History

Formal nursing education in the LSU System began in the summer of 1929 on the Baton Rouge campus. The Louisiana State League of Nursing Education requested specific courses as additional education for registered nurses. The Daughters of Charity at Charity Hospital of New Orleans recognized the need for specialized professional education for nurses holding responsible positions in hospitals and schools of nursing education and suggested the LSU courses become a permanent program to prepare registered nurses for positions in teaching, supervision, and administration. The new program was inaugurated with courses being taught at Charity Hospital in 1931. Between 1931 and 1938, there were individual courses available including supervision in nursing, ward management, ward instruction and several general education courses. Beginning with the 1938 school year, a formally recognized nursing curriculum was initiated for registered nurses.

In 1933, a program leading to the degree of Bachelor of Science in Nursing Education was approved by the LSU System. The newly established Department of Nursing graduated three students in the first class. During the first years of its existence, the Department functioned, except for a brief period, under the General Extension Division, as a department of the Teachers’ College of LSU, Baton Rouge. Students were admitted to this program on the basis of having completed a diploma program in nursing and credit was allowed on basic nursing course work. Students graduating from this program were granted the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Education degree, which was awarded at ceremonies on the Baton Rouge Campus.

In 1937, the Department was transferred to the School of Medicine in New Orleans. The “combined program” or “five year program” was instituted. This program consisted of two years of college work in advance of the three years in the regular diploma program of the Charity Hospital, New Orleans School of Nursing. Admissions to this program were discontinued in June 1952.

Until May 1, 1949, Sister Henrietta Guyot, Head of the Department of Nursing was not only in charge of the Department but was also Head of the Charity School of Nursing and of the Nursing Service Department of Charity Hospital. Sister Henrietta was relieved of responsibility for nursing service at Charity Hospital on May 1, 1949, and for the Charity Hospital School of Nursing on July 1, 1951. This allowed her to devote full attention to administration of the Nursing Program at LSU until February 1965 when she retired from the Department.

With the goal of expanding its program to meet regional and state nursing needs, in 1952, the Department of Nursing invited a survey team of six consultants to evaluate the resources available to establish a School of Nursing at the School of Medicine in New Orleans, and to draw up a plan of reorganization. The proposals growing out of this survey formed a blueprint for the development of a new baccalaureate curriculum in nursing which was inaugurated by the LSU System in 1955.

Two programs of study were established.

1. A four year basic nursing program preparing high school graduates for professional nursing practice, and
2. A program of five semesters designed to supplement and enrich the preparation of graduate registered nurses for the practice of professional nursing (referred to as the Specialized Registered Nursing Program). Both of these programs led to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. The earlier program for registered nurses, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Education, which included majors preparing for teaching and supervision, was discontinued in 1958.

The Louisiana State Board of Nurse Examiners accorded initial accreditation to the Program in Basic Nursing on September 16, 1955, and full approval on April 24, 1959. The Department of Nursing has held agency membership in the National League for Nursing, Department of Baccalaureate and Higher Degree Programs, since 1955.

Following a self-study report submitted by the faculty in September 1961, the first visit for national accreditation purposes was held in Spring 1962. As a result of this survey visit and report, the Department of Nursing received full initial accreditation of its basic program by the National League for Nursing on May 5, 1962. Since that time, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree Program maintained full accreditation status with the National League for Nursing until 1998 when the program was accredited for 10 years by the Council on Collegiate Nursing Education.

In 1964, the Department of Nursing announced that as of June 1967, the separate program of study for registered nurses would be discontinued. The Department would continue the curriculum leading to the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. In addition to the basic students, registered nurses were admitted with a limited amount of advance standing credit granted on the basis of specific course examinations. The decision to make this change was based on recommendations from the National League for Nursing and was in line with improved educational practices in nursing.

On March 13, 1968, the Department of Nursing was relocated from the first floor of the School of Medicine Building on Tulane Avenue into two newly renovated buildings on Florida Avenue. These buildings were former World War II Navy barracks, which, after renovation, provided adequate office and classroom space for the existing program.

The Department of Nursing of the Medical School was accorded status as a separate and autonomous School by action of the Board of Supervisors in December 1968 and the official name became the School of Nursing of the Medical Center.

