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Martin-Herold College of Nursing and Health

Mount Mercy’s Martin-Herold College of Nursing & Health (MHCNH) is the university’s first-ever named college with 400+ nursing students and 40+ health care students across its undergraduate and graduate programs.

Setting the standard for health care excellence

Simple mission. Profound impact.

Over the past 90 years, Mount Mercy University has been the standard for nursing excellence in eastern Iowa. Our nurses are prepared to provide outstanding care, offer compassionate service, and continue the legacy of Catherine McAuley and the Sisters of Mercy.

Exceptional Pass Rates

Mount Mercy nursing students have a 96.5% pass rate on the NCLEX exam (2025).

CCNE Accreditation

Mount Mercy University's DNP program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) as of October 7, 2024 until June 30, 2035. The DNP program was approved by CCNE's Board of Commissoners during a meeting on April 29-May 1, 2025, where the program was viewed to have complied with all four standards within CCNE Standards for Accreditation of Baccalaureate and Graduate Nursing Programs. 

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The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master's degree program in nursing, and Doctor of Nursing Practice program at Mount Mercy University Martin-Herold College of Nursing & Health are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).

The baccalaureate, master’s, and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs are approved by the Iowa Board of Nursing.

Pre-licensure BSN program

In addition to coursework and clinical experiences leading to graduation, students must follow these steps to gain licensure as a Registered Nurse in Iowa:

  1. Go to the Iowa Board of Nursing website.
  2. On the website, click on “Licensure” and scroll to “Exam.”
  3. Directions for initial licensure for new graduates is fully explained on this page with links to NCLEX-RN Exam and the licensure application.

Change the course of human health

Get financial support, paid employment, and additional bonuses through the MercyReady Nursing Education Assistance Program, the UnityPoint Health Career Launch Program, and Avera Sponsorships & Scholarships.

 

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Nursing at Mount Mercy University (0:30)

Learn more about our Martin-Herold College of Nursing & Health programs.

A student and professor using the state-of-the-art nursing sim lab
Video Link

Martin-Herold College of Nursing & Health Tour (2:18)

Watch a video tour of Donnelly Center.

Martin-Herold College of Nursing & Health signage outside of Donnelly Center on Mount Mercy main campus
Video Link

DNP: The Journey to Becoming a Nurse (1:38)

Ashley Umoren '22 DNP shares her long journey to becoming a nurse.

doctor of nursing practice student Ashley Umeron talking about her experience on becoming a nurse
Video Link

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

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RN-BSN

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Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

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Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

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Student Handbooks

As a health care student, there's a lot to explore. Here are the Nursing & Health student handbooks:

 

Undergraduate Student Handbook
Graduate Student Handbook

Where leaders are empowered

Learning by doing.

We offer high-quality, integrated theoretical nursing content, clinical lab simulation (including telehealth), and hands-on experience. Our full-time nursing faculty are recognized as the best in their field. Nurses from local hospitals and agencies also serve as professors—bringing their real-world experience from the hospital into the classroom.

Why a health degree from Mount Mercy?

Through internship and service opportunities at local hospitals (Mercy Medical Center and UnityPoint Health–St. Luke’s Hospital), community clinics, and home health agencies, students work directly with a diverse population in the rapidly-changing health care landscape.

Ann Davidshofer

Ann Davidshofer

Associate Professor of Nursing

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Lacey Ritter

Lacey Ritter

Assistant Professor of Sociology

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Links & Resources

Sigma Kappa Xi

BON Professional Licensure Requirements

Transformational gifts

Mount Mercy received a truly transformational gift from Ron Herold and his wife Paula Martin Herold RN ’61 to establish the Martin-Herold College of Nursing & Health and launch the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program in 2018.

Mount Mercy also received a grant from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust to update assessment and simulation labs and to implement telehealth simulation experiences across all our nursing education programs.

In 2023, generous gifts from the Francis J. Pruss Education Trust, Margaret Murrin Christiano Trust, and Terri and the late Art Christoffersen made significant improvements to spaces inside Mount Mercy University’s Donnelly Center. This included renovations to several classrooms and updates to the student lounge.

That same year, two more gifts were announced. Abby (Hitchcock) Heydman ’64 announced a gift to create the F.E. (Fritz) Hitchcock Endowed Nursing Lecture Series—an annual lecture series on nursing and health topics for both students and the community. Additionally, a generous estate gift from Jack and Marjorie Fraenkel established the Jack Runnels and Marjorie Hansen Fraenkel Endowed Chair in Nursing at Mount Mercy.

Change the course of human health

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