HELP 2011-2012 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG] Nursing Print-Friendly Page (opens a new window)

Accreditations

The Montana Tech Associate of Science in Nursing Program is accredited by:
National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, Inc. (NLNAC)
3343 Peachtree Road N.E. Ste. 500
Atlantic, GA 30326
Phone: (404) 975-5000
Website: www.nlnac.org

and fully approved by:
Montana State Board of Nursing
301 South Park
PO Box 200513
Helena, MT 59620-0513
Phone: (406) 841-2340
Website: http://mt.gov/dli/bsd/license/bsd_boards/nur_board/board_page.asp

The nursing faculty at Montana Tech of The University of Montana appreciates your interest in nursing education and hopes this information will answer your questions about the profession of nursing in general and Montana Tech’s nursing programs in particular. After you review this material, you may still have questions or need more information. Any of the nursing faculty would be happy to visit with you personally. Please refer to the above for contact information to schedule an appointment. If you are interested in nursing education at Montana Tech, it is essential to work with a nursing faculty advisor for selection and sequencing of appropriate courses.

Mission

Montana Tech of the University of Montana Nursing Department is dedicated to preparing generalist nurses by exposing them to a diverse array of nursing roles through a variety of community settings.

The Nursing Department stresses the importance of being an intellectual leader and role model in the profession of nursing.

Montana Tech Nursing Department Philosophy

We believe:

• Nursing and nursing education are essential for the promotion, maintenance and restoration of health, along with the prevention of illness.
• Nursing and nursing education will become more complex as health care evolves. This continually changing health care environment mandates the role, function and educational preparation of the nurse.
• The profession of nursing is best served through highly educated members who continually strive to broaden their knowledge and expertise to meet the increasing demands of the health care environment.
• In a holistic approach to nursing education, including sensitivity to the physical, psychological, spiritual and sociocultural needs of the individual, family and community.
• Acquisition of nursing knowledge and skill is best achieved through a combination of class room requirements and clinical experience in both simulated and actual care environment.
• In a continually evolving curriculum that reflects best practice.

Core Concepts of Conceptual Framework

The following concepts are considered to be the foundation for the nursing program’s conceptual framework and will be threaded throughout the ASN, and BSN curricula.

Caring

Caring is a human response to needs that is articulated through commitment, knowledge, experience, and therapeutic use of self Caring occurs when the nurse/client interaction transcends physical care and reflects respect for the client and his or her unique circumstances and health beliefs.

Communication

Communication is an interactive process that involves the nurse, the client, and health care team members. Communication consists of both verbal and non-verbal and electronic exchanges that encourage the expression of needs, support coping behaviors, and facilitate decision making.

Professionalism

Professionalism is a set of behaviors that all nurses are expected to exhibit as members of the nursing profession. These behaviors foster the nurse-client relationship while supporting the integrity of the profession. Expected behaviors include, but are not limited to, unconditional positive regard, efficiency, responsibility, accountability, fairness, trustworthiness, honesty, confidence, and competence.

Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is an active, purposeful reasoning process that is used to continually modify and improve individual nursing practice. It involves ongoing reflective analysis of data accumulated through assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation of nurse/client interactions.

Clinical Judgment

Clinical judgment is an autonomous problem-solving process that is derived through evidence based inquiry, critical thinking, and decision making, while responding to clients as unique individuals who have the right to self-determination.

Brief History

Montana Tech began offering a degree in professional nursing in 2000, with its first group of 17 students graduating in May 2001 with an Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) degree. This first group completed a “bridge” program designed for currently Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN’s) who wanted to become a Registered Nurse.

After the first year, the vast majority of students seeking nursing education at Montana Tech were new to nursing and wanted to become a Registered Nurse. In response, Montana Tech’s Nursing Department replaced its “bridge” program with a “direct entry” 72 credit ASN and added a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) completion degree component to the program in 2003.

In May 2005, the Montana State Board of Regents approved a “statewide” three year curriculum for LPN/RN education. The curriculum includes one year of pre-nursing coursework that is appropriate for both the LPN/RN credential. The model identified an exit point or stop-out where students graduate with an Associate of Applied Science degree and can sit for the National Council Licensure Exam (NCLEX-PN) after one year of nursing course work. A second year of nursing coursework allows students to receive an Associate of Science Degree and apply for the NCLEX-RN exam.