The Master of Nursing degree offering was approved March 23, 1972 by the Louisiana Coordinating Council for Higher Education and the first students were enrolled in the fall of 1972. The first Master of Nursing degrees were conferred in May 1975. The Master of Nursing degree program was granted initial accreditation by the National League for Nursing on December 9, 1977 and was continuously accredited by that agency until 1999. On March 24, 1998, the Master of Nursing program was accredited by the Council on Collegiate Nursing Education for a period of 10 years, with the next review due in 2009.

The Associate of Science in Nursing degree program was approved by the LSU Board of Supervisors on February 5, 1973, and the Louisiana Coordinating Council for Higher Education in March 1973.

The Louisiana State Board of Nurse Examiners granted approval August 1, 1973 and the first Associate of Science in Nursing degrees were awarded in August 1975. After 25 years, the Associate of Science in Nursing program graduated the last class in May 2000. The Program was continuously accredited by the National League of Nursing.

The Continuing Education Program began in January 1975 with the appointment of a Regional Coordinator for Continuing Education. This position was made available through a contractual agreement with the Louisiana State Nurses Association, and funded from a United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare Special Project Grant. In 1978, funding from the Grant terminated and the program continued on State funds until 1986 when the program became self-supporting through self-generated income. The Continuing Education Program has been accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a provider of continuing education for the awarding of contact hours since July 1980.

On November 13, 1978, The University System purchased a six-story building, located at 420 South Prieur Street in New Orleans, to be used by the School. The structure, containing approximately 60,000 square feet of floor space, was completed in 1941 by Hotel Dieu Hospital and has been used for the Hotel Dieu diploma Nursing Program until the program closed in 1975. Over a period of years, The University System leased parts of this facility for the Associate of Science in Nursing Degree program (1972), for the Graduate Degree program (1973), for the School’s administrative offices (1977).

After minimal renovation, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program moved into the fifth and sixth floors of the building, June 11, 1979. Renovations to accommodate the Multimedia Center were more extensive, requiring almost a year to complete. On April 1, 1980, the Center moved from temporary quarters at 1100 Florida Avenue, into the newly renovated first floor of the building. This event marked the first time in eight years the School was located in one facility.

In December 1984, the School of Nursing and the School of Allied Health Professions moved into a new building, located at 1900 Gravier Street. This building is connected at the third floor to the Medical Education Building, which opened in 1981.

The Doctor of Nursing Science degree offering was approved June 27, 1985 by the State of Louisiana, Board of Regents. The first students were enrolled in Fall 1985 and the first Doctor of Nursing Science degree was conferred in December 1988.

The Neonatal Nurse Practitioner concentration within the Master of Nursing program was initiated in 1992. The following year, 1993, the Primary Care Family Nurse Practitioner concentration was initiated within the Master of Nursing program.

Several nursing faculty professorships and fellowships were established starting in 1996 with the St. Charles General Hospital Auxiliary Endowed Professorship in Nursing and the James B. and Helen Dunn Professorship in Nursing. The P.K. Scheerle RN Professorship was initiated in 1998. The Tenet Health System/Jo Ellen Smith BSN Endowed Chair for Nursing Research was established in 2003. In 2007, the Tucker H. Couvillon III Professorship for Nursing Research in Parkinson’s Disease was established.

In 1996, Helen Dunn retired as Dean of the School of Nursing. Elizabeth A. Humphrey EdD was appointed in 1997 as Dean of the School of Nursing.

A reorganization of the structure of the School of Nursing into departments was implemented in March 1999. Faculty and courses are assigned to one of three departments - Adult Nursing, Family Nursing and Mental / Community Health Nursing.

On December 7, 2001, the Louisiana Board of Regents granted approval to initiate the curriculum leading to the Master of Nursing with a specialization in Nurse Anesthesia. Students began specialization coursework in January 2002 with the first graduates in 2005.

In 2005, after hurricane Katrina, LSUHSC-NO relocated to the LSU Systems office and then Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge. Within a month, the required Louisiana State Board of Nursing approvals were acquired so that students were able to complete their course work at new clinical locations. Graduate classes returned to New Orleans in January 2006 and undergraduate classes in the summer of 2006.

Elizabeth Humphrey retired as Dean of the School of Nursing in 2007. In the same year, Demetrius J. Porche DNS was appointed Dean.

Master of Science in Nursing degree with a Nurse Educator concentration was approved by the Board of Supervisors in January 2008 and by the Board of Regents after which the first students began coursework. The first graduates in the nurse educator concentration graduated in 2009.

