Dean's Welcome
Welcome to Louisiana State University
Health Sciences Center School of Nursing!
On behalf of our faculty, staff, administration,
and students, I would like to welcome
you to the only nursing school in Louisiana
within an academic health sciences center.
We are currently experiencing some of
the most exciting but yet challenging
times of being a nurse. Our School of
Nursing is actively contributing to the
developing and rebuilding of our communities
and health care systems in New Orleans
and surrounding communities. We are engaging
in academic-practice partnerships with
our clinical affiliations to ensure an
adequate nursing workforce and to bridge
the chasm between nursing education and
nursing practice. We also are faced with
some of the most challenging conditions
in our nursing profession – a severe nursing
practice and nursing faculty workforce
shortage, advancing technology, an aging
population, expanding population diversity,
and the need to practice within a global
context.
Being within an academic health sciences
center, our School of Nursing mission
differentiates us among other nursing
schools within Louisiana. Our vision at
LSUHSC School of Nursing is to achieve
national eminence as a leader of excellence
in nursing education, research, practice,
service, and community outreach. This
vision will be achieved through our mission.
Our mission focuses on our faculty, staff,
and students’ engagement in nursing education,
research, practice, service, and community
outreach. LSUHSC School of Nursing is
the only nursing school in Louisiana that
offers academic programs to award Bachelor
of Science in Nursing, Master of Nursing,
and Doctor of Nursing Science degrees.
Our Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
programs offer three opportunities to
earn a BSN: the traditional/generic program;
Career Alternative Registered Nurse Education
(CARE) program for students with a previous
bachelors or higher degree, and RN to
BSN program. Students pursing a Master
of Nursing degree have the opportunity
to specialize in multiple advanced practice
nursing specialties such as clinical nurse
specialist (adult, mental/psychiatric,
community/public health), nurse practitioner
(neonatal and family), nurse anesthetist,
and nursing administrator. LSUHSC School
of Nursing is the first to offer doctoral
education in nursing within our state.
Our Doctor of Nursing Science program
prepares nurse scientists, scholars, and
educators. Our faculty actively engages
in the scholarship of teaching within
our academic programs to offer a challenging
and supportive learning environment to
prepare the next generation of nurses
and leaders.
Nursing faculty and students have the
opportunity to engage in clinical nursing
education within various clinical settings
through our numerous clinical affiliations.
Nursing students and faculty engage in
the scholarship of application in acute
care and community based settings. Our
faculty remains current in clinical nursing
practice through faculty practice arrangements
with health care agencies. In addition,
nursing faculty assume leadership roles
in our clinical affiliation agencies by
serving on various committees, providing
consultation services, and engaging in
research activities.
LSUHSC School of Nursing’s Office of
Nursing Research and Evaluation serves
as the heart of our scholarship and research
activities. This office assists faculty
and students with the advancement of nursing
science through the scholarship of discovery.
Faculty and students at LSUHSC School
of Nursing are actively engaged in either
the development, dissemination or utilization
of nursing science, depending on their
academic program of study. Graduate students
have the opportunity to collaborate with
nursing faculty as graduate assistants
through the Office of Nursing Research
and Evaluation. In collaboration with
the School of Nursing Evaluation Committee,
the Office of Nursing Research and Evaluation
engages in evaluation activities to meet
our accreditation and program approval
standards as required by the Commission
on Collegiate Nursing Education, Council
on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Programs,
and the Louisiana State Board of Nursing.
Nursing faculty maintains key leadership
positions within nursing and community
based organizations at the local, state,
and national level. Our student body maintains
an active student life by participating
in various organizations on campus such
as the student government association,
student nurses association, Nurses Christian
Fellowship, or American Assembly for Men
in Nursing. In addition, our students
not only assume active leadership roles
in these on-campus organizations, but
assume leadership positions as class officers,
on nursing school committees, and Louisiana
Association of Student Nurses. LSUHSC
School of Nursing is honored to have a
local chapter of the only international
nursing honor society, Epsilon Nu, a Chapter
of Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing
Honor Society.
As a participant in life long learning
processes, we offer numerous continuing
nursing education programs on specialized
topics such as critical care, legal nurse
consultant, and others. In addition, we
offer a state of the art human simulation
learning experience for our students and
practicing nurses.
Our nursing school has the distinction
of having an alumni that represent our
historical roots in four various levels
of nursing education: associate, baccalaureate,
masters, and doctoral. The LSUHSC School
of Nursing Alumni Association keeps our
alumni actively associated with and supporting
our nursing school’s mission and strategic
initiatives.
We offer a distinguished history and
reputation of excellence with pride. We
are committed to your success. Here you
will have the opportunity to excel in
an interdisciplinary academic health sciences
center environment using advanced learning
systems and simulation, and engage in
a lifestyle of continual learning among
nurse educators, scholars, researchers,
and leaders. Our academic health sciences
environment promotes our ability to engage
in the scholarship of integration. Our
expert and dedicated faculty will help
you to become a caring nurse and leader.
Sincerely,
Demetrius J. Porche, DNS, APRN
Dean and Professor
Contact Information
LSUHSC School of Nursing
Office of the Dean
1900 Gravier Street, 4th Floor
New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone: 504-568-4106
Fax: 504-599-0573
Dean's Curriculum Vitae
