Golden Anniversary
School of Nursing celebrates five decades of excellence in nursing education
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
When Southeastern's nursing program began 50 years ago, it was designed to meet the growing health care needs of the region. Today, that objective still holds true.
Five decades ago, the barebones program saw only three graduates in its inaugural class. Today, it has evolved into its own School of Nursing that offers bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees. Nearly 4,200 graduates have been educated through the program, preparing them with the knowledge and skills needed to be successful in their field while meeting local workforce demands.
In addition to traditional degree programs, the School of Nursing has grown to offer an accelerated option for students with a prior bachelor's degree, an LPN to RN program and RN to bachelor's degree options. It also features three 100-percent online programs: the Master of Science in Nursing, the post-MSN family nurse practitioner certificate and the Doctor of Nursing Practice.
Pictured here are the first graduates of Southeastern's nursing program.
In recent years, the School of Nursing has received numerous awards and accolades for excellence in nursing education. The department has been recognized with the Nightingale Award for Outstanding Nursing School of the Year three times in the last seven years and was cited by the Louisiana Nurses Foundation as the best program for advanced practice in nursing. The graduate program also was named one of the best programs in the country by www.mastersdegreeonline.org.
The School of Nursing will celebrate its golden anniversary with an upcoming gala featuring memorabilia of the history of the school, a brief program highlighting the history and major accomplishments over the years, silent auction and recognition of "50 for 50," a listing of distinguished nursing alumni from its undergraduate and graduate programs. Learn more about the 50th Anniversary Gala or purchase tickets.
