St. Luke’s College Nursing Program Review

Although St. Luke’s College didn’t officially open its doors until 1966, it traces its roots back to the 1890s. St. Luke’s College, an institution which focuses solely on education in the healthcare field, developed out of Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing, Lutheran Hospital School of Nursing, and Methodist Hospital School of Nursing. When these diploma nursing schools closed in the 1960s, Saint Luke’s College took over the mission of training nurses for the Sioux City, Iowa area.

While St. Luke’s College remains committed to providing nursing education, over the years it has also added programs in other healthcare fields, including programs in radiology, respiratory care, phlebotomy, medical laboratory sciences, and clinical pastoral education. St. Luke’s College is located in Sioux City, Iowa, on the campus on St. Luke’s Health System. It is a commuter school; it does not have housing for students.

Associate of Science in Nursing

St. Luke’s College offers one program in nursing, an associate degree program which prepares students to take the National Council Licensing Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). The school has a high rate of success with this licensing exam. Over 97 percent of its nursing program graduates pass the test on their first try. In order to prepare its students for this test, as well as for their careers as Registered Nurses (RN), Saint Luke’s College has a rigorous, five-semester course of study. Students must enroll on a full-time basis. The Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) program begins each fall and each spring, and includes one summer semester.

In total, a student in the ASN program must earn seventy-two credits. This includes the following general education and nursing support classes: English composition, general psychology, anatomy and physiology I and II, developmental psychology, nutrition, sociology, microbiology, and ethics. The remainder of the program is devoted to nursing coursework and clinical rotations. Clinical rotations start in the very first semester of the program, so every ASN student has the opportunity to get a thorough, hands-on experience in the nursing field. St. Luke’s College’s nursing program is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission (NLNAC) and approved by the Iowa State Board of Nursing.

Further Education Opportunities

Although St. Luke’s College does not offer a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program, it does cooperate with the BSN program at Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa. Over the course of four years, a student can earn both an ASN degree from St. Luke’s College and a BSN degree from Dordt College. In the first five semesters of the program, students take classes in both Sioux City (at St. Luke’s College) and in Sioux Center (at Dordt College). At the end of the five semesters, the student completes the ASN degree from St. Luke’s College and takes the NCLEX-RN. He then spends the remaining three semesters completing BSN coursework at Dordt College. Students can begin the joint ASN/BSN program in either the fall or the spring.

Contact:
St. Luke’s College
2800 Pierce St #410
Sioux City, IA 51104

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