Morningside College Nursing Program Review

Morningside College (MC), founded in 1894, is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. It was founded as a liberal arts college, and has kept to that tradition while expanding its program offerings into a variety of other fields such as education, business, engineering, and health sciences. Morningside College focuses on undergraduate students, although it does offer graduate programs in education as well. About 1200 students, both undergraduates and graduate students, attend classes on the campus in Sioux City.

Students who want to pursue a career in healthcare have a variety of options at Morningside College, from pre-professional programs in physical therapy, optometry, dentistry, to a full bachelor’s degree in nursing. The bachelor’s degree program has two separate tracks, one for students who are not already Registered Nurses (RN) and one for RNs who want to complete their degree. Morningside College’s bachelor’s degree in nursing is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and approved by the Iowa State Board of Nursing.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing – Basic Prelicensure Track

To complete the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Basic Prelicensure Track, a student must earn 124 credits in total. This takes four years of full-time study. In the first year, a student focuses on Morningside College’s general education requirements and on nursing prerequisites. At the end of her first year, a student can apply to the six-semester nursing course sequence. Admission is competitive; in order to be considered a student must have a GPA of at least 2.75.

Nursing classes and clinical rotations begin in the student’s sophomore year, and continue throughout her junior and senior years. A BSN student must continue to maintain a GPA of at least 2.75 throughout the program. After completing the BSN course sequence, a graduate earns her BSN degree and can take the National Council Licensing Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). After passing this test, she can seek work as an RN.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing – Degree Completion Track for RNs

Morningside College offers a degree completion track for graduates of an associate degree program or a diploma nursing program. Since the college participates in the Iowa Articulation Plan for RNs, an incoming RN will receive thirty credits for his completed nursing coursework. In addition to these thirty advanced placement credits, an RN must earn twenty more credits to complete the nursing coursework required for the BSN degree.

The nursing courses have a clinical component. Morningside College requires students on the degree completion track to meet all of the general education requirements as well. They can transfer in up to forty-eight general education credits, but must complete the remaining thirty credits of general education classes at Morningside College. An advisor will help the incoming RN plan out a course of study that accommodates his work schedule, but usually an RN can complete the degree completion track in four semesters of full-time study. Part-time study is also an option for working RNs, but they must complete all the nursing classes within five years.

Contact:
Morningside College
1501 Morningside Avenue
Sioux City, IA 51106

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