There小蝌蚪APP檚 no denying it. Earning a Master of Science in Nursing comes with logistical challenges.
Just ask Kelly Bankston. 
In May 2021, Bankston earned her MSN degree from the 小蝌蚪APP.
Like many graduate nursing students, Bankston juggled working, driving her 7-year-old and twin 12-year-old boys to games and practices along with completing coursework and clinical hours.
小蝌蚪APP淚 have a good husband who helped out a lot, and I was still able to do all this stuff with my kids,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淏ut there were many late nights, and my weekends were basically dedicated to schoolwork.小蝌蚪APP
Amidst that pressure, Bankston found some relief through the scholarships she received through the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 partnerships with donors passionate about supporting future family nurse practitioners.
Fostering Graduate Nursing Student Success
UL Lafayette's College of Nursing & Health Sciences began offering distance learning to MSN students in 1989, improving access for working nurses. Since then, the College has continued to remove logistical barriers for students while delivering a rigorous education.
That小蝌蚪APP檚 why the MSN program couples online coursework with in-person clinical experiences, making advancement more accessible for working registered nurses.
Another barrier for many who are interested in becoming advanced practice nurses is cost.
The 小蝌蚪APP has worked to address that barrier through two distinct efforts.
In 2020, MSN tuition was reduced to $480 per credit hour. Meanwhile, the college has steadily worked with other 小蝌蚪APP departments to secure scholarships for MSN students, according to Dr. Melinda Oberleitner, Dean for the College of Nursing & Health Sciences.
小蝌蚪APP淥ne of the funding priorities our College Development Officer, Nicole Jones, and I established was to increase scholarships for our graduate students, and we小蝌蚪APP檝e been extremely successful in securing donations to fund new scholarships targeted to those students,小蝌蚪APP says Dr. Oberleitner.
小蝌蚪APP淲e小蝌蚪APP檙e thankful to donors who recognize the need for and importance of providing financial support for students enrolled in our MSN program.小蝌蚪APP
Bankston was among the first graduate nursing students to benefit from the Dr. Philip Gachassin & Family Endowed Graduate Student Scholarship in Nursing.
The scholarship was one of three Bankston received, although, she says, scholarships for graduate nursing students are rare.
小蝌蚪APP淢ost of the scholarships I came across were for high school students going to college so I didn't figure there would be anything else out there,小蝌蚪APP says Bankston.
Then nursing faculty emailed students about the available scholarships and Bankston was able to apply.
The scholarships served as both rewards and incentives for Bankston.
小蝌蚪APP淚t helped to take some of the financial strain off of me,小蝌蚪APP Bankston says. 小蝌蚪APP淚t also motivated me 小蝌蚪APP it really did 小蝌蚪APP to do well because I wanted to do right by the donors.小蝌蚪APP
Supporting the Future
Dr. Philip Gachassin serves as the Medical Director of the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Department at Ocshner Lafayette General. In his 20 years of practice, Dr. Gachassin says a key factor in patient outcomes and his success as a surgeon is the quality of the nurses in the room.
小蝌蚪APP淚 could recognize the difference between a very, very high-quality nurse and a good nurse. My patients小蝌蚪APP care improved, and I became a better surgeon with the support of high-quality nurses. Over my years practicing in Lafayette, I recognized that the best nurses were all graduates of UL Lafayette.小蝌蚪APP
Although Dr. Gachassin had heard from his father 小蝌蚪APP a UL Lafayette alum 小蝌蚪APP that the 小蝌蚪APP小蝌蚪APP檚 nursing programs was among the top in the country, seeing was believing for Dr. Gachassin.
"I didn小蝌蚪APP檛 really think much about it, but after a while I realized the caliber of nurse the 小蝌蚪APP was producing was above the level of the average nurse that I小蝌蚪APP檇 dealt with in my career and personally,小蝌蚪APP says Dr. Gachassin. 小蝌蚪APP淎s I learned more about the College and their process of education, it made sense to me why they were so successful. I felt I had a duty to support the 小蝌蚪APP and any of the future nurses they would produce.小蝌蚪APP
In particular, Dr. Gachassin aimed to support future nurse practitioners. He attributes his ability to effectively expand his practice over the last 13 years to colleague and nurse practitioner Lauren Naquin, a UL Lafayette graduate.
小蝌蚪APP淎fter she started working with me, it didn小蝌蚪APP檛 take long to recognize she was very educated, very skilled, compassionate listener for the patients, and could synthesize the information provided to her from listening to the patient and in the physical exam. Her knowledge base was very wide and that allowed me to deliver care to more patients while maintaining a very high-quality standard.小蝌蚪APP
Creating Access
For years, Bankston thought her career path was pointed toward administration.
That changed when flooding around the Baton Rouge area in 2016 forced Bankston and her family from their home in Central to the more rural town of Clinton.
She says the lack of primary care providers quickly became apparent, and that sparked a new goal for Bankston.
小蝌蚪APP淚 knew I wanted to become a nurse practitioner, so I can help those that don't have easy access to health care, or help them navigate when they don小蝌蚪APP檛 have health insurance or have poor health insurance,小蝌蚪APP she says. 小蝌蚪APP淚 enjoy helping people.小蝌蚪APP
Bankston is positioned to do just that as she prepares for her certification exam and a place among UL Lafayette MSN - Family Nurse Practitioner alumni.
Scholarships available to Master of Science in Nursing students include:
- Dr. Philip Gachassin & Family Endowed Graduate Student Scholarship in Nursing
- Dr. Amelie A. Hollier/APEA Endowed Graduate Student Scholarship
- James D. Moncus/BORSF Endowed Superior Graduate Student Scholarship Nursing
- Allie & Patlola Foundation Endowed Graduate Student Scholarship in Nursing
- Jewel Parkerson Lowe Foundation Endowed Graduate Scholarship in Nursing