NDSU Nursing Program History and Timelines

Nursing 50th History Program

1969 The School of Nursing at St. John’s Hospital Closes.  NDSU begins an associate degree program in nursing.

1986 NDSU and Concordia College begin a collaborative baccalaureate nursing program. The associate degree program at NDSU is discontinued.  Dr. Lois Nelson is hired as chair of the Tri-College Nursing Consortium, serving from 1986 through June 2002.

1987 St. Luke’s Hospital School of Nursing closes.  From 1908 to 1987, St. Luke’s School of Nursing graduated 2,811 nurses. 

1989 Tri-College Nursing Program is accredited by the National League of Nursing (NLN).

1995 Dr. Charles D. Peterson is appointed Interim Dean of the College, and named permanent dean in July of 1996. Total NDSU nursing student enrollment in the professional program is 50 (25 students per class).  NDSU nursing program has seven full-time nursing faculty and one full-time support staff. 

2001 Minnesota State University Moorhead joins the nursing consortium, and a collaborative master’s graduate program in nursing is initiated through the Tri-College Nursing Consortium. 

2002 Dr. Mary Margaret Mooney is hired as the chair of the NDSU Department of Nursing,  serving from 2002 through May 2007.     

2003 The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accredits both the undergraduate and graduate programs.  Total NDSU nursing student enrollment is 305 (185 pre-professional, 100 professional, and 20 graduate (MS). NDSU nursing program has twelve full-time and part-time nursing faculty (10.5 FTE) and one support staff. 

2004 NDSU launches an LPN to BSN program in cooperation with MeritCare Health System. The North Dakota Board of Higher Education approves NDSU’s request for beginning a doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree program. 

2005 The three undergraduate programs disassociate from the consortium.  NDSU establishes its own independent baccalaureate nursing program.  The graduate program in nursing is still offered through the Tri-College Nursing Consortium.   NDSU begins a doctor of nursing practice degree program, the third program of its kind in the U.S., and the first program of its kind in North Dakota.

2006 The NDSU baccalaureate nursing program earns accreditation from CCNE.  In January of 2006, Allied Sciences moves to the College of Pharmacy.  In May of 2006, the College receives approval from the State Board of Higher Education to change its name from the College of Pharmacy to the College of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Allied Sciences recognizing the diversity of interdisciplinary programs within the College . 

2007 The three graduate programs disassociate from the consortium.  Concordia College closes its graduate program.  MSUM joins consortium of Minnesota colleges and universities.  NDSU establishes its own independent graduate nursing program.  Dr. Mary Wright is hired as the Associate Dean for Nursing and Allied Sciences, serving from June 2007 through July 2009. Total NDSU nursing student enrollment is 469 (225 pre-professional, 204 professional, and 40 graduate (MS and DNP).   NDSU nursing program has thirteen full-time and part-time nursing faculty (11.5 FTE) and two full-time support staff. 

2008 NDSU master’s program is approved by the North Dakota Board of Nursing and earns a full 10-year accreditation from CCNE.  

2009 Dr. Loretta Heuer is hired as the Associate Dean for Nursing and Allied Sciences, serving from August 2009 to May of 2011. 

2011 NDSU Family Nurse Practitioner/ Doctor of Nursing Practice program (DNP) is granted a five-year accreditation by CCNE effective March 28, 2011. On August 1, 2011, Carla Gross is named chair of the NDSU Department of Nursing.  Total NDSU nursing student enrollment is 637 (332 pre-professional, 258 professional, and 47 graduate (MS and DNP).   NDSU nursing program has fifteen full-time and part-time nursing faculty (14.25 FTE) and six full-time and part-time support staff (5.5 FTE). 

2012 The North Dakota Board of Nursing grants continued full approval of the BSN and the DNP programs through May, 2017.

2014 NDSU acquires the Sanford College of Nursing (SCON) on June 30, 2014.  SCON will be owned, operated, and managed solely by NDSU and will be known as NDSU Nursing at Sanford Health.  The Bismarck program will admit 40 students each semester for a total of 80 students per year and total program enrollment of 240.

