Montana RN to BSN Bridge Programs
Montana is a particularly large state with a low population and multiple rural areas, which makes attending a university somewhat difficult in some cases. We at BestNursingDegree.com understand that you want to expand your education, and we have taken much of the work required to find a program out of your hands. Rest assured that we have found all of the accredited RN to BSN programs available to Montana residents, including the online programs which may specifically meet your needs in Montana.
As you explore our site, you will find that there are featured schools presented, along with the full listing of programs. Our featured schools often offer online and distance education options, in addition to the traditional on-campus programs. Simply click on the info button to request materials about the program you are interested in. And remember, the more information you have, the better prepared you will be to make the best decision about the future of your nursing education.
Montana universities offer programs throughout the state that allow you to earn your Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN) by building upon the fact that you are already a Registered Nurse. The mission of these programs is to provide expanded nursing education to a diverse population in a culturally enriched environment.
One University received a grant exceeding $1 million from the Department of Health and Human Services division, which will initiate the Literacy Empowerment Advances the Diversity of Rural Nurses, known as LEAD. The goal is to increase nursing education for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, and the funding will be used to prepare and retain these nurses in the rural environment and reservation communities, of which Montana does have.
Curriculum of RN to BSN Programs in Montana
Most of the RN to BSN programs featured for Montana can be completed entirely online, which allows the working nurse flexibility in scheduling classes, when compared with on-campus programs. The admission criteria to either type of educational environment is very similar. Enrollment requires a Montana RN license, a transcript from an accredited associate or diploma program and completion of the prerequisite courses. Prerequisites often include English, microbiology, and public speaking, as well as mathematics courses.
Once your prerequisites are completed, you will take advanced nursing courses that generally focus on leadership and community based health. Some typical classes required to complete an RN–BSN program include:
- Health Assessment
- Transitions in Professional Nursing
- RN Information Systems in Healthcare Community Health Nursing
- Nursing Leadership & Management
- Family Nursing
- Care of the Aging Client
- Nursing Research
- Applied Pathophysiologic & Pharmacologic
- Nursing Care of Communities and Populations
- Bioethical & Genetic Challenges in Healthcare
The final course in many Bachelor’s programs is a Capstone Project, which aims to synthesize all of the program concepts through analysis and implementation of nursing care surrounding a public health issue. Students use evidence-based resources to address public health issues, creating and evaluating interventions to impact the health of the affected population.
Careers for RN to BSN Graduates in Montana
The Career One Stop website reports that Montana has 9,640 nurses working as a part of the larger healthcare workforce of 28,990 in Montana. This reflects the importance of nurses within the state’s healthcare system, which becomes even more apparent when the over 3,000 new nursing jobs predicted by 2020 (O*net, 2013) are taken into account.
According to these figures, it is a wise time to expand your education and nursing practice, so that you can take advantage of being a well educated nurse in a state that needs you.
As of 2012, Montana’s nurses earned an median annual income of $58,200, with those on the high end of median generally possessing of more experience, education and specialized skills. By obtaining your BSN, you will be in a position to demonstrate your advanced education, and may find new and rewarding career opportunities opening up to you.
BSN nurses may find positions in hospitals as directors of nursing, as nurse managers and chief nursing officers in Montana. BSN nurses can often find positions as case managers in home healthcare or nursing care facilities as well. Management positions are also available in outpatient care centers, psychiatric and substance abuse hospitals and in physician’s offices. It may also be possible to procure a position with the state of Montana as a clinical services manager in Public Health and Human Services or in the Montana Chemical Dependency Center.
Regardless of where you choose to practice after earning your Bachelor’s degree, you are likely to find that there are many interesting and challenging positions for nurses with their bachelor’s degree nurse in Montana.
If you’re interested in moving from an RN to getting your BSN degree, there are numerous accredited programs available. We hope you take the time to look at all the schools available in Montana, and request information right away. There is really no better time than now to begin to shape your nursing future.
Nursing Schools to Consider in Montana
- Salish Kootenai College (Pablo): Students can complete the program on a full-time or part-time basis. Courses are offered as a hybrid online program with some mandatory campus attendance. Three classes require clinical time at institutional or community-based agencies with preceptors. Clinical time can be arranged near the student’s home with faculty approval.
- Montana Tech of the University of Montana (Butte): The program is open to Montana-licensed RNs with associate degrees. The nursing classes may be completed in two semesters, although the entire program takes four semesters. Classes include business writing, nursing research, care of the aging patient, and nursing across the healthcare continuum.