Fall 2006, Montana Tech became the first school to implement the “statewide” curriculum following approval by the Montana State Board of Nursing. In Spring 2008, three students chose to “exit” out of the model and complete requirements in order to receive an Associate of Applied Science Degree. All three passed the NCLEX-PN examination and became Licensed Practical Nurses in Montana. These three students continued into the third year of the curriculum and graduated with an Associate of Science Degree in May 2009. The students too the NCLEX-RN examination and are now Registered Nurses.

In July 2008 due to Montana State Board of Nursing requirements relating to Practical Nursing course objectives and curriculum, Montana Tech made the decision to eliminate the ability to exit from the ASN Program. Today, Montana Tech offers both the 72 credit Associate of Science and Bachelor Completion degree.

Available Nursing Programs

• Associate of Science degree (ASN) in nursing
• Bachelors of Science degree (BSN) in nursing

[Completion program offered to currently licensed Registered Nurses]

Nursing Degree (ASN & BSN)

Montana Tech’s College of Letters, Sciences, & Professional Studies offers two degrees an Associate of Science Nursing (ASN) and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) commpletion degree. Students pursuing the BSN degree must pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) in order to continue into the BSN curriculum. Students must meet minimum program requirements and complete a formal acceptance application to be accepted into the professional nursing program.

Students who initially do not demonstrate academic readiness will need to complete additional courses to be adequately prepared for the required nursing and non-nursing classes in the curriculum.

Academic readiness for the required prerequisite courses for acceptance into the Professional Nursing Program can be demonstrated in any of the following ways:

• ACT^® score or;
• SAT^® score or;
• Compass test scores or;
• Prior completion of M 121  and WRIT 101  (or their equivalents).

Program Description (RN)

Education

• The focus of Montana Tech’s professional nursing curriculum is to provide education leading to substantial specialized knowledge of the biological, physical, behavioral, psychological, and sociological sciences and of nursing theory as a basis for the nursing process. The nursing process is the assessment, nursing diagnosis, planning, nursing intervention, and evaluation in the promotion and maintenance of health; the prevention, case finding, and management of illness, injury, or infirmity; and the restoration of optimum function. The term also includes administration, teaching, counseling, supervision, delegation, and evaluation of nursing practice. The professional nurse is directly accountable and responsible to the consumer for the quality of nursing care rendered.
• The role of the registered nurse is to provide nursing care to clients—individuals or groups. The nursing curriculum prepares the graduate to function in the three recognized roles of the professional nurse—provider of care, manager of care and member of the discipline of nursing.
• As a provider of care, the registered nurse demonstrates critical thinking, accountability, clinical decision-making through use of the nursing process, effective communication with clients, families and health team members, teaching and collaboration with the client and family, collaboration with members of the health care team, and sensitivity to individual and cultural diversity.
• As a manager of care, the registered nurse demonstrates management of care for a group of clients using collaboration and consultation, organizes and delegates nursing care, client advocacy, and evaluation of health care delivery using client-centered outcomes.
• As a member of the discipline of nursing the registered nurse demonstrates knowledge of self-assessment and development and continuous learning, ethical-legal framework for nursing practice, advancement of nursing practice through professional activities, political, economic and societal forces affecting nursing practice and health care delivery, and health care change and nursing research.
• In addition to all of the roles and responsibilities of the associate degree nurse, the baccalaureate degree nurse is prepared to plan, deliver, and coordinate care for clients including individuals, families and communities in a variety of structured and unstructured settings with an emphasis on care management, complex care situations, and clients with unpredictable outcomes. The baccalaureate degree nurse functions as a change agent in the health care system and utilizes nursing research findings in the delivery of care.

Expected Outcomes

The ASN curriculum is designed to provide nursing education that will enable a professional nurse to:

1. Demonstrate professional and personal leadership characteristics.
2. Demonstrate communication skills (written, visual, and oral) utilizing the latest technologies.
3. Demonstrate the ability to critically think based upon the collection, analysis, and synthesis of relevant data.
4. Demonstrate the ability to utilize assessment information, analysis and integration of knowledge to formulate clinical judgments.
5. Demonstrate respect of the clients’ cultural values, beliefs and lifestyle and creates an environment of hope and trust.
6. Demonstrate the ability to utilize teaching and learning processes to promote and maintain health and reduce risks, in collaboration with the client, family, and other members of the healthcare team.
7. Demonstrate the effective management of care through the processes of planning, organizing, directing, and controlling.

