Photo courtesy of Ed Kosmicki
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — Yampa Valley residents who want to pursue a nursing career will soon have a new, close-to-home option.
In January 2020, Colorado Mountain College Steamboat Springs will begin offering nursing degree programs. Students will have the opportunity to earn an associate of applied science or bachelor of science in nursing degree at the local campus.
Kathy Kiser-Miller, CMC Steamboat Springs vice president and campus dean, said the programs were added due to high interest in professional nursing education among local residents and across the college’s district.
“Demand in the community and college-wide has been more than we can accommodate,” Kiser-Miller said in a news release. “We have over 200 applications for nursing with only 40 slots available.”
For the spring semester, Steamboat will accept 20 student nurses and hire two faculty members to support the program, which is overseen by Susan Morelan, Ph.D., new college-wide dean of the School of Nursing, Health Sciences and Public Safety.
CMC’s nursing program is currently ranked third out of the state’s 23 nursing programs. The program is offered at CMC campuses in Breckenridge and Glenwood Springs, and now Steamboat.
“Our program is competitive and affordable,” Kiser-Miller added.
The associate of applied science degree in nursing qualifies graduates to apply for the National Council Licensure Examination. From there, nurses may enroll in CMC’s RN to BSN program, which provides graduates with an expanded knowledge base in nursing theory, research and leadership practice.
Applications for the program are available online at coloradomtn.edu/programs/nursing. The application deadline for the associate degree program is Oct. 15. BSN program applications are due Nov. 15.
In Steamboat, the associate degree will be offered live on campus. The bachelor’s degree will be offered online.
CMC Steamboat Springs will host three informational sessions about the new nursing program and its application process on Aug. 28, Sept. 11 and Oct. 2 in the campus library. Associate degree sessions will begin at 3:30 p.m. on those days, followed by bachelor’s degree sessions at 4:30 p.m.
Contact Betty Damask-Bembenek at 970-947-8257, 970-947-8251 or bbembenek@coloradomtn.edu.