Nursing, ASN

Criteria for Selection

Required prerequisite courses taken during the Spring semester are for fall admission and Summer semester for Spring admission are included in the selection process.

The following criteria are used in calculating the applicant’s ranking for selection:

1. Completion of 25 hours of required courses with a grade-point average of 2.5 or higher.
2. Science and Math courses seven (7) years or older, must be repeated with a grade of “C” or better prior to selection.
3. Nursing Entrance Examination Score (Composite and Individual content areas).
4. Overall academic record and cumulative GPA.
5. Licensure/certification in a health-care profession or a previously earned degree.
6. Number of hours taken at LSU Eunice.
7. The GPA in core courses.
8. Number of core courses repeated.

At the time of application to the Nursing program, the student is required to fulfill the following:

1. Complete the form “Application for Criminal Background Check - Page I” and “Authorization for Criminal Background Check - Page II.”
2. Complete two FBI fingerprint cards.
3. Submit all documents requested by the LSU Eunice Nursing program and the LSBN by the published deadlines. Failure to submit requested documents by due dates and comply with above requirements invalidate the student’s application and will prohibit selection into the ASN program.

Upon selection into the Nursing Program the student is required to fulfill the following:

1. Complete electronic forms and submit fees for additional background investigations required by the Louisiana State Board of Nursing (LSBN) and health care facilities.
2. Submit to a urine drug screen and receive a report of negative.
3. Students admitted to the nursing program must submit a completed Nursing Program Health Form within six weeks prior to the beginning of the semester of entry. These forms and requirements are to be submitted electronically as designated.
4. Submit all documents requested by the LSU Eunice Nursing program and the LSBN by the published deadlines. Failure to submit requested documents by due dates will prohibit continuance in the program.
5. Once selected and notified, the Program Director for Nursing must be notified of the applicant’s commitment to accept or reject selection into the ASN program.
6. Upon acceptance by the applicant to enter the LSU Eunice Associate of Science in Nursing degree program, the student accepts and agrees to abide by all published University, Division, and program policies regarding student conduct and academic standing.

Health information, background checks, initial drug screens, and random drug screens will be managed by the student through a secure online information management service for a fee which will be paid by the student. All health-related information, immunization records, TB testing report, and lab data must be recorded on official medical provider/company stationary. Data submitted in any other format will be rejected.

Students entering nursing are advised that the Louisiana State Board of Nursing (LSBN) requires persons who have been arrested, charged with, convicted of, pled guilty or no contest to, or been sentenced for any criminal offense in any state to petition the Board in writing for the right to practice as a student of nursing in Louisiana prior to enrolling in the first clinical nursing course. The LSBN will conduct a criminal background record check with digital fingerprints on all students applying to the nursing program.

The criminal background check will be conducted by the Louisiana State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. There are additional background investigations required by some of the clinical agencies not covered by the LSBN criminal history background investigation.

The data required by various health care agencies not covered in the LSBN background check include:

1) Social Security number verification, 2) employment verification to include the reason for separation and eligibility for reemployment for each employer, 3) Violent Sexual Offender and Predator Registry Search, 4) Health and Human Services (HHS) / Office of Inspector General (OIG) list of excluded individuals or entities, 5) General Services Administration (GSA) list of parties excluded from federal programs, and 6) U.S. Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) list of Specially Designated Nationals (SDN). A separate agency is contracted with LSU Eunice to perform the additional background checks required by health care affiliates. This background check is completed at the student’s expense.

Retention/Progression Guidelines

Acceptance into the LSU Eunice Nursing program entitles the student to progress through the nursing curriculum with the class to which the student is admitted. In order to be retained and progress in the clinical nursing sequence, a student must:

1. Maintain an LSU and an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher.
2. Maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher in all required nursing courses.
3. Complete all nursing courses with a grade of “C” or better. The grading scale for all nursing courses is: “A”-93-100; “B”-85-92; “C”-77-84; “D”-65-76; “F”-failure, below 65.
4. Repeat any nursing course in which a grade of “D”, “F”, or “W” is earned. A student is permitted one “D”, “F”, “NC”, or “W” once admitted to any clinical nursing sequence. A second “D”, “F”, “NC”, and/or “W” in any nursing semester, whether at LSUE or another institution, constitutes cause for dismissal from the program.
5. Maintain current CPR certification (CPR for Health Care Providers) and annual TB testing.
6. Maintain health/immunization requirements.

