Utah nurses and NKU: the MSN and DNP only

Utah is one of the states where NKU's MSN row and RN-to-BSN row split, and both table copies agree on it, so the split is settled rather than a typo. An associate-degree RN in Utah cannot use NKU's RN-to-BSN; a nurse who already holds a BSN or MSN can apply to the MSN tracks or the DNP.

Utah regulates out-of-state placements at every level. Utah Admin. Code R156-31b-609 says a program based elsewhere must first convince both Utah's licensing division and its Board before sending students into Utah agencies or institutions. The checklist: home-state board approval, accreditation from a recognized nursing accreditor, program-employed faculty who meet those standards, a plan for choosing and supervising preceptors and sites, and hands-on supervising faculty whose license is valid in Utah, whether issued there or by a compact state.

Two further points touch you directly. Your preceptor's license must be in good standing and valid in Utah, meaning a Utah license or one from a compact state, and the school files an annual report with the Board by August 1 counting its students placed in Utah. Ask NKU to confirm it has met Utah's requirements before you commit to a site.

AANP lists Utah as full practice. On March 24, 2022, Utah became an early APRN Compact state, one of five to enact it so far. The large systems are three: University of Utah Health, Intermountain Health, and MountainStar Healthcare, which belongs to HCA. Their education departments and nurse leadership offices, spread across Salt Lake City-Murray, Provo-Orem-Lehi, Ogden and St. George, fit the open tracks.

For Nursing Education you need a preceptor with at least a master's in nursing education, based in a nursing school or a facility's education department; see our Nursing Education page. A Nurse Executive Leadership preceptor works in a leadership role, typically a nurse manager or above.

Utah's compact licenses date from January 19, 2018, so a Utah resident's RN license is multistate. Two neighbors, Colorado and Nevada, are on NKU's NP admission list. Colorado is a compact state; Nevada is not, so moving there means applying to Nevada's board for an RN license. Check the live admission list, and remember that NKU treats a mid-program move as a risk to your standing.

Utah's rule puts preceptor licensing and site selection under the Board's eye, and that is exactly the detail we handle well. A placement advisor finds educators and nurse leaders with Utah or compact licenses in good standing, collects their resume, license and signed Preceptor Responsibilities form, and finds the right site contact for an affiliation agreement, so your Medatrax request reaches NKU in full. Talk to the placement desk.