The BSN curriculum provides additional nursing education that will enable the baccalaureate-prepared nurse to:

8. Critically appraise current research in order to promote understanding of the production of knowledge and application of evidence-based nursing practice.
9. Assume a leadership role incorporating interpersonal communication in professional and practice setting.
10. Practice with family/patient groups, communities, and population across the life span in a diverse health care environment.

Admission to Montana Tech does not guarantee acceptance into the ASN program. Students entering Montana Tech with the intent to become a registered nurse may declare a major in pre-nursing upon admission to Tech, but are not accepted into the nursing Program until after a formal application and selection process occurs.

Students must meet the minimum Nursing Department requirements to be eligible for application to the Nursing Program. Acceptance into the Nursing program is competitive and based on: a selective grade point average (GPA) calculated from grades received for the required prerequisite courses below, and a standardized test (Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS V)). The cost of the exam is approximately $35. Review materials for this exam are available at www.atitesting.com. The selection will be made based on 60% GPA and 40% TEAS score. Minimum selective GPA for application to the nursing program is 3.0 (out of a 4.0 scale). The selection process will take place twice yearly. There is a fall application (available in November) with entry occurring in the spring and a spring application (available in April) with entry occurring in the fall.

The Nursing Department fact sheet, which both the student and advisor sign, outlines requirements for acceptance into and progression through the Professional Nursing Program. Since the Professional Nursing Program is continually evolving, information in the Advising Fact Sheet is updated from semester to semester. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure he or she is familiar with the most current Nursing Department policies. Information contained within the current Advising Fact Sheet is summarized below.

• A grade of “C+” or higher is required for all nursing AND a “C-” or higher is required for all non-nursing courses within the Nursing Program curriculum. After a student is accepted into the nursing program, courses can only be attempted once and must be passed with a grade of at least a “C+” for nursing courses and at least a “C-” for non-nursing courses for the student to progress through the program. If any course grades is less than a “C+” (or a “C-” for non-nursing courses) the student must withdraw from the Nursing Department.  Petitions for for re-entry into the program are considered on a case by case basis and all placements are dependent upon availability.  After acceptance into the ASN nursing program, students are allowed to repeat only one nursing course throughout the curriculum.
• Many Nursing Department standards and requirements (such as behavioral standards, grading scale, attendance, course repetition, graduation requirements, etc.) are more rigorous and strict than general Montana Tech requirements.
• Completion of a degree in nursing is costly. In addition to tuition and fees, nursing students should be aware that required nursing textbooks/reference materials are expensive and that many courses require several texts. The student should also plan for a number of out-of-pocket expenses related to clinical supplies and course/program requirements. Once accepted into the nursing program, both ASN and BSN students are assessed a program fee each semester ($550.00 per semester for 2011-2012).
• To assure progression through the program, the student must meet the total academic and clinical requirements. The student must demonstrate a continuing ability to assure patient/client safety and welfare. Satisfactory classroom academic performance does not, in and of itself, assure progression through the program. The student must continually adhere to the Nursing Department’s Code of Conduct and must be able to adhere to clinical agency policies.
• Students are required to successfully complete program assessment tests, including an end-of-program assessment in order to progress through and graduate from the program. The purpose of the program assessment is to improve the graduate’s ability to pass the NCLEX-RN examination.
• Many courses are only offered once a year. Many courses have prerequisites. Many courses must be taken in sequence. It is essential to meet with a nursing advisor prior to enrolling in or dropping any courses. Failure to work directly with a nursing advisor may have a significant impact on the student’s ability to progress through the nursing program in a timely manner.
• Once a student is admitted to the nursing program he or she will be provided with a copy of the Montana Tech Nursing Student Handbook. This document outlines specific Nursing Department policies and procedures which the student is required to adhere to while completing nursing program requirements at Montana Tech. An agreement to adhere to the Nursing Student Handbook is required to be signed yearly (or when changes occur).
• All Nursing Department announcements and essential communication are communicated via e-mail (MT Tech account). Once accepted into the program, each student will be assigned a mailbox to retrieve corrected assignments, test score sheets, etc.
• It is the student’s responsibility to obtain written documentation from the MT Tech Office of Enrollment Services regarding approval of transfer and/or course substitutions. Students must have PRIOR written approval from the Office of Enrollment Services that a course taken at another campus is equivalent to a MT Tech course.
• Students who retake a course should be aware that Montana Tech’s policy is that the last grade received is the grade that will be used when calculating GPA.

