Northern State University's BSN program encourages you to embrace the human behind the science, with a strong foundation in the liberal arts. We are dedicated to supporting you every step of the way as you strive to become a Registered Nurse. Our program prepares students to become highly competent, compassionate, and innovative nursing professionals, equipping you with the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes necessary to earn your BSN degree, pass the NCLEX-RN licensure exam, and excel in a rapidly evolving healthcare environment. Your BSN degree from NSU also lays the groundwork for graduate studies and advanced career opportunities. Nursing students can expect to find a wide array of scholarship opportunities available to help fund their education. View degree requirements and explore scholarship opportunities to start your journey towards a fulfilling nursing career.

Welcome from the Associate Dean

Mission Statement 

The Department of Nursing educates and inspires future nurse leaders to provide compassionate, evidence-based, and patient-centered care. Building on a foundation of liberal arts education, we foster critical thinking, person-centered care, and ethical decision-making in our students, preparing them to meet the evolving healthcare needs of the individuals and communities they serve. Through excellence in nursing education, practical experience, and public engagement, we enhance the health and well-being of our local, regional, and global communities. 

Vision Statement 

Our vision is to elevate healthcare through transformative education, practice, and service, fostering empowered nursing professionals poised to enact positive change in communities. We aim to be recognized as a premier nursing program that transforms passionate learners into innovative, competent, and influential nursing professionals who shape the future of healthcare and improve health outcomes in our local and regional communities. 

Goals 

In support of the mission and vision, the Department of Nursing is committed to the following educational goals:

Educational Excellence: Deliver innovative, evidence-based nursing education that develops graduates with strong clinical reasoning and professional competence, as evidenced by first-time NCLEX-RN pass rates and program completion rates that meet established benchmarks.

Practice Innovation: Prepare practice-ready graduates who adapt to evolving healthcare environments, as evidenced by graduate employment rates and employer satisfaction with graduate performance.

Community Impact: Foster meaningful partnerships with healthcare organizations and community stakeholders that expand clinical education and address regional health needs, as evidenced by sustained clinical partnerships and student participation in clinical and service-learning experiences.

Professional Leadership: Develop nursing professionals who embrace lifelong learning and leadership, as evidenced by graduate self-assessment of leadership preparedness and professional engagement reported through end-of-program surveys. 
 

Values

Aligned with Northern State University's core values, the Department of Nursing embraces four key principles:

Community: We are committed to building a culture of respect and accessibility within our program and the broader healthcare community, recognizing that strong relationships and open communication support excellent patient-centered care.

Excellence: We strive for rigor and excellence in nursing education, clinical practice, inquiry, and innovation, aiming to prepare students who will contribute positively to the healthcare field and the well-being of our local and regional communities.

Integrity: We uphold the highest standards of honesty, fairness, and ethical practice in nursing, ensuring that our students are equipped to make responsible and transparent decisions in their professional roles.

Compassion: We believe in the power of compassionate care and emphasize the importance of empathy, kindness, and respect in meeting the individual need of every patient. 

Program Outcomes & Success Measures

Based on the AACN Essentials Ten Domains and aligned with the SD Board of Regent’s Cross Curricular Skills (CCS), upon completion of the BSN program, graduates will demonstrate competency in:

• Knowledge For Nursing Practice: Cultivate reflective nursing practice by integrating knowledge from nursing science, liberal arts, and natural and social sciences to guide inquiry and clinical judgement (CCS: Critical and Creative Thinking)
• Person-Centered Care: Provide holistic, individualized, equitable, compassionate person-centered care that respects human diversity, is developmentally appropriate, and grounded in a scientific knowledge base across contexts and populations (CCS: Access & Opportunity)
• Population Health: Cultivate collaborative partnerships across healthcare disciplines, communities, public health entities and other stakeholders to analyze population health issues and develop initiatives that promote equitable health outcomes  
• Scholarship for Nursing Discipline: Engage in scholarly inquiry processes to generate nursing knowledge, critically appraise evidence, translate research for practice, and disseminate findings that advance the nursing discipline (CCS: Inquiry and Analysis)
• Quality and Safety: Implement principles of quality improvement, safety science, and risk reduction strategies to monitor system effectiveness, individual performance, and continuously improve the quality and safety of nursing practice
• Interprofessional Partnerships: Prioritize interprofessional communication, teamwork and care coordination to optimize patient experiences and outcomes by intentionally collaborating across disciplines and partnering with patients/families (CCS: Teamwork)
• System-Based Practice: Participate in evaluating system effectiveness and developing innovative and evidence-based practices to facilitate strategies to optimize care outcomes
• Informatics and Healthcare Technologies: Evaluate the use of informatics processes and technologies across various settings to manage and improve the delivery of safe, high-quality, and efficient healthcare services by best practice and regulatory standards (CSS: Information Literacy)
• Professionalism: Uphold the professional values, ethical principles, regulatory standards and identity congruent with nursing's core characteristics through accountable personal conduct (CCS: Ethical Reasoning)
• Personal, Professional, and Leadership Development: Engage in reflective practices and leadership development activities that cultivate personal resilience, accountability, lifelong learning and the assertion of nursing's unique role.  

Approval & Accreditation Status

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing at Northern State University has been granted interim approval by the South Dakota Board of Nursing (SDBON), 4305 South Louise Avenue, Suite 201, Sioux Falls, SD 57106-3115, (605) 362-2760.

Northern State University is an accredited institutional member of the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), 230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500, Chicago, IL 60604, 800-621-7440 with full approval for the baccalaureate degree program in nursing.

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing at Northern State University is pursuing initial accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791. Applying for accreditation does not guarantee that accreditation will be granted.