Nursing, ASN

Criteria for Selection

Applicants for the Fall cohort must complete prerequisite courses by the end of the Spring semester. Applicants for the Spring cohort must complete prerequisite courses by the end of the Summer semester.

The following criteria are used to determine 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. Entrance exam score. 
3. Cumulative (overall and LSUE) academic record and prerequisite GPA.
4. Previously earned relevant degree.
5. Louisiana residents will be given priority in selection

Nursing Program Admission and Compliance Requirements

Admission Requirements

After applicants are selected and notified of admission to the Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) program, the following requirements must be completed:

1. Background Check and Fingerprinting
   Students must complete a criminal background check and fingerprinting through Identogo, following instructions provided by the Louisiana State Board of Nursing (LSBN) or available on the LSBN website.
   Note: Applicants who are not cleared by LSBN for a clinical student license will be unable to begin the selected cohort and must reapply after resolution of the issue.
2. Submission of Required Documents
   All documents requested by LSU Eunice Nursing and LSBN must be submitted by published deadlines. Failure to comply will invalidate the student’s application and prohibit admission into the ASN program.

Post-Selection Requirements

Upon acceptance into the Nursing Program, students are required to:

1. Complete electronic forms and pay associated fees for additional background screenings required by LSBN and affiliated clinical agencies.
2. Submit to a urine drug screen with a negative result in accordance with policies outlined in the Nursing Student Handbook.
3. Submit a completed Nursing Program Health Form by the designated due date. All physical examinations must be conducted after selection and submitted electronically as directed.
4. Submit all required documentation by established deadlines. Failure to comply may result in dismissal from the program.
5. Notify the Program Director of the decision to accept or decline admission into the ASN program.
6. Upon acceptance, students agree to abide by all LSU Eunice, Division, and Nursing Program policies related to student conduct and academic standing.

Health and Records Management

All health records, including immunization documentation, tuberculosis (TB) testing results, and laboratory reports, must be submitted through a secure online information management system at the student’s expense. Documentation must be provided on official medical provider or company letterhead; submissions in any other format will not be accepted.

Criminal Background Disclosure Requirement

The Louisiana State Board of Nursing (LSBN) requires any individual who has been arrested, charged with, convicted of, pled guilty or nolo contendere to, or sentenced for any criminal offense to petition the Board in writing for eligibility to practice as a nursing student prior to enrollment in the first clinical nursing course.

All applicants must undergo a criminal background check with digital fingerprinting as part of the application process.

Additional Background Screening Requirements

In addition to the LSBN background check conducted through Identogo, certain clinical agencies require additional screenings. These may include, but are not limited to:

• Social Security number verification
• Employment verification, including reason for separation and eligibility for rehire
• Violent Sexual Offender and Predator Registry search
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) / Office of Inspector General (OIG) exclusion list
• General Services Administration (GSA) excluded parties list
• U.S. Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Specially Designated Nationals list

These additional screenings are conducted by a third-party vendor contracted by LSU Eunice and are 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), whether due to academic or other reasons, requires the student apply for readmission to the Nursing program in order to continue. 

Students repeating a nursing course must concurrently re-enroll in all required 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 purposes of the dismissal policy. The most recent grade earned will be recorded as the official course grade. The requirement to repeat co-requisite courses ensures that students receive the most current and relevant healthcare education.

Dismissal

Students may be dismissed from an individual nursing course and/or the Nursing Program for reasons outlined in the Associate of Science in Nursing Degree Program Student Handbook 

Health Science Divisional Policy

Admission into any selective LSUE Health Science program (Nursing, Radiologic Technology, Respiratory Care, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Surgical Technology) will be limited to two (2) admissions into any program in which the student has started the program but has unsuccessfully completed the program. This restriction applies to whether the student has voluntarily withdrawn from a program or has not met the required objectives necessary for program progression. This policy applies to students who have attempted the same program twice or who have attempted two different programs. This policy does not apply to students who have declined admission into a selective program after selection but before entering programmatic courses. Students wishing to apply for selection for a third entry and attempt in any selective LSUE Health Science program must wait a minimum of 5 years to reapply.

Students dismissed from any selective LSUE Health Science program for violations to the LSUE Student Code of Conduct or violations to any Program Policy(s) may not be allowed to reapply for selection into any selective LSUE Health Science program. A written request for appeal may be submitted to the Dean of Health Sciences, Business & Technology, and Public Protection and Safety for special consideration.

Transfer and re-entry students seeking selection into Health Science programs will have their transcripts evaluated for approved credit. The following guidelines will be applied to transfer and re-entry credits for students seeking entry into one of the competitive Health Science programs:

Math, Natural Science, and Medical Terminology courses must be less than 7 years of age at the time of re-entry or transfer.

