Grambling State University Nursing School is headed by Betty Smith and assistant dean Hinsley. Smith has been dean for approximately 20 years.
The nursing school is divided in to two divisions, pre-nursing and the professional levels. In order to be accepted into the professional levels one must first earn 55 pre-nursing course credit (general education courses), apply for the professional levels which include filling out an application and maintaining a 2.75 gpa in math/science and a 2.75 in the general education courses separately.
After being accepted into the professional levels one must take a host of shots, buy uniforms and other nursing supplies such as stethoscope, blood pressure cuffs, scissors etc. which averages $150, participate in community service, and the most important start clinical.
The professional levels consist of five components. Level 1 Intro to professional nursing, level 2 Medical Surgical Nursing, level 3 Critical Care and Psych, level 4 Obstetrics and Pediatrics and Level 5 Community Care and Management.
Throughout a student’s nursing journey he/she may be sent to numerous locations for clinical. LSU-Shreveport, Richland Parish Hospital, Minden Medical Center, Jackson Parish Hospital, and St. Francis Hospital are a few of the places that the students do clinical at. Clinicals may began and end at any hour of the day. While in clinical one must put into action what has been taught in class. One must be able to give medications and know why they are giving them and what it will do and should not do to their patient, how to give bed baths, start IVs, give shots, hang fluids, assess their patient for normals and abnormals and develop a plan of care for that day for their particular patient. While in the hospital the students are responsible for the well being of their patient.
Sometimes patients are afraid to allow the students to "work" on them but there is a certain few that understand that we are in school and allow us to care for them.
Despite the late nights and early morning study groups, the amount of money that we spend on gas each week, the test questions that you just don’t understand, and the time that you miss spending with your friends and family it will all be worth it when we receive that diploma and be able to sign RN at the end of our name.