Additional Information for Nursing Students

Expenses

In addition to SKC tuition and fees, nursing students have significant costs including, but not limited to, laboratory fees, program fees, textbooks, uniforms, name tag, health insurance, background checks, drug screens, and clinical travel. RN licensure expenses include the NCLEX-RN exam fee and travel to the testing site. Please refer to nursing.skc.edu for an annual list of approximate costs in addition to the college tuition and fees.

Clinical Laboratories

Nursing coursework includes interactive learning activities in the classroom, independent study, campus practice lab, and clinical practice in a variety of institutional and community based health care settings. One lab credit hour represents three contact hours. Clinical facilities are located in Ronan, Polson, Plains, Kalispell, Missoula, and other western Montana communities. Overnight stays in various communities may be necessary throughout the program. Clinical labs may be scheduled on days, evenings, nights, or on weekends. Students participate in preceptorships, following the work schedules of RN preceptors. Students are responsible for housing and transportation to and from clinical facilities. Students are required to have an open schedule and availability to facilitate participation in clinical laboratories.

Students are required to meet the student clinical placement mandates of the clinical site such as all required immunizations and titers; dress code; competencies concerning medication dispensing and electronic health record documentation; and regulations regarding HIPAA and COVID19 protocols. Failure to adhere to clinical site requirements will result in dismissal from the Nursing Program.

Nursing Department Policies

Due to the unique nature of the nursing profession, the Nursing Department maintains policies in addition to those of the College. Nursing Department policies are available in the Nursing Student Handbook, which can be found on the nursing website at nursing.skc.edu. Examples of policies in the nursing student handbooks include progression, professional behavior, clinical requirements, and grading policies.

Please note that annual background checks, health history in which a healthcare provider asserts the student is capable of clinical experience, and current annual immunizations are required every year the student is in the nursing program.

Additional Requirements for Licensure as a Registered Nurse (RN)

Completion of the Bachelor Degree in Nursing is not the sole criteria for obtaining a license to practice as a registered nurse. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (ncsbn.org) publishes requirements by state. The Montana Nurse Practice Act authorizes the State Board of Nursing (http://mt.gov/dli/nur/) to set requirements for RN Licensure in Montana. Requirements for licensure include:

• Graduation from an approved school of nursing.
• A passing score on the NCLEX-RN, the national licensing exam.
• The capacity to maintain the professional code of nursing practice. Licensure may be denied to graduates/nurses who demonstrate:

• Fraudulent information or misrepresentation in the licensing application or exam.
• Active history of substance abuse/chemical dependency.
• Failure to maintain the professional conduct of nurses.

• Conviction of a crime that relates adversely to the practice of nursing.