RN Programs in South Dakota
A career as a Registered Nurse (RN) can be very rewarding and finding the most suitable RN programs in South Dakota, assuming you plan to study there, is the first step to becoming an RN. Registered Nurses work hard and this career is not for everyone. For the right person, it can be exciting, challenging, and lucrative.
Registered Nurses need to be competent in science and math, and they learn this in their academic courses. They also have clinical practice before graduating. There are two ways to become an RN in South Dakota. A candidate may either complete a two-year Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Graduates from both types of academic programs are elligible to sit the national exam that leads to the licensure that is required before a nurse can be employed in this field.
RN Licensure in South Dakota
Graduates of an accredited RN program must apply for their license. Before it is issued, they must pass the NCLEX-RN.
South Dakota RN Registry
South Dakota Board of Nursing
4305 South Louise Avenue, Suite 201
Sioux Falls, SD 57106-3115
RN Jobs and Salary in South Dakota
Registered Nurses work in hospitals, clinics, schools, adult education and in many other areas. The following list is of a few job vacancies for Registered Nurses that are currently advertised for South Dakota RNs:
The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society, Centerville
Sanford Clinic Family Medicine 49th & Oxbow, Sioux Falls
Catholic Health Initiatives, Pierre
Sanford Aberdeen Medical Center, Aberdeen
Critchfield Specialty Infusion Group, LLC, Redfield
Pioneer Memorial Hospital & Health Services, Viborg
Sanford Children’s Clinic 26th & Sycamore, Sioux Falls
RNs earn an average annual salary of $50,570.
RN Programs in South Dakota
RN programs all have unique admission policies. Associate Degree programs often expect applicants to be high school graduates or to have their GED. Some schools want students to have completed college preparatory classes in high school, while others will allow students to take them as pre-nursing courses at their institutions.
Other Associate Degree programs may be very choosy about who they admit to their RN programs. They may expect an adequate Grade Point Average (GPA) in high school classes as well as adequate scores on the ACT or SAT.
The following two-year programs lead to an Associate Degree in Nursing:
Dakota Wesleyan University
Department of Nursing
1200 West University Avenue
Mitchell, SD 57301-4398
Oglala Lakota College
Department of Nursing
P.O. Box 861
Pine Ridge, SD 57770
Presentation College of Nursing
P.O. Box 1070
Eagle Butte, SD 57625
University of South Dakota
Department of Nursing
1400 West 22nd Street, Room 37
Sioux Falls, SD 57105
University of South Dakota
Outreach in Nursing
1011 11th Street
Rapid City, SD 57701
University of South Dakota
Capitol University Center
Department of Nursing
809 East Dakota
Pierre, SD 57501
University of South Dakota
Outreach in Nursing
Lake Area Technical Institute
230 NE 11th Street
Watertown, SD 57201
University of South Dakota
Outreach in Nursing
Generic ADN
2300 North Career Avenue, Suite 260
Sioux Falls, SD 57107
Four-year Bachelor’s Degree RN programs almost always expect students to have a minimum GPA in college preparatory classes in high school. Many colleges and universities expect students to have graduated in the upper half of their graduating class. They also expect a minimum ACT score of 20 and a minimum SAT score of 1,000. Some RN programs do not accept students into their program until they have successfully completed a certain number of college level courses.
Since schools vary so much in their admission policies, anyone interested in a particular school should contact the admissions counselor at the college. Many schools are willing to work with students to help them prepare for a career as an RN. The following four-year programs lead to a BSN:
Augustana College
Department of Nursing
2001 South Summit Avenue
Sioux Falls, SD 57197
Mount Marty College
Department of Nursing
1105 West 8th Street
Yankton, SD 57078-3724
National American University
Department of Nursing
Generic BSN Program
5301 S. Highway 16, Suite 200
Rapid City, SD 57701
Presentation College
Department of Nursing
1500 North Main Street
Aberdeen, SD 57401
South Dakota State University
College of Nursing
Box 2275
Brookings, SD
SDSU Nursing
Generic BSN
1011 11th Street
Rapid City, SD 57701
SDSU Accelerated Option
Department of Nursing
2205 Career Avenue #255
Sioux Falls, SD 57107
University of Sioux Falls
Accelerated BSN & Generic BSN
Nursing Programs
1102 West 2nd Street
Sioux Falls, SD 57105
For reviews and a full list of RN programs in the state, please visit Nursing Schools in South Dakota.