Luther College Nursing Program Review

Luther College (established in 1861) is situated in the northeast region of Iowa. Approximately 2500 students take classes at the college each year; all of them are undergraduates. Luther College (LC) offers baccalaureate programs in the liberal arts, social work, business, and education. In addition to these programs, the college has an emphasis on healthcare education, offering pre-professional programs in physical therapy, veterinary medicine, and medicine.

For students who want to enter directly into the healthcare field after finishing their degree, Luther College offers a baccalaureate program in nursing. The nursing program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Luther College’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program was started in 1974; the first students graduated in 1978. Since then, between twenty and thirty students have completed the BSN program each year. The program requires four years of full-time study (not including summers). Students in the BSN program spend their first year completing both general education requirements in the liberal arts and science classes that are foundational for the nursing major. In the fall of their second year, BSN students begin nursing courses and clinical rotations. The next three years are devoted to a combination of nursing courses and additional general education classes. After completing the four-year course sequence, graduates are eligible to take the National Council Licensing Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).

Bachelor of Science in Nursing – Direct Entry Program

The majority of students who are interested in the BSN program must complete a full year of foundational courses before they can apply to the BSN program. However, highly qualified and motivated high school students can apply to the BSN Direct Entry Program. Luther College accepts ten students each year, to start in the fall. These students can begin immediately with their nursing major. In order to be considered for admission to the Direct Entry program, a high school senior must have at least a 25 on the science reasoning section of the ACT or 570 on the math section of the SAT, a GPA of 3.8, four years of high school English, three years of math, three years of social sciences, and two years of natural sciences. Students who are not accepted to the BSN Direct Entry program can complete their first year at Luther College and apply to the BSN program for the start of their sophomore year.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing – RN to BSN Completion Option

Registered Nurses (RN) who have completed an associate degree program or a diploma program also have the option of earning a BSN degree through Luther College. Luther College participates in the Iowa Articulation Plan for RNs; incoming RNs receive credit for their previous nursing courses, allowing them to complete the BSN program in a shorter time period. When an RN is accepted to the RN to BSN program, he must meet with an advisor who will evaluate his transcript and plan out an individual course of study for him.

Nottingham Summer Study Program

While many colleges do not allow their nursing students to study abroad, Luther College provides a special opportunity for its BSN students to study abroad in the summer. BSN students have the option of taking one senior-level nursing class in Nottingham, England. This course, which takes one month to complete, allows students to explore community-centered nursing care. While Luther College also offers this class on its campus in Iowa, the course in England is unique because it allows the BSN student to gain hands-on experience of nursing care in a national healthcare system.

Contact:
Luther College
700 College Drive
Decorah, IA 52101

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