The department of continuing education at McNeese State University has announced that it will offer a dual enrollment course for aspiring nurses this fall at the Lake Charles-Boston Academy of Learning. The introductory course will be available to high school students, according to Betty Anderson, director of continuing education.

The project will enable early college access to traditionally high-achieving students seeking dual enrollment opportunities. A maximum of 20 high school seniors who meet the admission criteria for the Part-Time Early Admissions Program at McNeese and who schedule the course through their high school counselors will receive three hours of college credit upon successful completion of NURS 101: Freshmen Foundations in Nursing.

“We believe that early contact with these students could facilitate their decision to choose nursing as their lifetime career,” Dr. Peggy Wolfe, dean of the college of nursing, said.

Becky Riley and Ann Warner, registered nurses and assistant professors at McNeese, made the initial proposal through the Promise of Nursing for Louisiana Nursing School Grant Program, an initiative designed to alleviate the nursing shortage in Louisiana.

According to a 2002 report by the Nursing Supply and Demand Commission, there is a “persistent and worsening” shortage of nursing personnel in the state. The report’s findings were focused on the need to recruit and retain nurses in the workplace, enhance established nursing education programs and train health care professionals.

“The college proposed the partnership with the Calcasieu Parish School System as a strategy to recruit and retain highly qualified students into nursing,” Riley said.

The objective of Nursing 101 is to prepare high school students for the study of nursing in a collegiate setting by easing transition from high school to college and by promoting academic rigor, Riley said. The course will introduce students to professional nursing, including an exploration of career options. Students will also learn basic nursing skills, such as CPR, vital signs, first aid and medical terminology.

According to Anderson, to participate in dual enrollment at McNeese, a student must:

• Be currently enrolled in the 11th or 12th grade at a public or private Louisiana high school.
• Be on track for completing the Regents/TOPS high school core.
• Have a cumulative 2.75 grade point average as calculated by the Department of Education.
• Have taken either the PLAN or ACT assessment with a composite score of at least 17, with a sub-score in English and math of 18. The scores must be on file at the high school.
• Be in good standing as defined by the high school.
• Have permission from the high school to participate.

Students who are interested in enrolling in Nursing 101 should see their high school counselors for complete information, Anderson said. For more information on dual enrollment opportunities at McNeese, contact Anderson at 337-475-5615.