Assistant Nursing Professor Ryan Bessolo earns MSN

Finlandia University assistant professor Ryan Bessolo, MSN-BSN-RN, always knew he wanted to advance his education in nursing.

Bessolo, a Calumet native and FinnU alumnus (’11), completed his Master’s of Science in Nursing from Western Governor’s University this year. With the new degree, Bessolo is promoted from instructor to assistant professor.

“I enjoyed being a bedside nurse and wanted to pursue an advanced degree in nursing to further help develop the profession of nursing in the future through leadership and education,” Bessolo said.

From high schooler to alumnus to assistant professor

Bessolo became interested in nursing during his senior year of high school after participating in the Copper Country Intermediate School District’s certified nursing assistant (CNA) program for high schoolers. He worked at Aspirus Keweenaw Hospital in Laurium as a CNA while he earned his Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing at Finlandia. After college, he continued to work at Aspirus Keweenaw and enjoyed working with nursing students during their clinical rotations at the hospital. These positive experiences inspired him to reach out to the nursing faculty and express his interested in becoming an instructor.

Bessolo has been an instructor with Finlandia for six years and currently teaches adult medical-surgical nursing I and II and acute & urgent nursing in the traditional BSN program. He also teaches transition to professional nursing in the online RN-BSN program and does clinical rotations with junior- and-senior-level nursing students at the hospital.

Bessolo is confident his new degree will help his students be better prepared for the workforce.

“Earning this degree has allowed me to have greater perspective in the nursing profession,” he said. “I have had the opportunity to network with nurses from all across the country while earning this degree. I feel that there are so many aspects to the nursing profession that having an advanced degree will allow me to provide a greater understanding of the art of being a nurse to my students.”

Bessolo can be reached at ryan.bessolo@finlandia.edu. Learn more about FinnU’s nursing program at finlandia.edu/nursing.