The last 90 years have been defined by incredible advancements in public health and medical care, and the nursing profession looks entirely different than it did in the early 20th century. Though nurses remain steadfast in their mission to provide the best possible patient care, they also have more opportunities to lead, specialize in their practice, conduct impactful research and educate others than ever before.
To support nurses in their ever-evolving roles, the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Nursing has come a long way from our beginnings. Every step has been foundational in our mission to provide leadership and excellence in nursing education, practice, research and public service. Here’s a glimpse at our journey over the last 90 years.
The 1930s: A Nursing School Is Born
This decade features a boost in public health campaigns, development of the first polio vaccine, and the introduction of new anesthetics to advance surgical care and sulfa drugs to treat various bacterial diseases. Higher education requirements are established for nursing programs, with formal education beginning in the LSU System in 1929 on the Baton Rouge campus. Three years later, nursing courses are taught at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, and by 1933, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Education program for registered nurses earns approval, with five nursing courses offered at Charity Hospital – laying the foundation for what will become our School of Nursing. In 1935, the first Bachelor of Science in Nursing Education degree is awarded. In 1937, the five-year program is instituted, and the Department of Nursing transferred to the School of Medicine in New Orleans, making it the only nursing school in New Orleans that is part of a medical center.
The 1940s: Making Strides in Nursing Education and Patient Care
During the 1940s, penicillin – a game-changer in treating bacterial disease – is made available to the public. The nation is dealing with World War II and polio epidemics but is also making significant strides in cancer research and drug and vaccine development. Nurses rally for higher education, improved nursing standards and increased pay. Sister Henrietta Guyot, head of the school, is ahead of her time, promoting patient-centered care through leadership and research to improve nursing service. She works to distinguish nursing education from nursing service. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing Education program now includes 29 courses in nursing education; three courses in English and psychology; two courses in chemistry, education and sociology; and one course each in bacteriology, history, mathematics and speech.
The 1950s: Medical Marvels and New Nursing Accreditations
An effective polio vaccine is released, dramatically reducing the disease’s threat to public health. Advanced surgical procedures are now saving the lives of patients with heart disease, a variety of new medications are developed, and cancer patients have more treatment options. The National Division of Nursing, the American Nurses Association (ANA) and the National Student Nurses Association are created. By 1955, the Louisiana State Board of Nurse Examiners grants the School of Nursing initial accreditation for the Program in Basic Nursing, and two new BSN curricula for RNs are initiated. The school earns membership in the National League for Nursing and, in 1959, the school’s nursing education programs are granted full approval.
The 1960s: Continuing Growth Amid Social Strife
Major transplant advances, health warnings on cigarettes and the introduction of oral contraceptives are just some of the medical milestones achieved during this decade. The politically, economically and socially turbulent ’60s also mark significant changes for nursing. During this decade, the ANA first promotes the baccalaureate program as the foundation for professional nursing education. Federal funding for nursing education allows colleges and universities to grow and, once viable, to train clinical specialists, faculty and researchers. The School of Nursing is on the move, with space and program growth, earning national accreditation by the National League for Nursing, relocating to renovated World War II Navy barracks on Florida Avenue and, ultimately, gaining status as a separate and autonomous School of Nursing of the Medical Center.
The 1970s: New Degrees and Advanced Practice Prospects
With national promotion of primary health care in the 1970s, the roles of nurse practitioner and physician assistant become more significant. Degree programs expand at the School of Nursing. The first Master of Nursing and Associate of Science in Nursing degrees are conferred, the Continuing Education Program begins and the Master of Nursing degree receives accreditation by the National League for Nursing. In 1978, the School of Nursing moves to its new home at 420 South Prieur Street in New Orleans.
The 1980s: A New Public Health Crisis, a Permanent Home and Doctoral Degrees
The World Health Organization formally announces the worldwide elimination of smallpox just before HIV/AIDS emerges as an international health crisis. Nurses play a critical role in caring for patients affected by this devastating disease. Meanwhile, the National League for Nursing publishes its first set of standards for accreditation for professional nursing education, and the American Academy of Nursing establishes the Magnet Hospital Program to recognize hospitals that excel in recruiting and retaining nurses. At the School of Nursing, big changes are happening, including:
- Continuing Education Program accreditation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center
- Completion of Multimedia Center renovations
- Charter of the Epsilon Nu chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society
- Relocation (along with the School of Allied Health Professions) to 1900 Gravier Street, where the third floor of the building connects to the Medical Education Building
- Approval of the Doctor of Nursing Science degree by the State of Louisiana Board of Regents, and enrollment of the first DNS students
- Conferral of the first DNS degree
The 1990s: A Focus on Advanced Practice and Specialized Degrees
In the 1990s, more primary care practices realize the important role nurse practitioners play in providing patient care and promoting positive outcomes. Responding to increased demand, the School of Nursing introduces the Neonatal Nurse Practitioner and the Primary Care Family Nurse Practitioner concentrations within the Master of Nursing program. The school and its Master of Nursing degree program are accredited by the Council on Collegiate Nursing Education and the school reorganizes into three departments: Adult Nursing, Family Nursing and Mental/Community Health Nursing. As the century closes, National Nurses Week (May 6-12) is established and the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission is formed. At the School of Nursing, several faculty positions are established, including the St. Charles General Hospital Auxiliary Endowed Professorship in Nursing, the James B. and Helen Dunn Professorship in Nursing, and the P.K. Scheerle RN Professorship.
