Unlicensed dental assistants are allowed to perform certain duties as stipulated by Minnesota Legislature regulations. These duties include:

• Retracting a patient’s cheek, tongue, or other parts of tissue during a procedure
• Assist with placement or removal of devices as directed by the dentist or dental therapist
• Remove debris or water during treatment using suction devices
• Assisting in placing articles and topical medication in a patient’s oral cavity under supervision of a dentist or dental therapist

In January 2022, the Minnesota Board of Dentistry approved unlicensed dental assistants to perform radiological services after meeting certain requirements, including completing a board approved course in dental radiology.

There are no eligibility requirements to take the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) exam. However, completing our dental radiology course can assist you in preparing for the RHS exam.

Our course includes an RHS readiness exam as part of the curriculum and will put you in much better position to pass the exam on your first attempt.

We recommend that you keep work to a minimum during the program given the required synchronous sessions and overall volume of work needed for success.

The highest degree, or terminal degree, in nursing is the doctoral degree.

We offer the practice-focused Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) for students seeking to ascend to the highest ranks of the nursing field and begin making a significant impact in how nursing is implementing evidence-based practice and researching into the practice setting.

After completing the direct entry MSN program, you may be eligible to enroll in our post master’s DNP program or MSN to DNP options featuring several potential specializations.

We use a precepted model for clinical experiences in our MSN Direct Entry program.

Upon admission, you have the opportunity to complete a form that will help us select and place you with a preceptor. This will be locations that you have in your area that you desire to complete your clinical or even a location that you might be interested in working in the future.

Our dedicated clinical placement team will assist you in preceptor placement. We work with many clinical sites to ensure you can find the right fit (ideally within 100 miles of where you live).

Ultimately, our clinical placement team is responsible for providing assigned preceptors—but your ability to identify potential sites and preceptors in your community is integral to the process. However, we cannot guarantee you will be assigned to a preferred or specific preceptor or location.

Occasionally you will have virtual clinicals for basic skills checks and faculty advisement, which may be done via synchronous remote sessions.

No, but you can get much closer to reaching that goal. You will need to complete additional education in the NP specialty of your choosing before becoming eligible to practice.

After completing the direct entry MSN program, you are eligible to enroll in a post master’s certificate program to help you prepare to become a nurse practitioner.

We currently offer post master’s certificate concentrations in:

• Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP)
• Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP)
• Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
• Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP)

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, registered nurses earn an average salary of $98,430 per year ($47.32 per hour).*