HELENA — Carroll College in Helena has a very well-known nursing program, and graduated 38 students in May. All 38 students passed the National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses.
Josie Smith, a nursing program graduate, said of the exam, “When I took it, our professors prepared us so well, it almost seemed kind of easy and it almost made me kind of scared because I am like, 'Wow this is kind of easy!' I think just the way our professors trained us and did practice questions really made the test very manageable.”
The national average for first-time test takers is 88%. In the last four decades, Carroll College’s Nursing Program has graduated more than 1,000 nurses, and by the time these students are seniors, a majority of them already have a job lined up before graduation.
Josie says now more than ever, nurses are needed, and she’s thankful for the program at Carroll.
Smith added, “You can tell nurses are getting a little burnt out right now (during the COVID-19 pandemic) and it’s definitely nice to be a fresh face and joining (the other nurses on staff), but also trying to stay positive and do what our nursing professors have taught us over the years.“
Josie was hired upon graduation as a nurse for Saint Peter’s Health in Helena. She works on the oncology floor, with about eight other nurses who also graduated from Carroll College.
