Nurse education, practice, quality and retention - workforce expansion program - the overarching purpose of this project is to increase the supply and distribution of the registered nurse (RN)…

The Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration Bureau of Health Professionals awarded Northwestern State University of Louisiana $714,599 on September 30, 2025, under the Nurse Education, Practice Quality and Retention Grants program (CFDA 93.359) to develop and implement an Allied Health to Associate of Science in Nursing (AH to ASN) concentration within its established ASN program.

The concentration targets students holding associate degrees in health-related fields and at least one year of clinical employment experience. Northwestern State will recruit, retain, and enroll 10 students per fall and spring semester, provide additional clinical learning experiences in acute and long-term care settings, and deliver hybrid instruction combining face-to-face and virtual classroom presentations with actual, virtual, and simulation laboratory practice. The program aims to graduate 80 percent of participants with an 80 percent pass rate on first attempt of the RN licensure examination. Clinical experiences will focus on rural and medically underserved areas of Louisiana to increase the supply and distribution of the registered nurse workforce in those regions.

The award period runs from September 30, 2025, through September 29, 2029, with place of performance in Louisiana. The Workforce Expansion Program component supports a four-year project period.

Nurse education, practice, quality and retention - workforce expansion program - the overarching purpose of this project is to increase the supply and distribution of the registered nurse (RN) workforce in louisiana. To accomplish this goal, a new concentration/program will be developed and implemented in the established associate of science in nursing (ASN) program entitled allied health to ASN (AH to ASN) concentration/program. Targeted students will include those who hold associate degrees in health-related fields. Emphasis will be placed on enrolling, retaining, and graduating a diverse group of prelicensure nursing students prepared to succeed on the registered nurse (RN) licensure examination and capable of providing competent nursing care for citizens that reside in rural and/or medically underserved areas (muas) of the state. The targeted student population will include those graduates who have earned an associate degree in health-related fields, have at least one year of employment experience within their respective clinical specialties, and who are seeking additional employment mobility, varied patient contact experiences and happiness as a registered nurse. The following measurable objectives will be utilized to operationalize the project: 1) develop and implement an new concentration in the ASN program entitled allied health to associate of science in nursing concentration, 2) recruit, retain and enroll a cohort of 10 students every fall and spring semester, 3) provide additional clinical learning experiences within acute and long-care settings for project students, and 4) graduate 80% of project students who achieve an 80% pass rate on first attempt of the RN licensure exam. Faculty members teaching within this hybrid program intend to utilize face-to-face and virtual classroom presentations; actual, virtual and simulation laboratory learning practice; and actual clinical experiences involving rural and underserved patients in acute and long-term care settings as instructional modalities. Students will be taught and supervised by master's prepared faculty and will benefit from numerous support services to foster their success. Clinical agencies in rural and underserved areas will be the beneficiaries of having students learn in and become accustomed to their agencies, thereby enhancing employment opportunities of graduates. Northwestern state university of louisiana (NSU) is a higher education institution serving approximately 15 of 64 parishes in louisiana, a largely rural and underserved health care area. NSU has been offering the associate degree in nursing since 1972; the program received initial accreditation from the accreditation commission for education in nursing (acen) in 1974 and has maintained continuous accreditation since that time. Louisiana, like most of the nation, is facing a nursing shortage. Acute and long-term care settings are experiencing great shortages, particularly in rural areas where many underserved citizens reside. This project funding will enable NSU to increase the supply of nurses with experience in rural areas and is expected to positively impact the citizens of louisiana who have the greatest health care needs. Consideration for funding under priority 2 is requested. (public entities)