The 2000s: Resilience, Research and Pioneering Programs
By the turn of the new century, preventive care becomes a primary focus, and hospice and palliative care become more widely used, improving patients’ quality of life, comfort and mental health in the face of serious or terminal illness. Genetic and stem cell research ramp up, public health campaigns reduce smoking rates, targeted cancer therapies and combination HIV drugs improve patient survival, and heart disease deaths drop thanks to prevention efforts and advanced treatments. New programs and teaching innovations define the decade for the School of Nursing, even with the significant disruption caused by the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Highlights include:
- Approval of the Master of Nursing with a specialization in Nurse Anesthesia – and the program’s first graduates
- Establishment of the Tenet Health System/Jo Ellen Smith BSN Endowed Chair for Nursing Research
- Graduate and undergraduate classes returning to New Orleans in 2006 and 2007
- Establishment of the Tucker H. Couvillon III Professorship for Nursing Research in Parkinson’s disease
- Approval and commencement of the Master of Science in Nursing degree with a Nurse Educator concentration
- Approval of an RN Refresher Program
The 2010s: Increasing Our Reach in Innovative Research and Practice, Inclusion and Leadership
Health care reform is a national focus during this decade, as is a greater consideration of the roles that social determinants of health and compassionate care play in patient outcomes. At the School of Nursing, analysis of curriculum and educational pedagogies is underway, and the school experiences unprecedented growth and change in a little over one decade.
Program and degree highlights include:
- Approval of proposed Doctor of Nursing Practice degree and first students’ enrollment
- Approval of Doctor of Nursing Practice, Nurse Anesthesia concentration, and the Bachelor of Science in Nursing to Doctor of Nursing Practice, Nurse Anesthesia concentration
- Conferral of first Doctor of Nursing Practice degree
- Approval of Master of Science in Nursing, Clinical Nurse Leader concentration
- Approval of and first student enrollment in Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner concentrations in the Doctor of Nursing Practice program
- Approval of and first enrollment in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner concentration in the Doctor of Nursing Practice
- Approval of and first student enrollment in Pediatric Nurse Practitioner-Acute Care and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner-Primary Care concentrations in the Doctor of Nursing Practice program
- Inauguration of Early Admission Registered Nurse (EARN) program in partnership with Delgado Community College, Charity School of Nursing
- Reaccreditation of Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) program
- Approval of course proposals for advanced emergency nursing, advanced oncology nursing, advanced nephrology nursing and nurse practitioner concentrations
Establishment of clinics to serve the community include:
- Opening of nurse-managed clinics at the Village de Jardin and Terraces on Tulane
- Opening of nurse-managed primary care clinic for employee health at the LSUHSC downtown campus
- Dental Medical Primary Care Clinic opens in collaboration with the School of Dentistry
Recognitions and celebrations include:
- Recognition of the school’s Student Nurses Association as a Stellar School Chapter by the National Student Nurses Association
- Recognition as the Nightingale School of the Year for Entry into Practice by the Louisiana State Nurses Association
- Designation as a National League for Nursing Center of Excellence and Nursing School of the Year for Entry into Practice, as well as Whole Child Champion Award winner
- Celebration of 85th anniversary and inaugural class of the School of Nursing Hall of Fame
- Reception of National League for Nursing Center of Excellence status (2019)
- Reception of maximum accreditation terms from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (2019)
Research and technology highlights include:
- Establishment of the Louisiana Centre for Promotion of Optimal Health Outcomes: A Joanna Briggs Institute Centre of Excellence as an affiliate center of the Joanna Briggs Institute
- Accreditation of the Simulation Center of the Nursing Skills and Technology Center
- Initiation of Nursing Research and Evidence-Based Practice Council in collaboration with the University Medical Center
- Initiation of Evidence-Based Practice and Research Council with Children’s Hospital New Orleans
- Award of 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
Service and social highlights include:
- CPRIDE Faculty Mentorship Program and Mentoring Undergraduate Students for Excellence in Scholarship (MUSES) academic undergraduate honors program launch
- Alumni Association hosts the inaugural Mudbug March to Stomp Out Pulmonary Hypertension
- Initiation of Safe Zone for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Ally training program
- First group of students and faculty participate in the annual medical humanitarian project Healing Peru
- Initiation of Diversity and Inclusivity Advisory Task Force
- Initiation of LGBT+ Advocacy Program
The 2020s: Perseverance, Undeterred by a Pandemic
In a decade that will forever be defined by a global pandemic, the School of Nursing finds innovative ways to connect with students in the age of remote learning and meet community needs during the pandemic. The school provides volunteers for COVID-19 testing locations throughout the metropolitan area and works diligently to establish, implement and staff a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Health Sciences Center. Despite COVID, progress continues, demonstrated by the school’s:
- Joining of the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC)
- Signing of an Academic Practice Partnership Charter with Louisiana Children’s Medical Group
- Development and inauguration of the Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) position
- Initiation of the PhD in Nursing program
- Formal recognition of the DEI Student Association
- Achievement of ranking among the top 10 nursing schools in the nation in Nursing Schools Almanac
- Recognition for “Building a Culture of Belonging in Academic Nursing” by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing
- Launch of the Doctoral Nursing Student Organization
- Development and enrollment of first students in the Nurse-Midwifery concentration in the Doctor of Nursing Practice program
- Opening of off-campus instructional site at the LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, which offers the Career Alternative RN Education (CARE) program
- Launch of transition to competency-based education
- Official opening of the Nursing Skills and Technology Center at the Center for Advanced Learning and Simulation (CALS)
