Missouri Southern nursing program wins full approvals, readies second cohort with Title III grant

Dr. Lisa Beals, chair of the Department of Nursing at Missouri Southern, told the Board of Governors that the nursing program has moved from a moratorium and conditional approval to full approval by the Missouri State Board of Nursing and by the program—s national accrediting body as reported to the board.

The approval followed a multi-year turnaround that included hiring a new chair and seven new faculty, a revised curriculum developed in about four months, and a focus-site visit. "We were deficient in several areas according to the State Board of Nursing," Beals said, describing the program—s starting point; she added the department responded by rebuilding curriculum and faculty supports and has since achieved positive outcomes.

Why this matters: Board members and campus leaders said the turnaround preserves a local pipeline of nurses at a time of national shortages and keeps Missouri Southern positioned to place graduates into the regional workforce. Beals said roughly 98% of students report employment before graduation and that recent cohorts have posted pass rates at or above the national average.

Program outcomes and expansion details Dr. Beals summarized enrollment and outcomes across recent years: following a moratorium and conditional approval, the program admitted 21 students in the fall after a focus-site visit in August 2021 and 26 the following August, with outcomes improving thereafter. She said the program—s exit exam scores for the May 2024 graduating class included the highest standardized-exam result the program has recorded.

Beals described student demographics and training structure: about 55% of students are traditional (residential) and 45% are nontraditional, with ages ranging from about 18 to the low 50s; about 9% of students are international and 27% identify as ethnically diverse. Clinical requirements include about 675 hours of clinical experience and 45 hours of lab, she said, with roughly 23% of clinical hours delivered via simulation (hybrid high- and mid-fidelity and virtual reality). The program reported 43 clinical affiliations; the newest named affiliation is Hometown Pediatrics in Joplin.

Grant, accreditation and next steps Beals told the board the program submitted an expansion proposal and had a successful site visit; the program can accept a second cohort beginning in spring 2026. She said applications will open July 1 and that the program submitted a federal/state grant proposal and was "awarded that grant for a total of $347,252 and some change" to support prelicensure expansion, faculty retention and mentoring, and graduate program development. The expansion plan described to the board envisions admitting 30 students in the fall and 20 in the spring when fully implemented, with the program—s long-term enrollment goal of up to 100 students at full scale.

Beals also described mentoring work the program is providing statewide: she said she is mentoring an interim chair at another Missouri institution at the request of the state board of nursing.

Board reaction and context Board members praised Beals— leadership and the work of faculty and staff during a period when the program faced possible closure. Governor Elliott and Governor O—Platnick both complimented Beals— leadership; Governor Morgan and others cited the role of institutional leadership and committee chairs in supporting the program—s recovery.

Looking ahead, the program will proceed with the spring 2026 cohort application opening on July 1, and the department plans to use grant funds to support faculty retention and continued development of simulation and virtual-reality clinical experiences.

Ending Board members offered invitations to attend student events, including the nursing pinning ceremony, as a way to see the program—s work firsthand. No formal board action on the program expansion was recorded at this meeting; the presentation provided status and next-step details.