Let the nursing begin. This fall, the College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, MO, will enroll its first nursing class of about 30 students after recently receiving preliminary approval from the state board of nursing. The application process took about two years.

In addition to using state-of-the-art equipment, such as mannequins and interactive learning modules, the program at Armstrong McDonald School of Nursing will allow students to work at several different health facilities in the Branson area. The hope is that students will stay around and become practicing nurses in the area after graduation.

The program will earn full approval when the first class graduates and passes the NCLEX-RN® in 2010.

Sources: Branson (MO) Daily News and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation