LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing Expands Nursing Education to North Louisiana

Working Together to Get Nurses Working

August 8, 2022

Starting in January 2023, LSU Health New Orleans’ School of Nursing will educate students in three accelerated nursing programs in North Louisiana at its newly approved Off-Campus Instructional Site located on the LSU Health Shreveport campus. Courses will be delivered through a combination of in-person instruction and synchronous distance education, where students in Shreveport will virtually join classes going on at the LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing. LSU Shreveport and LSU Health Shreveport faculty will also teach some basic science courses.

“We are pleased to lead an LSU systemwide effort to quickly fill an urgent need for highly qualified nurses in North Louisiana,” notes Dr. Steve Nelson, Interim Chancellor of LSU Health New Orleans. “Working with LSU Health Shreveport and LSU Shreveport, our accelerated nursing degree programs will address this critical situation.”

Applications are now open for the Career Alternative RN Education (CARE) Program, a two-year program designed for individuals who have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in any field and would like to become a nurse. Students will graduate from LSU Health New Orleans with a Bachelor of Nursing Science degree.

“The LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing Off-Campus Instructional Site provides us with the opportunity to academically prepare nurse educators in North Louisiana and provide a career path for individuals with a previous baccalaureate degree to enter into the nursing profession,” says Demetrius Porche, DNS, PhD, PCC, ANEF, FACHE, FAANP, FAAN, Dean and Professor LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing. “By preparing nursing faculty and educating more BSN nurses, we would like to impact the nursing shortage challenges in North Louisiana positively.”

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Students may also enroll in the RN to BSN Degree Program, a one-year program of study specifically for the RN with an associate degree or diploma in nursing. The RN to BSN degree program provides a broad liberal and professional education that builds upon the competencies and knowledge achieved in previous nursing education and practice. Students will graduate with a Bachelor of Nursing Science degree from LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing. Application information is available here.

LSU Health New Orleans will also offer a master’s degree with a Nurse Educator concentration. The Nurse Educator concentration is an intensive Master of Science in Nursing degree designed for completion in one year. The curriculum is built on theory and skills acquired in the Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing. The purpose is to prepare nurses to become nurse educators and accomplish their career goals in academic, practice and service settings. Students will graduate from LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing with a Master of Science in Nursing degree. Application information is available here.

“We are thrilled to partner with the LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing, with their stellar reputation and track record, to offer these programs for students in North Louisiana seeking nursing and advanced nursing degrees,” stated Sharon Dunn, PT, PhD, Dean of the LSUHS School of Allied Health Professions. “With the current and anticipated nursing shortage, our added capacity for training nurses and nurse educators will allow us to be part of the solution for our community’s urgent and long-term needs.”

Even before the pandemic, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics projected nearly 200,000 openings for registered nurses annually from 2020-2030. The shortage has only grown during the pandemic. Last year, the American Nurses Association sent a letter urging the Department of Health and Human Services to declare the nurse staffing shortage a national crisis.

“Registered nurses are in dire need in Louisiana to provide health care,” notes Linda Ledet, DNS, APRN, PMHCNS-BC, LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing Off-Campus Instructional Site Program Director. “One solution to this problem is to provide education to qualified students who desire nursing as a career. The Bachelor of Sciences (BSN) CARE nursing concentration will admit 20 students in the spring and fall semesters. We hope to grow our admission numbers in the second year. Second-degree nursing students are typically highly motivated and have higher academic expectations than most traditional entry-level nursing students. These accelerated students excel in class and are eager for clinical experiences. Faculty find them excellent learners who are unafraid to ask questions and engage in discussions.”

Hospital leaders in North Louisiana recently reported that they are experiencing a worsening shortage of nurses.

LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing is ranked the #10 nursing school in the US and the #5 nursing school among American public nursing schools.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans (LSU Health New Orleans) educates Louisiana's health care professionals. The state's health sciences university leader, LSU Health New Orleans includes a School of Medicine with campuses in Baton Rouge and Lafayette, the state's only School of Dentistry, Louisiana's only public School of Public Health, and Schools of Allied Health Professions, Nursing, and Graduate Studies. LSU Health New Orleans faculty take care of patients in public and private hospitals and clinics throughout the region. In the vanguard of biosciences research, the LSU Health New Orleans research enterprise generates jobs and enormous annual economic impact. LSU Health New Orleans faculty have made lifesaving discoveries and continue to work to prevent, advance treatment or cure disease. To learn more, visit http://www.lsuhsc.edu, http://www.twitter.com/LSUHealthNO, or http://www.facebook.com/LSUHSC.

LSU Health Shreveport (LSUHS) is one of two Health Sciences Centers of the Louisiana State University System and one of only 154 in the nation. LSU Health Shreveport is home to the School of Medicine, School of Graduate Studies and School of Allied Health Professions, and a robust research enterprise, which has made a significant impact on the COVID-19 response in Louisiana, region and nation. Almost 900 students are enrolled in the degree programs at any one time. Additionally, over 600 residents and fellows are trained each year. The primary mission of the LSU Health Sciences Center at Shreveport is to teach, heal, and discover, in order to advance the well-being of the region and beyond. At the heart of the LSU Health Shreveport is a strong faculty that includes a number of nationally and internationally acclaimed physicians and scientists. More than 600 strong, they lead our research efforts, educate our students and provide primary and specialty care to patients throughout the region. LSU Health Shreveport has strong community support, fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion that promotes mutual respect for all. For more information, visit www.lsuhs.edu.