Courses other than Math, Natural Science, and Medical Terminology must be less than 10 years of age at the time of re-entry or transfer or have approval from the Dean of Health Sciences, Business & Technology, and Public Protection and Safety

Requirements for Readmission

A student whose enrollment in the Nursing Program is interrupted, either voluntarily or involuntary, or who fails to earn a grade of “C” in a required nursing course may be considered for readmission, provided that the student is in good academic standing as defined in the University Regulations section of the LSU Eunice catalog. 

Students may be eligible to apply for readmission into the semester in which the initial unsuccessful attempt occurred and result in a second attempt at program completion.

A second unsuccessful attempt in any nursing course(s) - whether the same course or a different nursing course – will result in dismissal from the program. This policy applies cumulatively across to all nursing program enrollments, including those at other institutions.

First dismissal: A student dismissed from any nursing program (LSU Eunice or another institution) due to course(s) failure  may apply or  reapply to the LSU Eunice Nursing Program after meeting all standard admission and reentry requirements.

Second dismissal: A student dismissed a second time from any nursing program, regardless of the institution, due to course(s) failure is ineligible to apply to the LSU Eunice Nursing Program for a period of five (5) years from the date of the second dismissal.

Re-enrollment following after any dismissal is subject to the policies in effect at the time of reapplication. Students who have been out of the Nursing Program for five (5) years or longer must meet current admission requirements. 
 

Science and mathematics courses required for the Nursing Program that are more than seven (7) years old must be repeated prior to reapplication.

For the purpose of this policy, a nursing program is defined as an accredited educational program that includes both didactic and clinical components and prepares students for licensure as a registered nurse (e.g., ASN or BSN programs).

Readmission Eligibility and Process

To be considered for readmission, an applicant must:

1. Have been enrolled as a nursing student within one (1) year of the request for re-entry;
2. Submit a completed re-entry application to the Director of Nursing or designee within ten (10) days following the posting of final grades for the semester preceding the requested term of re-entry; and
3. Provide evidence of maintaining current clinical knowledge, skills, and competencies from previous nursing coursework.

Readmission is not guaranteed and is dependent upon space availability, faculty and clinical resources, and compliance with all program 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 all previously attended nursing program(s). This letter must be provided by the administrative head of the prior program(s) and sent directly to the Nursing Program Director. The letter must to be received prior to the applicant’s interview.
5. Have earned a minimum grade of “C” in required nursing courses and have enrolled in nursing course(s) only once.
6. Transfer students are held to the same standards as LSU Eunice students. A grade of “D,” “F,” “NC,” or “W” in nursing courses (clinical or non-clinical) and/or prerequisite courses taken at another institution will be treated the same as if earned at LSU Eunice.
7. Students who have been unsuccessful in a nursing program (at LSU Eunice or any other institution) in two (2) separate semesters must wait a minimum of five (5) years from the date of the second failure before being eligible to reapply for admission.  If a student has been out of a Nursing Program for five (5) years or more since the initial attempt, the current standard admission policies in effect at the time of reapplication will apply.
8. Preferably, have completed, a minimum of 9 hours of required prerequisite science/math courses at LSU Eunice.
9. Submit official transcripts from all previously attended colleges and universities to the LSU Eunice Office of Admissions for evaluation. Applicants must be classified as fully admitted to the University prior to selection into the Nursing Program or the application is considered invalid.

Special Provisions and Requirements

In addition to meeting all curricular requirements, nursing students must:

1. Arrange and maintain reliable transportation to and from assigned clinical agencies.
2. Purchase student nurse liability insurance through an approved vendor.
3. Obtain and maintain personal health insurance as required by clinical agencies.
4. Provide and maintain personal technology necessary for academic testing and coursework.
5. Maintain compliance with all background check and drug screening requirements, including required reporting.

Degree Requirements

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 Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) degree. Upon successful completion of the curriculum, graduates are eligible to apply for licensure as a Registered Nurse through the Louisiana State Board of Nursing (LSBN).

The LSU Eunice Nursing Program has full approval from the of the

Louisiana State Board of Nursing (LSBN)

17373 Perkins Road
Baton Rouge, LA 70810
Phone: (225) 755-7500
Fax: (225) 755-7584
Email: lsbn@lsbn.state.la.us

The program is also accredited by the:

Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
3390 Peachtree Road NE, Suite 1400
Atlanta, GA 30326
Phone: (404) 975-5000
Website: https://www.acenursing.org

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, Business & Technology, and Public Protection and Safety 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, Business & Technology, and Public Protection and Safety a completed LPN-ASN Advanced Standing Nursing Selection Application Form accompanied by all required documents.  These materials must be received by the date specified in the application.  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 150. Information regarding this exam may be obtained by contacting the Division of Health Sciences, Business & Technology, and Public Protection and Safety 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 Sciences, Business & Technology, and Public Protection and Safety 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.