Nursing, ASN

Associate of Science in Nursing Degree Curriculum

Criteria for Selection

Required prerequisite courses taken during the Spring semester 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. Nursing Entrance Examination Score.
3. Overall academic record and cumulative GPA.
4. Licensure/certification in a health-care profession or a previously earned degree.
5. Number of hours taken at LSU Eunice.
6. The GPA in core courses.
7. 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 Permission to Enroll in a Clinical Nursing Course” with fees required by the Louisiana State Board of Nursing (LSBN) and submit with the Nursing Selection Application Form.
2. Complete required documents, including digital fingerprint cards for LSBN Criminal Background check.
3. Submit to a urine drug screen.
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 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 forms and submit fees for additional background investigations required by healthcare facilities.
2. Receive a negative drug screen report.
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 will be mailed to applicants with notification of acceptance for enrollment in nursing courses.
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 on-line 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” was earned. A student is permitted one “D”, “F”, “NC”, or “W” once admitted to the clinical nursing sequence. A second “D”, “F”, “NC”, and/or “W” in any nursing course constitutes 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.

A student applying for reentry into a nursing course must apply the next time the course is offered. If not accepted, the student may reapply once more when the course is offered again (2 years from the first time the student enrolled in the course). After 2 attempts of reentry, the student will not be considered again for reentry into the nursing course in which the student was unsuccessful or if the student does not reapply with in a 2 year period after last enrollment. If the student wishes to pursue a nursing degree at LSU Eunice, including after the two year period, an application to the nursing program must be completed along with all current requirements for selection. The application will be placed with the pool of students applying for initial entry into the nursing program. If selected, the reentry student would begin the first semester of nursing courses. All reentry students must have skill revalidation at the beginning of the semester. Science courses taken 7 years earlier must be repeated prior to reapplication.

Dismissal

Students may be dismissed from a nursing course and/or the nursing program for any of the following reasons:

1. A deliberate attempt to cover up any error or negligent performance during clinical experiences.
2. Repetitive performance of unsafe behaviors during clinical experiences.
3. Performance of unethical or illegal behaviors during clinical experiences.
4. Failure to comply with clinical agency policies and regulations.
5. Breech of patient or agency confidentiality by inappropriate management of information in any form.
6. Cheating or plagiarism (See LSU Eunice’s Code of Student Conduct located in the Student Handbook).
7. Violation of the LSU Eunice Code of Student Conduct.
8. A positive report on any random drug screen.
9. Requested dismissal from a clinical facility by clinical affiliate staff or LSU Eunice facutly and staff.
10. Committing a breach in the Nursing Progam policy on the conduct of social media usage.

The LSU Eunice faculty reserves the right to recommend termination of a nursing student when health and/or personal conduct requires such action.

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”, “NC”, or “W” in required nursing courses. A student may only be readmitted to the nursing course in which they received the failing grade, provided re-entry is no more than two years from the last enrollment in the failed nursing course.

Persons wishing to re-enter the LSU Eunice Nursing Program must submit a written application to the Division of Health Sciences and Business Technology by April 1 for re-entry in the Fall semester and November 1 for the Spring semester. A student will be considered for readmission only when there is clear evidence of his or her potential to complete the requirements of the nursing curriculum. In reviewing such applications, special scrutiny will be given to (1) overall grade-point average, (2) previous performance in didactic and clinical nursing courses, and (3) grades earned in the behavioral and biological sciences. Students with previous credit in required nursing courses who are readmitted into the LSU Eunice Associate of Science in Nursing Degree Program must have nursing skill performance validation prior to entering the semester of readmission. The overall financial and personnel resources available to the Nursing Program will also be a consideration in readmission decisions. Submitting an application for readmissions does not guarantee acceptance into the nursing program.

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 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) meet immunization and physical examination requirements, (2) maintain CPR for Health Care Provider Certification for the duration of their program, (3) assume responsibility for providing their own transportation to and from clinical agencies, (4) have a negative random urine drug screen, and (5) purchase student nurse liability insurance through LSU Eunice, and (6) possess or purchase personal healthcare insurance (requirement for clinical agencies).

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.

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

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

Requirements for Admission

The applicant to the LSU Eunice Associate of Science in Nursing degree program, LPN-RN 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 Division Head. 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-RN 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-RN):

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-RN 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 of the year for which selection is being sought. Applications will be made available by September. Packets are not mailed.
6. Complete the LPN-RN Nursing Entrance Exam. Information regarding this exam may be obtained by contacting the Division of Health Sciences and Business Technology at 337-550-1357.
7. 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.
8. Currently enrolled in one or more courses at LSU Eunice during the fall semester of application.
9. 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.

Meeting the minimum criteria does not guarantee admission into the ASN Nursing degree program, LPN-RN 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-RN Advanced Standing Articulation

The Division of Health Science and Business Technology will admit classes into the LPN-RN Advanced Standing Articulation in the Spring semester of each year. Selection decisions for the spring class are made at the end of the prior fall semester and decisions will normally be communicated to the student by the second week of September. Students not selected during the Selection Process and who seek admissions in a subsequent class, must resubmit the entire application, reentry the selection process cycle and will remain subject to the eligibility requirements specified.  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.