Sanford College of Nursing Program Review

Sanford College of Nursing (SCN), previously known as the Medcenter College of Nursing (MOCN), is located in Bismarck, North Dakota. The facility includes classrooms, a computer lab, library, conference rooms, study areas, and four clinical learning labs. Students use the computer lab for computer-assisted instruction programs, for nursing care planning, and as a place to write papers and complete other assignments. The college has learning labs that simulate patient care rooms and equipment that students use for practice purposes. There is also a simulation lab where students practice on “patients” before they move on to treat human patients.

Nursing Program

The nursing program is a four-year program that prepares students for many different entry level positions in hospitals, clinics, doctor’s offices, schools, and other healthcare facilities. Those who are interested in attending the Sanford College of Nursing should complete an application. Applicants are considered individually, and admission is based on scholastic ability and achievement. Potential students must also show that they have maturity and integrity before being admitted to the program. Applicants must first enroll in the general education prerequisite courses before applying to the nursing program. A grade point average of at least 2.5 in this academic work is required. Students must complete all of the prerequisites before enrolling in the junior year of the nursing program.

Students are required to have complete criminal background checks before beginning any clinical experience. Those who have been convicted of felonies and some other crimes are not permitted into the healthcare facility to complete their clinical experience. In addition, students with convictions may not be granted a license to work as a Registered Nurse (RN). For this reason, background checks are required by the college. If an applicant has been convicted of any criminal offence besides a minor traffic offense, admission will probably not be granted. It is important that prospective nursing students realize that even if they meet all of the minimum requirements, it does not guarantee that they will be admitted to the nursing program.

The focus of the nursing program at the Sanford College of Nursing is to prepare students to become leaders in the healthcare systems in which they work. Students receive experience in many different settings while they are students at the college, and the Sanford Medical Center (SMC) is one of the main clinical experience sites for students. They also rotate to a variety of community agencies, schools, and clinics. Students are well-prepared to take the national exam that leads to licensure as a Registered Nurse, the NCLEX-RN.

Also, the college realizes that many students need financial aid to complete their nursing degree. Some of the sources of financial aid are grants, loans, student employment, and scholarships. An outstanding opportunity for students who do not want to pay student loans for years is the Sanford Health Nursing Student Tuition Loan Program. It is available to all good students who meet all of the admission requirements who would like Sanford Health Health Systems to employ them as Registered Nurses. Those graduates who choose to work with Sanford Health Systems (SHS) or any of its affiliates may have their nursing student loan cancelled. If you opt to work elsewhere, you have the option to directly repay the loan amount you borrowed. There are also Federal Work-Study Programs available. In this program, students work in community jobs for minimum wage pay. This money can be used to pay for tuition and college expenses.

Contact:
Sanford College of Nursing
512 N. Seventh Street,
Bismarck, ND 58501
(701) 323-6271