UL Lafayette offering accelerated nursing degree to help with nurse shortage
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is creating an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program to help address the need for registered nurses in the Acadiana region.
The university officially announced the new program Wednesday. The program is the result of a partnership between UL Lafayette and Ochsner Lafayette General, the region’s largest non-profit regional hospital.
“We’re pleased to partner with Ochsner Lafayette General to answer a critical shortage that’s facing our healthcare workforce, both in the region and across the nation,” said Joseph Savoie, UL Lafayette president, in a release. “The University is one of the largest producers of healthcare professionals in the state; nearly a quarter of our students enter a healthcare or social assistance field after graduation, and 75% of our alumni choose to remain in Louisiana five years after completing a bachelor’s degree."
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The degree program will be directed by the UL Lafayette College of Nursing & Health Sciences and its LHC Group · Myers School of Nursing. The program will allow students with a bachelor’s degree in any field to earn a degree in nursing in less time.
“The UL Lafayette · Ochsner Accelerated BSN Program answers a nationwide challenge that’s certainly being felt in our region,” said Dr. Lisa Broussard, the interim dean of the College of Nursing & Health Sciences, in a release. “For more than 70 years, our college has been the primary creator of Acadiana’s healthcare workforce and our graduates can be found in clinics, doctor’s offices and in major hospital systems throughout the area and beyond.”
The goal of the program is to have more qualified, highly-skilled nurses enter the healthcare workforce at a time when Louisiana and the nation are facing a critical shortage, the university said in a release. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the nation will need more than 1.1 million more nurses by 2030. Another analysis puts the need around 2.1 million by 2025, according to UL Lafayette.
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Ochsner had similar programs aimed at training healthcare professionals across the Gulf South region. Last year, Ochsner offered 5,600 clinical placements for undergraduates in a variety of nursing programs.
“Partnerships such as this one with Ochsner Lafayette General strengthen the strategic commitment the University has made to ensure that patients who turn to our region’s medical providers in times of need receive high-quality care from exceptionally skilled, deeply compassionate health professionals,” Broussard said.
As part of the partnership, Ochsner Lafayette General will invest $2.8 million in the Accelerated BSN program. The investment will go toward faculty and staff support and operational costs, as well as student tuition for nursing courses.
In exchange, the students commit to work for Ochsner Lafayette General for three years after graduation.
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“UL Lafayette has a highly ranked nursing program that is nearly in our backyard,” said Patrick Gandy, the CEO of Ochsner Lafayette General, in a release.
Like Ochsner Lafayette General, the university has been an anchor in this community for more than a century. By working together, we can increase nursing program capacity at UL, educate and prepare more nursing professionals, and serve and heal our communities well into the future.”
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This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: UL Lafayette offering accelerated nursing degree with Ochsner