Students may not withdraw from a clinical course for which they have earned an F, regardless of when in the semester the F is earned. Neither, in such a case, may students withdraw from either of the two co-requisite courses.

Failure to successfully complete any nursing course (excluding NURS1000 ), for either academic or other reasons, will require that the student apply for readmission to the Nursing program if the student wishes to continue in the program. A student repeating a nursing course must concurrently re-enroll in the co-requisite nursing courses. Re-enrolling in a co-requisite course in which the student had previously received a passing grade will not be counted as repeated nursing course hours for the dismissal policy. The most recent grade earned will be the grade for the course. The purpose for requiring re-enrollment in co-requisite courses is to assure that nursing students receive the most current health care information.

Dismissal

Students may be dismissed from a nursing course and/or the nursing program for any of the reasons listed in the Associate of Science in Nursing Degree Program Student Handbook located here: https://www.lsue.edu/academics/health-sciences/nursing/index.php.

Requirements for Readmission

A student whose enrollment is interrupted, either voluntarily or by compulsion, or who fails to earn a grade of “C” in a required nursing course may be considered for readmission to the Nursing Program provided that the student is in good academic standing as defined in the “University Regulations ” section of the LSU Eunice catalog. However, in no circumstances will a student be considered for readmission when the student has earned more than one “D”, “F”, or “W” in a required nursing course. A student may only be readmitted to the nursing course in which they received the failing grade.  A student may be readmitted to the first semester of nursing courses after a period of five (5) years.  Science and Math courses for nursing, if seven (7) years or older, must be repeated prior to reapplication.

A person wishing to be readmitted to nursing must: (a) have been a current nursing student within one year from the request to re-enter, (b) submit a re-entry form to the Director of Nursing or designee within 10 days of final grades for the semester prior to the semester requesting to return to, and (c) provide evidence of remaining current with skills, knowledge, and abilities from previous semesters.  Readmission is not an automatic process and is dependent upon resource availability and other considerations for requirements.

Transfer Nursing Students

Students who wish to transfer with nursing credits are subject to the “Requirements for Readmission”, “Louisiana State Board of Nursing’s Criteria for Enrollment in a Clinical Nursing Course”, “and “Retention/Progression Guidelines” specified above. Nursing credits will be evaluated on an individual basis.

Students requesting a transfer into the Nursing Program must:

1. Arrange a personal interview with the Nursing Program Director.
2. Provide a transcript of all previous college work at the time of the interview.
3. Submit a course description and course content from completed nursing courses at the time of the interview.
4. Submit a Letter of Good Standing from prior nursing program(s). This letter from the administrative head of the prior program(s) should be mailed directly to the Nursing Program Director, to be received by the time of the interview.
5. Have earned a minimum grade of “C” in required nursing courses and have enrolled in nursing course(s) only once.
6. Have completed preferably, a minimum of 9 hours of required prerequisite science/math courses at LSU Eunice.
7. Submit transcripts from all previously attended universities or colleges to the Office of Admissions for evaluation and the applicant must be classified as fully admitted prior to selection to the Nursing program or the application is considered invalid.

Special Provisions and Requirements

In addition to meeting all other specified curricular requirements, nursing students must: (1) assume more responsibility for providing their own transportation to and from clinical agencies, (2) purchase student nurse liability insurance through private vendor, (3) possess or purchase personal healthcare insurance (requirement for clinical agencies), (4) supply personal technology required for academic testing, (5) maintain cleared background/drug screen per requirements of reporting.

Degree Requirements

In addition to fulfilling the “General Degree Requirements ” specified in this catalog for all associate degree candidates, nursing students must complete all required nursing courses with a grade of “C” or better.

Graduates of the program are awarded the Degree of Associate of Science in Nursing. After successful completion of this curriculum, the graduate will be eligible to make application to the Louisiana State Board of Nursing for licensure as a registered nurse. The LSU Eunice Nursing Program has full approval of the Louisiana State Board of Nursing, 17373 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA, 70810, Phone: 225-755-7500, Fax: 225-755-7584, Email: lsbn@lsbn.state.la.us; and is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, 3343 Peachtree Road N.E., Suite 850, Atlanta, GA, 30326, Phone: 404-975-5000, Fax: 404-975-5020, www.acenursing.org, © 2013, Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc.

