One of the stimulation rooms that the nurses use to learn.
By Bernadette Pieper
The Casper College Nursing Program keeps succeeding today just as it’s done for the past 54 years in graduating close to 2,000 students. The nursing program graduates 64 students each year.
CC added the nursing program in 1969. Students who graduate from Casper College with their associates in nursing will go to the work field or they will go to the University of Wyoming to seek a bachelor’s degree in nursing.
“We (faculty) encourage our nursing students to consider going to the university to seek a bachelor’s degree,” said Marge Christiansen, director of nursing and alumni of the CC nursing program. “Casper College works well with the University and with the rest of the colleges in Wyoming. All of the ten colleges get together once a year to look at the curriculum and see what needs to be done to help better the nursing students. ”
Each year, CC’s nursing program accepts up to 64 students each year. Though the faculty selects the top 32 students each semester after the students take the Test of Essential Academic Skills (TEAS) tests and are ranked by a series of requirements to get into the nursing program. Students are ranked with every test score and letter grade for each class to get into the nursing program. The process happens every fall and spring semester.
“I think that it was not very hard for me to get into the nursing program. With already having an associate’s degree in health science, those grades helped with the points needed to be ranked into the program,” said Katie Baumstarck, first semester nursing student and CC Alumni. “Getting good grades helps you to have a better chance of getting into the nursing program.”
The program’s students come from all over the country, and some come from out of the U.S. There are students from California, Alaska, South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, Africa and the Philippines among others.
“I came to Casper for the Nursing Program because I have heard great things about it. I also graduated last year with my associates degree in a different health science field,” Baumstarck said.
The students have similar answers to why they come to CC for nursing rather than other colleges as to the faculty. Students and the faculty see a lot of good things about the nursing program here at CC.
“Students come to Casper College because they see we have a great program,” Christiansen said. “I think that students come here because our clinicals are a wide range to work with. We have four hospitals, one nursing home, public health, cancer center, and hospice care.”
The options for clinicals help the students find where they want to work once they get their LPN or RN certification. The clinicals happen in the second and third semesters out of the four semesters the degree takes to earn.
The second year the students work more with clinical rotations and are closer to graduation. Once clinicals are done the students take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). The NCLEX is a test that licenses the students as nurses. Then they are ready for the pinning ceremony, graduation, and finding a job.
The nursing students can take part in the Student Nursing Association (SNA), which is the nursing club that is also recognized on campus. SNA gives out Thanksgiving baskets, helps with Food for Thought, and collects food for the food pantry on campus.
The CC nursing program keeps succeeding each year by continuing to graduate successful students.