Approval to initiate a RN Refresher Program was obtained in 2009 from the Louisiana State Board of Nursing.

With great pride, LSUHSC School of Nursing celebrated over 75 years of educating nurses with an Open House Reception on Friday March 19, 2010 and a 75th Anniversary Gala at Pat O’s on the River in New Orleans, March 20, 2010.

A proposal to offer the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree at LSUHSC SON was approved on October 21, 2011 by the LSU Board of Supervisors. The Louisiana Board of Regents approved the proposal on December 7, 2011. The first cohort of students were admitted to the post-masters Doctor of Nursing Practice in August 2012 and in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing to Doctor of Nursing Practice in May 2013. The first Doctor of Nursing Practice degree was conferred in December 2013. The concentrations within the Bachelor of Science in Nursing to Doctor of Nursing Practice include: Adult Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist, Executive Nurse Leader, Nurse Anesthesia, Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, Primary Care Family Nurse Practitioner and Public Health/Community Health Nursing. Master of Nursing degrees in these concentrations were phased out with the last Master of Nursing degrees awarded in May of 2016. The Council on Accreditation for Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs approved the post masters Doctor of Nursing Practice, Nurse Anesthesia concentration and the Bachelor of Science in Nursing to Doctor of Nursing Practice, Nurse Anesthesia concentration in 2012. Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education approved the Bachelor of Science in Nursing to Doctor of Nursing Practice degree in March 2015.

In 2011, The Louisiana Center for Promotion of Optimal Health Outcomes: A Joanna Briggs Institute Center of Excellence was established at LSUHSC SON as an affiliate Center of the Joanna Briggs Institute.

In the Spring 2011 semester the Nursing School conducted the inaugural DAISY Faculty Awards presentation. The DAISY in Training Award honoring student nurses was implemented and had inaugural presentations during spring 2015 semester.

In 2012, LSUHSC SON/LSU Healthcare Network opened nurse managed clinics at the Village de Jardin and Terraces on Tulane. Funding was provided by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Hospitals under grant number D11HP22193, Nurse Education Practice, Quality and Retention for $575,381.00. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government.

The Southern Nursing Research Society 26th Annual Conference was hosted by LSUHSC SON at the New Orleans Hilton in the spring of 2012. The Epsilon Nu Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Honor Society celebrated its 30-year Anniversary in 2012 at their Annual Induction Ceremony.

In 2012, the Student Nurses Association of LSUHSC SON was recognized as a Stellar School Chapter by the National Student Nurses Association. The SON was recognized in 2013 as the Nightingale School of the Year for Entry into Practice by the Louisiana State Nurses Association.

LSUHSC SON celebrated its 80th Anniversary November 2, 2013 at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans.

The LSUHSC SON/LSU Healthcare Network opened a nurse managed primary care clinic for employee health in 2014 at the LSUHSC downtown campus. Also in 2014, the LSUHSC Interprofessional Care Management Program was awarded one of six Association of American Medical Colleges 2013 Clinical Care Innovation Challenge Awards.

The Nursing Continuing Education Program was re-accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center on July 1, 2014 for four years.

The first cohort of the CPRIDE Faculty Mentorship Program was initiated in 2015 as was an academic undergraduate honors program entitled Mentoring Undergraduate Students for Excellence in Scholarship (MUSES).

The School of Nursing in partnership with the School of Dentistry opened the Dental Medical Primary Care Clinic on the campus of the School of Dentistry in 2015. An interprofessional collaborative practice model of care situates this clinic to provide for unique needs of the population.

The Alumni Association of LSUHSC SON hosted the First Annual Mudbug March to Stomp Out Pulmonary Hypertension in March of 2015.

LSUHSC SON was designated as a National League for Nursing Center of Excellence for 2015-2019 in recognition of sustained efforts to create environments that promote the pedagogical expertise of faculty. The School of Nursing received two other recognitions in 2015, Whole Child Champion Award presented by the Childhood and Family Learning Foundation and second recognition as Nursing School of the Year for Entry into Practice by the Louisiana State Nurses Association.

In the fall of 2015 a new Master of Science in Nursing concentration, Clinical Nurse Leader was approved by the SON and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs at LSUHSC. Louisiana State Board of Nursing approval was obtained on December 4, 2015.

The Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner concentrations in the Doctor of Nursing Practice program were developed in response to perceived need by the community of interest. The curricula were approved by the SON and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs at LSUHSC in April of 2016 and by Louisiana State Board of Nursing on June 16, 2016. The first cohort of students were admitted in fall of 2016.

The SON was recognized in 2016 as the Nightingale School of the Year for Graduate Degree Programs by the Louisiana State Nurses Association.

School of Nursing Core Values were revised from “caring, professionalism, respect, integrity, diversity, and excellence” to “stewardship, organizational citizenship, nursing innovation, caring, professionalism, respect, integrity, diversity, and excellence.”

A SafeZone for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Ally training program was initiated in 2016. An all-gender restroom in the SON was dedicated in 2017.

LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing won top honors as 2017 Nursing School of the Year, Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program at the Louisiana State Nurses Association and the Louisiana Nurses Foundation 17th Annual Nightingale Awards gala in March 2017.

The Simulation Center of the Nursing Skills and Technology Center at LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing received 5-year accreditation in Teaching/Education on April 25, 2017 from the Society for Simulation in Healthcare.

In 2017, the SON and University Medical Center initiated a Nursing Research and Evidence Based Practice Council.

Faculty and staff enrollment in the Tiger Tracks for Wellness program began on May 21, 2017. The program was awarded the Working Well in Louisiana Worksite Wellness Recognition of Excellence 2017 award from the Louisiana Business Group on Health, as an outstanding employer in the small employer category.

The Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner concentration in the Doctor of Nursing Practice program was developed and the curriculum approved by the SON, Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs at LSUHSC in April of 2017 and by Louisiana State Board of Nursing on June 8, 2017. The first cohort of students were admitted in fall of 2017.

The SON received the 2017 Stellar School Award from the National Student Nurses Association.

The first group of nursing students and faculty participated in 2017 in the annual medical humanitarian project Healing Peru and spent two weeks providing medical care and service to the residents of Peru.

The Pediatric Nurse Practitioner - Acute Care and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner - Primary Care concentrations in the Doctor of Nursing Practice program were developed in response to requests by the community of interest. The curricula were approved by the SON and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs at LSUHSC on October 12, 2017 and by Louisiana State Board of Nursing on December 14, 2017. The first cohort of students were admitted in summer of 2018.

In March 2018, the Early Admission Registered Nurse (EARN) program began which includes a partnership with Delgado Community College, Charity School of Nursing and LSUHSC School of Nursing where Delgado nursing students can apply and begin the LSUHSC SON RNBSN program before graduating with their ASN degree. Upon graduation from Delgado Charity, students can complete their BSN at LSUHSC SON in two semesters.

The Diversity and Inclusivity Advisory Task Force was initiated in July 2018.

The School of Nursing launched an inaugural magazine, LSU Nursing, in 2018.

The inaugural class of the LSU Health New Orleans Hall of Fame and Outstanding Alumni honored at the 85^th Anniversary Gala, November 2018.  Celebration of the SONs 85th Anniversary spanned three days, Friday November 16, 2018 was a wine and cheese event with tour of the SON; Saturday the 17th was the Gala Celebration at Harrah’s Hotel and Casino Resort followed by a brunch on Sunday in Harrah’s Vieux Carre Ballroom.

The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) conducted an on-site evaluation visit October 22-24, 2018.

In October 2018, the School of Nursing hosted a Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) at the University of Adelaide in South Australia Evidence-Based Clinical Fellows Program Train-the-Trainer event.

The SON was awarded $36,423 from the Louisiana Board of Regents to create mobile applications for the Cornerstone of Cultural Competency During the Disaster Cycle Program.

The SON was awarded $56,973 in stipend support for the Nurse Anesthetist Traineeship program.

The inaugural Black Historical Nurses Newsletter initiated February 2019. 

LSUHNO School of Nursing was named a National League for Nursing Center of Excellence once again in 2019. The four-year designation is for “Creating Environments That Promote the Pedagogical Expertise of Faculty” Center of Excellence.

LSU Health Foundation Awards the School of Nursing with a $5,000.00 gift in recognition of its recent top national rankings and continued designation as an NLN Center of Excellence.

LSUHNO SON received maximum accreditation from CCNE of 10 years, 2019 to 2029.

The SON launched an Evidence-Based Practice and Research Council with Children’s Hospital New Orleans in 2019.

The LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing has received a $1.3 million, three-year grant from the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration to train and certify registered nurses as sexual assault nurse examiners (SANEs) and increase access to specialists for local sexual assault victims.

