MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Bethany Rhoten joined Middle Tennessee State University’s School of Nursing earlier this summer. Her goal as director of the School of Nursing is to continue MTSU’s dedication to serving all parts of Tennessee and making sure students are ready to step into their careers after graduation. 

“I could not be more delighted to join MTSU School of Nursing’s already thriving community. The staff and faculty are exceptional, the students are motivated, and the opportunities for building on their shared success are great,” Rhoten said. 

On Friday, Sept. 24, Rhoten appeared on the “MTSU on 2” segment from the studios of WKRN-TV, the ABC affiliate in Nashville, to talk about how the program is preparing its students not only for patients now but for decades to come.

Watch the segment, part of the station’s “Local on 2” programming, with host Stephanie Langston below.

Students in MTSU’s School of Nursing train with state-of-the-art simulators that give them hands-on experience and practice beginning in their first semesters. 

“Nursing education has significantly changed over the past two decades,” Rhoten said. “While learning direct patient care in a traditional clinical environment is still a cornerstone of nursing education, technology has enabled us to use innovative methods, like high fidelity simulation, to help learners have exposure to and practice responding to a variety of patient scenarios that they might not otherwise encounter while being a student.” 

MTSU’s nursing students are more than prepared for their first job out of college, with many receiving job offers before they graduate. 

“Our most recent graduating class had a 100% NCLEX (RN certification) exam pass rate, and the majority of our students graduate already having a job in place. Our graduates are well respected and ready to provide excellent patient care,” she said. 

Rhoten said many nursing students are first-generation college students working to change the trajectory of their families for years to come, and chose to attend MTSU because of its affordability. 

“Higher education as a whole has become increasingly expensive, and we are proud to offer an excellent nursing education with tuition that is more approachable for many families. MTSU graduates are receiving not only a high-quality education but a great value for the money they spend,” she said. 

For more information about MTSU’s School of Nursing, visit https://nursing.mtsu.edu/. 

— DeAnn Hays ([email protected])