Associate of Science in Nursing Degree Curriculum

Licensed Practical Nurse to Associate of Science in Nursing Advanced Standing Articulation: LPN-ASN

Licensed Practical Nurse to Registered Nurse Advanced Standing Articulation: LPN-ASN

Requirements for Admission

The applicant to the LSU Eunice Associate of Science in Nursing degree program, LPN-ASN Advanced Standing Articulation, must be an LPN possessing an unencumbered Louisiana license and must meet the requirements for admissions to the University and to the Nursing program. Admission to the ASN Articulation program is on a selective basis. Selection recommendations are made by the Division of Health Sciences and Business Technology Articulation Selection Committee to the Dean. The number of students selected each year will depend upon a number of factors, including ranking according to published criteria, the financial, personnel, and other resources available to the Nursing program. Students admitted to the Articulation program are held at the same published policies, regulations and expectations as the traditional ASN students. LPN-ASN applicants who are selected for Articulation will be eligible to receive 14 credit hours of advanced standing credit towards the Associate of Science in Nursing degree. The curriculum integrates various electronic learning technologies which are used in lab practice and lecture relies on computer use. The curriculum integrates various electronic learning technologies which are used in lab practice and lecture.

Students must meet the following minimum criteria to be considered eligible for selection into the Licensed Practical Nurse Advanced Standing Articulation (LPN-ASN):

1. Meet the general admissions requirements of the University.
2. Complete the prerequisite courses with a grade-point average of 2.5 or higher.
3. Have completed preferably, a minimum of 9 hours of required prerequisite science/math courses at LSU Eunice.
4. Have an overall and LSU Eunice grade-point average of 2.0 or higher.
5. Submit to the Division of Health Sciences and Business Technology a completed LPN-ASN Advanced Standing Nursing Selection Application Form accompanied by all required documents and a $10 non-refundable application fee. These materials must be received no later than November 1 for Spring selection or by March 1 for fall selection of the year in which selection is sought. Applications will be made available by September for spring selection and January for fall selection. Packets are not mailed.
6. Complete the Nurse Entrance Test with a minimum composite score of 62. Information regarding this exam may be obtained by contacting the Division of Health Sciences and Business Technology at 337-550-1357.
7. Complete the required predictor assessment denoted for LPN’s requesting enrollment in an ASN program.
8. Transcripts from all previously attended universities or colleges must be submitted to and evaluated by the Office of Admissions and the applicant classified as fully admitted prior to submitting an application to the nursing program or the application is considered invalid.
9. Currently enrolled as a student of LSU Eunice during the fall or spring semester of application.
10. Be able to perform the physical and mental requirements of the discipline of nursing as identified on the Health and Physical Examination form and the ADA requirements in the Student Orientation Manual.
11. Have completed all required pre-requisite courses by the end of the spring semester for fall selection and by the end of the summer semester for spring selection.

Meeting the minimum criteria does not guarantee admission into the ASN Nursing degree program, LPN-ASN Advanced Standing Articulation.  Eligible applicants will be considered on a competitive basis. Selection decisions for the Fall class are made at the conclusion of the prior Spring semester.

Selection into the Associate of Science in Nursing Degree Program: LPN-ASN Advanced Standing Articulation

The Division of Health Science and Business Technology will admit classes into the LPN-ASN Advanced Standing Articulation in the Spring and Fall semester of each year. Selection decisions for the spring class are made in October of the prior fall semester and selection decisions for the fall class are made at the end of the prior spring semester. Decisions will normally be communicated to the student by the first week of October for a Spring admission and by the first week in June for a Fall admission.

All students selected for admission with complete year one - semester one at the Eunice campus.   Students selected for a Spring admission will complete year one - semester two and year two - semester three at the Eunice campus (joining the traditional ASN students third semester and fourth semester).  Students selected for a Fall admission will complete year one - semester two and year two - semester three at the Lafayette off-campus learning site (joining the traditional ASN students third semester and fourth semester).

Students not selected during the Selection Process and who seek admissions in a subsequent class, must resubmit the entire application and requirements.  All other requirements related to selection, readmission, retention/progression and degree requirements are applicable as described elsewhere in the Associate of Science in Nursing degree program section of this catalog.