Completed applications due by Feb. 21

It’s a profession that has always been important and in demand. Since the COVID pandemic began in early 2020, nursing has become even more crucial and needed. Those interested in the field have an opportunity to apply for Fall 2022 admission to Grambling State University’s School of Nursing undergraduate program. Due by Feb 21, a completed application must be submitted to nursingapps@gram.edu no later than 5 p.m. (CST). The application for admission to the School of Nursing can be downloaded from link.gram.edu/bsn.

“There has always been a shortage of nurses — it’s hard to imagine there ever being enough,” said Dr. Meg Brown, associate dean for the School of Nursing at GSU. “I’ve been in the profession a long time and there has always been a need for more nurses.”

Admission to GSU’s Nursing program is contingent upon clearance by the Louisiana State Board of Nursing (LSBN) and satisfactory results of a drug screen. Information on both reports will be provided upon acceptance. The LSBN requires all applicants to complete an application for approval to enroll in a clinical nursing course and authorization for a criminal background check.

Admission into the nursing program is not automatic. The Department of Nursing has the discretion to deny acceptance based on information contained in either of these two reports. Applicants who have been charged with, pled guilty, or nolo contendere to, convicted of or committed a criminal offense that involves a crime of violence or distribution of drugs may be denied the right to practice nursing as a student in Louisiana.

Applicants who are not currently enrolled at Grambling State University must first apply and be accepted to the university. Apply to Grambling State University through the Office of Admissions link at iam.gram.edu. Subsequently, applicants must select pre-nursing as their major.

“There are many, many opportunities in the nursing field,” Brown said. “And there are so many paths a nursing degree can take a graduate in at the baccalaureate level. And one of the best things about nursing is it’s a profession that will never go away. Sometimes you see a profession kind of fade away as times change. That’s never going to happen in nursing. That need is always going to be there.”

The application for admission to the School of Nursing should be completed accurately and submitted to nursingapps@gram.edu. Interested applicants must provide a first and second date of preference when signing up for the ATI TEAS exam for attempt one and attempt two. Applicants will sign up for ATI TEAS dates through their academic advisors. Applications sent through U.S. mail will not be accepted.

GSU’s School of Nursing will be accepting unofficial transcripts with the nursing application. It is the applicant’s responsibility to have all transcripts, from all colleges/universities attended, forwarded to GSUSON in a timely manner.

If applicants are awaiting grades from additional institutions, they will be able to submit unofficial transcripts to the GSU School of Nursing by May 9. An official transcript from any additional institutions will still need to be submitted to the Office of Admissions and GSU’s School of Nursing.

Brown said that it does take a special type of person to become a nurse.

“What we find is that we sometimes get students who don’t really have a good idea of the profession and what it takes to become a good nurse,” Brown said. “Those kinds of students have a ‘glamorized’ idea of the profession. When they get to nursing school, we can often tell those kinds of students don’t understand what it really takes. They might be the kind of student that can excel in studies for any profession they want to try. But nursing takes more than that.”

And that “more” involves mindset as much as anything.

“Becoming a successful nurse, and thereby, nursing student, takes a certain kind of temperament. The students we’re looking for want to take care of people regardless of who and what they are. We have to take care of everyone whether we agree with their beliefs and values or not,” said Brown. “And that’s a skill you can teach only to a certain degree. Becoming a good and successful nurse takes a caring, nurturing, and understanding temperament.”

Requirements for admission to GSU’s School of Nursing include: completion of all required pre-nursing courses by the end of the semester of application; a grade of “C” or higher and an overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.8 in pre-nursing courses; completion of the ATI TEAS exam and score a 64% or higher on either the first or second attempt; a grade of “C” or higher and a GPA of 2.8 in all science courses: Chemistry 105, Chemistry 107, Biology 207, Biology 207L, Biology 208, Biology 208L, Microbiology 304, Applied Nursing Pathophysiology 225; and a minimum ACT score of 21 or SAT score of 1060 – 1090.

Applicants must submit official ACT/SAT scores to Grambling State University’s Office of Admission and the School of Nursing. The last ACT test date to qualify for fall admission is April 2, 2022. The last SAT test date to qualify for fall admission is March 12, 2022.

For applicants that are deemed eligible for entrance into the fall 2022 nursing cohort, a face-to-face interview will be conducted by the GSUSON admissions committee. Applicants will be provided the date, time, and place for when the interview will take place prior to the application review process by the GSUSON admission committee.

Applicants who have been previously enrolled in or are transferring from another professional school of nursing must secure a letter of good standing from the Dean/Chairperson or Director of that nursing school to be considered for acceptance. Transfer applicants must meet all admission requirements. The letter must be mailed to:

Grambling State University
School of Nursing BSN Program
P. O. Box 4272
Grambling, LA 71245

Applicants will receive notification letters through email of their admission status by May 31, 2022. The application for admission to GSU’s School of Nursing can be downloaded from link.gram.edu/bsn.

Graduation from Grambling State University’s BSN program provides eligibility for students seeking licensure through the LSBN as a registered nurse (RN).
For more information, email nursingapps@gram.edu.