursing I Clinical *,+ | 2 |
| NRSG 236 | Health and Illness of Maternal Nursing *,+ | 2 |
| NRSG 237 | Health and Illness of Maternal Nursing Clinical *,+ | 1 |
| NRSG 256 | Nursing Pathophysiology *,+ | 3 |
| PSYX 100 | Introduction to Psychology + | 3 |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| NRSG 244 | Adult Nursing II *,+ | 3 |
| NRSG 245 | Adult Nursing II Clinical *,+ | 2 |
| NRSG 246 | Health and Illness of Child and Family Nursing *,+ | 2 |
| NRSG 247 | Health and Illness of Child and Family Nursing Clinical *,+ | 1 |
| NRSG 254 | Mental Health Concepts *,+ | 3 |
| NRSG 255 | Mental Health Concepts Clinical *,+ | 1 |
| SOCI 101 | Introduction to Sociology + | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| BIOM 250 | Microbiology for Health Sciences w/ Lab *,+ | 4 |
| NRSG 259 | Adult Nursing III *,+ | 3 |
| NRSG 260 | Adult Nursing III Lab *,+ | 1 |
| NRSG 261 | Adult Nursing III Clinical *,+ | 2 |
| NRSG 266 | Managing Client Care for the RN *,+ | 2 |
| NRSG 267 | Managing Client Care for the RN Clinical *,+ | 2 |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Total Credits | 54 | |
Total Program Credits: 72-73
Suggested Electives
These courses are highly recommended in addition to standard nursing curriculum.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| AHMS 144 | Medical Terminology | 3 |
| Any NASX prefix course | 3 | |
| NRSG 191 | Special Topics: Tools for Nursing Success | 1 |
| NUTR 221 | Basic Human Nutrition | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | ||
| PSYX 230 | Developmental Psychology | 3 |
| PSYX 240 | Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology * | 3 |
- +
A grade of C (not a C-) or above is required for graduation.
- *
Indicates prerequisites needed.
- **
Placement in course(s) is determined by placement assessment.