Nursing Programs

Northwestern State University was the first public institution in Louisiana to establish a baccalaureate program in nursing, welcoming its first students in 1949. The College of Nursing was also the first in the state to offer a master’s degree in nursing. NSU offers an Associate of Science in Nursing, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, LPN to ASN, LPN to BSN, RN to BSN program, Master of Science in Nursing and a Doctor of Nursing Practice. Classes are available on Northwestern State campuses in Shreveport, Alexandria, Leesville/Fort Polk and Natchitoches. NSU’s College of Nursing is known throughout the state for graduating highly qualified nurses.

The nursing faculty consists of experienced health care professionals who are dedicated to preparing students to achieve their professional goals as responsible and contributing members of their profession and society. Members of the faculty regularly volunteer their time sharing their expertise and knowledge with organizations and individuals in the community, with many serving as consultants, leaders, and board members as part of their professional responsibilities in the local, state and national arenas.

Undergraduate Studies in Nursing

The undergraduate clinical application deadline for Fall is April 15th
The undergraduate clinical application deadline for Spring is August 15th
The clinical application deadline for the BS to BSN Program Summer Session is February 15th.

Undergraduate Student Handbook

Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN)

The Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) degree program is designed to provide education to prepare the student for practice as a registered nurse. This program includes didactic and clinical nursing courses as well as general education courses. The program prepares graduates to function as registered nurses in hospitals, nursing homes, and other health care agencies. Students can complete the required academic courses during the two-year sequence, however many students benefit from completing at least a portion of their general education courses prior to beginning the two-year sequence of nursing clinical courses.

The curriculum is constructed to promote career mobility to the baccalaureate nursing educational level. Upon completion of the Program, the graduate is eligible to apply for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).

To schedule an academic advising appointment please call the Office of Student Services at 318-677-3015.

ASN Program Graduates’
Success on the Licensure (NCLEX) Examination 2016-2018

Year (January 1^st –December 31^st )	Rates (%)
2016	93.26
2017	97.47
2018	95.92

ASN Program Students’
Completion Rates 2012-2018

Year (Cohort)	Rates (%)
2013	70
2014	75.22
2015	78
2016	In Progress
2017	In Progress
2018	In Progress

ASN Program
Graduates’ Obtaining a Job 2016-2018

Year (January 1^st -December 31^st )	Rates (%)
2016	100
2017	100
2018	100

Accreditation
The ASN program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), 3343 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 850, Atlanta, Georgia 30326 phone number 404.975.5000 fax number 404.975.5020, www.ACEN.org and approved by the Louisiana State Board of Nursing, 17373 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70810, telephone number 225-755-7500, fax number 225-755-7564, www.lsbn.state.la.us.

ASN Related Documents

Bachelor of Science in Nursing

A four year professional nursing education program that includes liberal arts education preparing graduates for beginning nursing practice in a wide variety of settings including acute and long term care, community and school health and critical care. After three semesters of academic courses and acceptance into clinical courses, students must complete five semesters of clinical courses on the Shreveport campus or Alexandria Rapides Regional Medical Center Campus.

Baccalaureate prepared nurses have many career opportunities. Graduates of the Program are eligible to take the national licensure examination, NCLEX-RN, after which graduates are qualified for employment in a wide variety of healthcare settings. If desired, graduates of the BSN Program may further their education by earning a master’s degree, or even a doctoral degree.

BSN Program Graduates’ Success on the Licensure (NCLEX) Examination 2016-2018

Year (January 1^st –December 31^st )	Rates (%)
2016	96
2017	95.65
2018	95.1

To schedule an academic advising appointment please call the Office of Student Services at 318-677-3015.

Accreditation
The Program is approved by the Louisiana State Board of Nursing, 17373 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70810, 225-755-7500. The BSN Program is the first program in Louisiana to be accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission. The baccalaureate degree in nursing at Northwestern State University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750 Washington , DC 20001 P: (202)877-6791 F: (202) 877-8476

BSN Related Documents

3030 and 3050 requests for Summer 2020

3030 and 3050 requests for Fall 2020

BS to BSN

The BS-BSN program will allow students that have already earned a Bachelor of Science degree to complete the required nursing courses needed for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing in just 16 months! Students must complete all required general education classes required for the BSN prior to beginning the nursing courses (see curriculum pattern).

Contact: 318-677-3100 for an advising appointment

Continuing Nursing Education

Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) at Northwestern State University College of Nursing and School of Allied Health offers well-planned, innovative program opportunities for life-long learning in the area of continuing professional nursing education to meet the needs for the nurses of Louisiana and neighboring states. The Continuing Nursing Education Program follows the mission of the university in providing organized activities to increase competencies and knowledge in nursing practice.

Accreditation
Northwestern State University College of Nursing and School of Allied Health Continuing Nursing Education Program is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. Continuing education activities meet criteria defined by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. One contact hour is sixty minutes of instruction. Requirements for successful completion are accomplished by verifying participation in the entire CNE activity. No partial credit is awarded.

For more information regarding upcoming programs please contact:
NSU College of Nursing & School of Allied Health
Heather Hayter, MSN, RN | Assistant Professor
Continuing Education Coordinator/Lead Nurse Planner
Email: hayterh@nsula.edu
1800 Line Avenue
Shreveport, La 71101
Phone: (318)677.3105 | Fax: (318)677.3127

LPN to...