Fall semester, 2014 the pre-licensure BSN program on the Fargo campus expands from admitting 64 students each fall semester to admitting 48 students each semester for a total of 96 students admitted each year and a total of 288 students enrolled in the program. To accommodate the department’s growth, six additional faculty members are hired (20.25 FTE). In addition, a pre-nursing advisor (1.0 FTE) and an accounting assistant (.75 FTE) have been added to the department’s support staff (3.5 FTE). The department has two full time grant assistants (2.0 FTE). MS Nurse Educator program is formally closed due to low enrollment. Courses were offered for students enrolled in the program to complete their degree.  

The College of Pharmacy, Nursing and Allied Sciences changes its name to the College of Health Professions. At the same time, the Department of Nursing became the School of Nursing (SON) and Dr. Carla Gross’s title was changed to Associate Dean and Chair of the Fargo site. 

2015 Due to the significant growth of the College and the majority of the SON faculty and staff are moved off campus to the Stop and Go Center. The first cohort of FNP/DNP students begin at Bismarck site. NDSU’s BSN and FNP/DNP programs are granted ten year accreditation by CCNE through September, 2025. Two faculty are hired to develop, plan, and implement a new RN to BSN online program. 

2016 First cohort of RN to BSN students enrolled in August, 2016. Dr. Karen Latham, Chair of NDSU Nursing at Sanford Health in Bismarck resigns/retires. Wendy Kopp is named Interim Director of the Bismarck site. 

2017 The North Dakota Board of Nursing grants continued full approval of the BSN and the DNP programs through May, 2022. Wendy Kopp is named Director of NDSU Nursing at Sanford Health in Bismarck. The SON’s FNP/DNP program is ranked 38th out of 186 programs in nation in U.S. News and World Report in March. 

2018 First cohort of RN to BSN students graduate in May, 2018. Fall semester, the pre-licensure BSN program on the Fargo campus expands from admitting 48 students each semester to admitting 64 students each semester (128 each year) for a total program enrollment of 384. SON is named one of best online BSN programs by bestcolleges.com (#4).

2019 50th anniversary celebration during homecoming week (October , 2019).

NDSU nursing enrollment is 680 (523 Pre-Licensure BSN, 63 LPN-BSN program, 43 RN-BSN program, 51 DNP program). The School of Nursing has 43 faculty, 9 staff members, and hires about 32 clinical and lab instructors each year. DNP program named one of Top 15 in nation by study.com.

2020 Aldevron Tower opens Spring 2020 with six stories and 74,000 sq. ft. of interdisciplinary education including Skills Labs, Simulation Lab, and Assessment Lab. For the first time since 2015, all Fargo nursing faculty and labs are in one location.

Campus shut down and converted to online (remote) teaching/ learning for the rest of spring semester after spring break due to COVID 19 pandemic. Campus converting to in person teaching/ learning using the Hyflex model teaching/ learning fall semester 2020.

Wendy Kopp resigned as Bismarck Director in December 2020. Charys Kunkel appointed Director at NDSU Nursing at Sanford Health in January 2021.

2022 The North Dakota Board of Nursing grants continued full approval of the BSN and the DNP programs through May, 2027 (on-site visit in March, 2022).

2023 NDSU reduces from seven to five colleges. College of Health Professions merges with Health, Nutrition & Exercise Science, Human Development and Family Science, and Counselor Education departments. New college named College of Health and Human Sciences. Dean Charles Peterson retires. Ron Werner Wilson named Interim Dean.

First cohort of Accelerated BSN students enrolled in August, 2023 at NDSU Nursing at Sanford Health in Bismarck.  

Legacy Since 1969, the NDSU School of Nursing has graduated more than 1,060 AD RNs, 1,950 BSN nurses, 45 MS nurse educators or family nurse practitioners and 129 doctors of nursing practice.

 

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