July 14, 2020

July 14, 2020 – Northland Community & Technical College’s online practical nursing program has earned a #4 ranking by EduMed. EduMed data scientists utilized data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from more than 7,700 accredited colleges across the U.S. and created a proprietary algorithm to rank each postsecondary institution and its online programs using five primary factors: cost, online program availability, academic counseling, career placement, and financial aid availability.

Northland has been leading the way in online program delivery and has offered an online Practical Nursing cohort for approximately 25 years. The program is presented in a hybrid format over three semesters. General education course requirements are completed in one semester with nursing courses completed in two. All general education courses and theory practical nursing courses are completed entirely online. Lab and clinical hours are completed by students on the East Grand Forks campus and at area health care facilities.

In the fall of 2016 Northland streamlined its entire practical nursing program reducing it to 44 credits. This created a diploma program that is a prerequisite to Northland’s registered nursing program. The program’s curriculum underwent an evolution as well, focusing on a concept-based curriculum that has students going beyond simply memorizing facts to understanding the larger patterns and relationships that define patient care and patient illness.

With these changes, Northland has been maintaining a near 90% first-time NCLEX-PN licensure exam pass rate which hovers above state and national pass rate percentages. Even in light of course delivery modifications due to COVID-19, the spring class of 2020 boasted an NCLEX-PN pass rate over 96%.

Northland’s practical nursing program continues to be one of the school’s most prominent programs. With front-line nursing professionals in high demand, interest remains high. “We have accepted 40 students on our EGF campus, 15 on our TRF campus, and 15 in our distance/hybrid cohort for fall 2020 semester,” affirms Sorvig, “We have a 40 student capacity for each campus, each semester, as well as 30 for our distance/hybrid model. That results in 140 to 160 practical nursing students in our program at any given time.”