LPN to ASN Documents

To schedule an academic advising appointment please call the Office of Student Services at 318-677-3015.

LPN to BSN Documents

LPN to BSN – 3030 and 3050 Request

Military Medic-Paramedic to ASN RN

RN to BSN

100% online with flat-rate tuition of $225/credit hour and NO fees!

Contact: 318-677-3100

For an individualized degree plan or more information, please contact one of our faculty advisors.

Dr. Ann Deshotels: deshotelsa@nsula.edu

Mrs. Heather Hayter: hayterh@nsula.edu

Dr. Anna Morris: morrisa@nsula.edu

RN to BSN Related Documents

Articulations
Northwestern State University and the following Universities have agreed to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding for articulation with associate degree in nursing programs. The articulations will allow students to complete their Associate Degree in Nursing and transfer their credit hours to Northwestern State University in partial fulfillment of degree requirements for the Bachelors of Science in Nursing.

Articulations

Graduate Studies in Nursing

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

GRE NO LONGER REQUIRED

The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program at Northwestern State University (NSU), College of Nursing and School of Allied Health in Shreveport, Louisiana provides learning opportunities for registered nurses to build upon baccalaureate nursing education, as well as experiential professional knowledge, attitudes and skills.The MSN program at NSU prepares registered nurses to function and excel in various advanced nursing roles. Graduates of the MSN program are educationally prepared to make significant contributions to the improvement of healthcare and to the advancement of nursing knowledge and practice.

Students can begin courses any semester, but clinical courses only begin in the Fall semester. Students must complete and submit a clinical application prior to June 1st to begin clinical courses in the Fall semester. The clinical application is different than the application to Graduate School, and can be found on this website. To schedule an academic advising appointment or any MSN inquiry with MSN faculty please call (Charla Bumgardner 318-677-3131).

This program provides the student with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing the opportunity to develop advanced knowledge, intellectual skills and clinical competence necessary for the role of the advanced practice nurse. Areas of concentration include:

Nurse Practitioner

Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP),
Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP)
Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)
Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PCPNP),
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Across the Lifespan (PMHNP)
Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP)

Education

Adult-Gerontology Nursing
Maternal, Child, and Family Nursing

Administration

Adult-Gerontology Nursing
Maternal, Child, and Family Nursing

* Please note that faculty are unavailable for advising between semesters, so please call to make appointments early. Also, if you are admitted into the graduate school (have submitted all of your paperwork and can register), you should make an advising appointment prior to registering for courses. All students must register for NURG 5000 Orientation during your first semester). During NURG 5000 you will also receive advising. NURG 5000 typically meets on the Shreveport campus during the first Friday of each semester.

Accreditation
The master’s degree in nursing at Northwestern State University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.

MSN Documents

MSN Concentrations

Concentration Curricula

Post-Master’s Certificate Programs

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program at Northwestern provides a clinical doctorate for for baccalaureate or master’s prepared registered nurses who desire to practice at the highest level and significantly impact health care outcomes for vulnerable populations. Graduates of the DNP program have the potential to transform health care by utilizing advanced clinical skills, translating evidence into practice, implementing systems changes, establishing standards and policies, and acting as organizational leaders.

The Goals (Purposes) of NSU’s Doctor of Nursing Practice are:

Provide advanced practice nurse leaders with expertise, specialized competencies, and advanced knowledge required for evidence-based nursing practice and mastery in an area of specialization within the larger domain of nursing.
Prepare advanced practice nurse leaders to influence, design, direct and implement change in healthcare practice, education, and policy through the development of collaborative alliances to improve healthcare outcomes and decrease morbidity and mortality in vulnerable populations.
Develop advanced practice nurse leaders who contribute to nursing’s body of knowledge through professional development and scholarly inquiry into practice, processes, or outcomes which affect morbidity and mortality in vulnerable populations.

The Program Objectives, or Student Learning Outcomes

The DNP Graduate student will:

Integrate nursing science with knowledge from ethics, biophysical, psychosocial, analytical, and organizational sciences as the foundation for the highest level of nursing practice.
Critically analyze health care delivery models based on contemporary nursing science and organizational and systems perspectives to eliminate health disparities and promote patient safety and excellence in practice.
Systematically appraise existing literature, outcomes of practice, practice patterns, systems of care, and health organizations to design and generate best practice evidence to improve practice and health care outcomes.
Utilize information systems technology to implement and evaluate healthcare resources, quality improvement initiatives, and programs of care that support practice decisions.
Advocate for health care policy which addresses social justice and equity in all health care settings.
Employ consultative and leadership skills to function on inter-and intra-professional multidisciplinary teams that work collaboratively to improve vulnerable populations’ health outcomes.
Synthesize data relevant to clinical prevention and health promotion for individuals, aggregates, and populations to guide implementation of the highest level of nursing practice.
Demonstrate advanced practice expertise, specialized knowledge, and expanded responsibility and accountability in the care, management, and evaluation of individuals, families, and communities in a specialty practice area within the domain of nursing.

Accreditation
The Doctor of Nursing Practice degree at Northwestern State University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.