By LCNews Staff
PINEVILLE, La. (LCNews) – CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini Hospital and Louisiana College have partnered to establish the Cabrini Scholars program to provide economic support for nursing students.
LC President Rick Brewer and CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini Hospital CEO, Chris Karam announced July 20 that the Cabrini Scholars program will provide grant money to eligible students enrolled in the college’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program.
“Unprecedented times forced upon us by the COVID-19 pandemic has shown the significant need for nurses,” Brewer said. “And not just for any nurses, but those who possess a skillset borne out of tenacity and discipline—the essence of LC’s ABSN program— and for adult students seeking a second degree and a new career.”
Brewer said the missions of Louisiana College and CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini are similar. Both are built on the foundation of applying the Heart of Christ to the hurting of humanity.
“We know the financial burdens of advanced specialty fields like nursing can sometime be overwhelming for students, especially in light of the national pandemic we are experiencing,” said Karam. “That’s why we are privileged to partner with Louisiana College to further strengthen our healthcare workforce through a Christ-centered approach to healing. We hope these scholarships will be a launching pad for successful careers, positioning these students to give back to the Central Louisiana community that has embraced their journey.”
To be eligible to apply, students much have successfully completed at least one semester of their ABSN program. Grants will be provided in units of $5,000, and students may be awarded grants up to two times.
For a grant of $5,000, a student makes a 24-month commitment of full-time employment as a registered nurse at CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini, and a $10,000 grant award requires a 36-month commitment. All details of the program are available on the grant application.
Brewer said the Cabrini Scholars benefits the students, the hospital and the college.
“It’s a win, win, win! It helps these worthy future nurses with a pathway to affordability and a promised job. It benefits LC’s nursing program, and it benefits Cabrini by having nurses begin their careers with a two to three year guarantee of employment.”
Karam said he would hope that many of the nurses would choose to stay on and make their careers with CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini.
“The ABSN curriculum is an innovative track leading to the BSN degree,” said LC Dean of Nursing Marilyn Cooksey. “The track is for individuals who already have a bachelor’s degree in another field. Many applicants are looking for a second career or to complete a life-long desire to become a nurse.
Cooksey said credit is given for previous college/university courses, but there are pre-requisites that must be completed to provide the foundation for success in the nursing program. The December 2019 ABSN graduates from LC, who took the licensure exam in 2020 had a 100 percent pass rate.
ABSN students must have a bachelor’s degree and completed the following course with a grade of “C” or better: General or Introduction to Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Elementary Statistics, a three-hour chemistry course, anatomy and physiology I and II with labs, microbiology with lab, RL 102- Survey of the New Testament, and NU 212- Introduction to Nursing Concepts. The last two courses are taken during the summer term before admission to upper level nursing courses.
Applications for the Cabrini Scholars program are available on the Louisiana College website. The completed application form and a current resume should be submitted to: CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini Hospital; ATTN: NURSING ADMINISTRATION, 3330 Masonic Drive, Alexandria, LA 71301. Application packets should be received 30-days prior to beginning of upcoming semester for review by St. Frances Cabrini Hospital.