Nursing Department Application Requirements

Students must complete with a grade of “C+” or higher for all nursing courses (and be currently enrolled in and complete with a grade of “C-” or higher) in the following prerequisite courses prior to formal application to the Nursing Program.

Nursing Department requirements for acceptance into the ASN program are:

• Completion of the required prerequisite courses listed above.
• Minimum selective GPA of 3.0 in BIOH 201/202 , WRIT 101 , M 121 ,
  NUTR 258
    , BIOH 211/212 , CHMY 121 , CHMY 122  and PSYX 100 .
• Completion of the TEAS V exam with a Proficient score of 68.3% proficiency or higher. Proficient scores generally indicate a moderate level of overall academic preparedness necessary to support learning of nursing-related content.
• Proof of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccination or immunity.
• Evidence of Hepatitis B vaccination (series of three shots) or seroimmunity (demonstrated with a positive titer).
• Current evidence of freedom from tuberculosis (TB skin test or chest x-ray).
• CPR – evidence of current completion of an approved CPR course must have adult and infant. (American Heart Association Health Care Provider or American Red Cross Professional Rescuer).

Fulfillment of the minimum requirements does not guarantee acceptance into the Nursing Program. All candidates who meet application requirements will be considered for acceptance. The number of students accepted into the Nursing Program is limited. If the number of qualified applicants exceeds available spaces, not all qualified applicants will be accepted and GPA & TEAS V will be used as selection criteria.

Admission to the Associate of Science Degree Program

Application Procedure

New Students:

• Submit formal application. (Contact the Nursing Department for application dates) 496-4390.
• Meet all nursing admission requirements
• The selection will be made based on 60% GPA and 40% TEAS V score.
• Minimum selective GPA for application to the nursing program is 3.0 (out of a 4.0 scale). Minimum acceptable TEAS V score is 68.3% proficiency.
• There is a fall application (available in November) with entry occurring in the spring and a spring application (available in April) with entry occurring in the fall.
• Specific dates are announced at the beginning of each semester at our Pre-Nursing Orientation.

Licensed Practical Nurse- (For LPN’s applying into the 5th semester of the ASN Program): depending on available seating.

• Submit formal application. (Contact the Nursing Department for application dates) 496-4390.
• Meet all nursing general admission requirements.
• If your initial licensure is older than 3 years, you must take the LPN STEP assessment exam and the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS V test), that are utilized to validate nursing knowledge. Call the Nursing Department for details.

Background Check

The involved clinical affiliate receives and reviews the background check, to determine if each student may complete clinical hours within the agency. Since clinical practice in actual (not simulated) health care settings is a mandatory component of Montana Tech’s nursing curriculum, students who are denied access to a clinical affiliate are generally unable to meet course and curriculum objectives and therefore are unable to progress through the program. Complete instructions on how to complete the background check will be provided to the newly admitted students during orientation.

Latex Policy

Latex sensitivity is a concern in the laboratories and clinical settings that you will experience in the Nursing Program at Montana Tech. We are unable to provide a latex-free environment. Although we provide nitrile gloves, you will still be exposed to latex from lab specimens, equipment and models. It is important that you fully understand the risks of repeated latex exposure, particularly if you are a person with latex sensitivity. If you have questions or concerns about exposure to latex, you should contact Karen Vandaveer, Director of Nursing (406) 496-4392.

Immunization

If a student does not wish to be immunized due to a religious belief, they must provide St. James with a written explanation, including the specific religion that they practice, the reason(s) that the religion does not permit immunizations, and supporting documents that would establish their membership in an established religion which holds a bona fide religious belief opposing immunization. St. James will evaluate any such request upon receipt of the above mentioned information.

Programs

• Nursing, B.S.

• Nursing, A.S.