The LGBT+ Advocacy Program was developed to lead the way to ensure nurses and community members are educated to increase positive attitudes toward the LGBT + community and ultimately to help improve patient outcomes.

The School of Nursing hosted a Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) at the University of Adelaide in South Australia Evidence-Based Clinical Fellows Training Program for nurses at Children’s Hospital New Orleans and University Medical Center.

The American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation reaccredited LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) program in 2019 for four-year reaccreditation.

Nursing students participated at the annual health fair for state legislators and staff and received a commendation from the Louisiana Senate for “dedication in educating and inspiring the next generation of Nursing healthcare leaders in Louisiana” and “outstanding work in advancing healthcare practices and nursing education.”

On April 4, 2019, LSBN approved three proposals submitted by the SON: (1) DNP Advanced Specialty elective courses in Advanced Emergency Nursing, Advanced Oncology Nursing and Advanced Nephrology Nursing; (2) five BSN to DNP Dual concentrations: Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) and Adult Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (AGCNS), AGACNP and Primary Care Family Nurse Practitioner (PCFNP), PCFNP and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), Pediatric Nurse Practitioner-Acute Care (PNP-AC) and AGACNP, and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner-Primary Care (PNP-PC) and PNP-AC; and (3) six PM-DNP curricula to add a New APRN role and population to current APRN certification in these concentrations: Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP), AGACNP, PCFNP, PMHNP, PNP-AC, and PNP-PC.

In the summer of 2020, the School of Nursing became a member of the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) an international community of educational institutions, professionals, and students who are passionate about advancing honors education as exemplified by our undergraduate honors program, Mentoring Undergraduate Students for Excellence in Scholarship (MUSES).

March of 2020, the SON classes converted to remote learning environment during the COVID pandemic. An Academic Practice Partnership Charter was signed with Louisiana Children’s Medical Group in May 2020. In October 2020, the Inaugural Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion position was developed.

As a response to the COVID-19 pandemic in January 2021, the SON partnered with the LSU Health Care Network to administer COVID-19 vaccinations as a closed POD to the Health Sciences Center faculty, staff, and students. The closed POD eventually developed into an open POD administering COVID vaccinations to the community. The Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) program was launched in collaboration with the School of Graduate Studies in February 2021. Also, in the same month, the inaugural Diversity, Equity and Inclusion  student group recognized as formal student organization. March of 2021, the School of Nursing community lost Dean Emerita Dr. Elizabeth Humphrey. The School of Nursing faculty, staff, and students honored Dr. Humphrey’s legacy through a resolution identifying her contributions to nursing in Louisiana and the School of Nursing. After conducting a national search, in July 2021, Dr. Kendra Barrier was appointed the inaugural Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The Louisiana State Board of Nursing approved the Doctor of Nursing Practice Certified Nurse Midwife program.

The Student Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity (DEI) organization became a recognized organization in Fall 2020.

In the latter part of 2021 and early 2022, the School of Nursing partners with LSU Health Sciences Center - Shreveport to begin the planning of an Off Campus Instructional Site in Shreveport. The American College of Nurse Midwives conducted a virtual Pre-accreditation visit for the Doctor of Nursing Practice Certified Nurse Midwife concentration, in March 2022. In April 2022, the National Association of Student Nurses recognized the School of Nursing as a Stellar Nursing School.

The Student Veterans of America organization became a recognized organization in Fall 2022.

The Nurse-Midwifery Program was granted preaccreditation to July 31, 2025 by the Accreditation Commissionfor Midwifery Education.

The last Doctor of Nursing Science degree was conferred on May 18, 2023.

The second class of the LSU Health New Orleans School of Nursing Hall of Fame and outstanding alumni were honored at the 90th anniversary gala in November 2023. Celebration of the SON’s 90th anniversary spanned three days. Friday, November 17, 2023, was a wine and cheese event with a tour of the SON. Saturday, November 18th was the gala celebration at the New Orleans Marriott Warehouse Arts District Hotel followed by a brunch on Sunday, November 19th. 

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) conducted an on-site evaluation visit at the Off-Campus Instructional Site (OCIS) in Shreveport on February 6 and 7, 2024.

The Clinical Nurse Educator (CNE) Academy, a professional development program designed to prepare practicing registered nurses, was launcehd in February 2024 and serves nurses from Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico.