JOPLIN, Mo. — Four years after taking a hit internally, as well as from the state, Missouri Southern’s nursing program is back in full force.

Its May 2023 graduates have a 100% pass and employment rate, which has earned the program full approval by the Missouri State Board of Nursing.

Three years ago, the university and state board began the process for curriculum and programmatic changes while placing a hold on accepting a new cohort for the spring of 2021. It did not ever affect the program’s national accreditation status.

Strides have been made since that time, and things are not only back to normal but thriving. The program unveiled new virtual reality technology for students in November. And that’s on top of the existing amenities being offered.

“It is a big sigh of relief, however, we’re always thinking to the future, thinking forward, because we are in a national nursing shortage. Having that necessarily is going to have us take a deep breath, just a short one and then get right back to it, so we can offer more great programming here at Missouri Southern,” said Dr. Lisa Beals, MSSU Nursing Dept. Chair.

“In the future, Missouri Southern’s gonna build a new HealthCare Innovation Center, which will expand our simulation experiences. So, we’re really excited about the direction of simulation with all of our healthcare programs,” said Caleb Lewis, MSSU Dir. of Simulation & IPE.

That new center is projected to be completed in January 2026.