The demand for qualified nurses remains significant across northeast North Dakota and throughout the state. Lake Region State College (LRSC) responds to this need by offering nursing education in numerous locations, including Grand Forks. 

Lake Region State College, headquartered in Devils Lake, ND, began offering practical nurse education in the Grand Forks area in 2014 and expanded to associate degree (RN) education in 2018. This August, Lake Region State College’s Grand Forks Nursing education area moved to a new, dedicated space for classrooms and labs in the lower level of Altru Clinic, located at 1300 South Columbia on the Altru Health System campus in Grand Forks.

To commemorate the new location, LRSC and Altru held a ribbon cutting ceremony on October 9th in the newly established nursing education area.
As a member of the Dakota Nursing Program consortium, LRSC has contributed to the local healthcare workforce, with many graduates remaining in North Dakota to work or pursue further nursing education. LRSC has nursing education at its home campus in Devils Lake, Grand Forks, Mayville, and Jamestown.

“I appreciate the collaboration with Altru and our collective focus on finding strong pathways into the local workforce,” said LRSC President Dr. Carmen Simone.

Locating the nurse education program at Altru provides convenient access to labs and clinicals. 

“Having nursing education located within Altru allows students to learn alongside dedicated professionals who are passionate about patient care,” said Cassie Olson, Manager of Education and Patient Experience at Altru. “It’s an incredible opportunity to bridge education and experience, fostering the next generation of nurses right where care happens every day.”

The LRSC Nursing program combines classroom learning with supervised clinical experiences, ensuring students gain the necessary knowledge and skills to provide quality patient care. Clinical rotations occur in hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities, and other healthcare settings.