Northern Michigan University Nursing School Review

Northern Michigan University is located in the southern region of Lake Superior and serves the residents of Marquette and the state as a whole. The university started as a small Normal school in 1899 training teachers but was later granted a university status in 1963. The university is also privileged to be a university that serves the role of a community college in Marquette as well as public four-year coed center. With 180 degree programs and counting, Northern Michigan University is a one stop higher education center.

Nursing Programs in Northern Michigan University

Like stated earlier, the university serves the role of a community college and a university. This therefore translates to the availability of certificate nursing programs all the way to masters of Science in nursing programs. The university nursing programs including the practical nursing certificate have has been approved by the Michigan Board of Nursing. In addition, the bachelors and masters programs have been accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing

This is a full time traditional nursing baccalaureate program designed for fresh entrants of professional nursing. The program requires completion of 129 credits and runs full time on fall and winter but students can choose to take selected courses during summer. The program takes a relatively short period to complete: five semesters to cater for students with other non- nursing bachelor degrees. For practical sessions, the university has a site based simulation nursing lab that caters for clinical practicum. Students are awarded a bachelor of science in nursing degree and are thereafter eligible for the NCLEX-RN exam.

LPN to BSN program

At Northern Michigan University, licensed practical nurses are given the chance of advanced standing in recognition of their practical nursing certificate. In this case, students are expected to take all the credits of the traditional BSN but receive advanced standing with exemption of up to 12 credits towards the BSN. As a prerequisite, students are expected to have an active and unrestricted LPN licenses from Michigan State. Just like the traditional BSN, the courses start full time on fall and winter with few selected courses being offered in summer.

RN to BSN

This program is specially meant to build on prior nursing skills and therefore, most suitable for adult students. It takes in transfer students from community colleges that are in pursuit of higher nursing education. It is offered both as a full time and part time program and has no set period of completion. The completion of the program depends on the number of transfer credits accepted from the two-year RN training and the workload the student wishes to take for the part timers.

It is also a great program for RNs looking for work as the university strives to place the students in paid employment in affiliated health agencies around Marquette. This initiative makes this particular program an attractive one for RN to BSN students.

It is also important to note that the Northern Michigan University used to offer a fast track BSN meant for non- nursing students. However, from the fall of 2011, the department of nursing has discontinued that program and redesigned it to the traditional BSN.

Master of Science in Nursing

The masters program at Northern Michigan University is designed to train advanced practice nurses who wish to take Family Nurse Practitioner as their area of clinical specialty. The program has a three year timeline with courses being taught on three semesters per academic year. It is a flexible program that uses a hybrid curriculum delivery format with both online and classroom instructions being used. For the site based classes, students are expected to go to campus once per week while the 720 clinical hours can be completed at student’s convenient locations.

Certificate Programs

In the role of a community college, northern Michigan University has been offering two certificate programs in nursing. The clinical assistant nursing certificate program is still on but the practical nursing certificate had been temporarily suspended as of fall 2011. Any students interested should frequently check on the program for a date of re-instatement.

Contact:
Northern Michigan University
1401 Presque Isle Ave, Marquette,
MI 49855