SHREVEPORT – “Nursing school is many things, but easy ain’t one of them.”
Licensed practical nurse graduate Queniya Ali represented LSUS’s 23 LPN graduates in Friday’s pinning ceremony, congratulating them for “showing up” every day of their accelerated 12-month program.
“Nursing school challenges you mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, and let’s not forget financially,” Ali said. “Some of you work two and three jobs and drive long distances just to be in class, dealing with your own challenges.
“But every single day, we chose to show up. Being a nurse means showing up when you’re tired, when you’re scared, when you’re overwhelmed, when your life behind the scrubs may be in shambles. You choose to show up for patients, your family, and for those who depend on you.”
Ali represented the cohort as its student speaker for one of LSUS’s larger classes in recent years.
LSUS Chancellor Dr. Robert Smith thanked the graduates for choosing a profession that Shreveport-Bossier and the nation desperately needs.
“You all deserve an awful lot of credit for seeking out a healthcare,” said LSUS Chancellor Dr. Robert Smith. “This is a time in which the demand for healthcare has spiked dramatically at the same time in which the number of individuals working in nursing has decreased.
“COVID-19 hit our healthcare workforce hard, and then baby boomers are aging out of the workforce. We need to do the work you’ll be doing, and I want to thank you and congratulate you on this incredible accomplishment.”
The median age of registered nurses is 50 with one-third of the entire nursing workforce aged 55 years or older, according to the 2024 National Nursing Workforce Survey.
LSUS LPN graduates completed a combined 1,540 hours of theoretical and practical nursing condensed into a calendar year and passed the NCLEX-PN exam.
Specific awards were given for the highest achieving student on the theoretical portion (Mariah Frazier) and the clinical portion (Fabien Petterway).
Four graduates literally showed up every day, not missing a second of instruction over the course of the program’s 355 days.
Perfect attendance honors were earned by Morgan Rogers, Glenesia Robinson, Jordan Alexander and Raeonna Murray.
Other members of the graduating class included Ericka Bullock, Jakinsia Crew, Carmalisha Davenport, Lakendra Dozier, Shelby Gilcrease, Braidan Hamilton, Shydestiny Jenkins, Kewane Litton, Shardavious Lofton, Bridney Newton, Tarlondra Oglesby, Jayla Robinson, Whitney Smith, Monetra Taylor, Antonia Thomas and Richambranique Thomas.
Dr. Katherine Wickstrom, associate dean of the college of education and human development, performed the “Blessing of the Hands” ceremony while instructor Debbie Holloway led the group in reciting the Florence Nightingale Pledge.
Average hourly pay for LPNs in Shreveport is more than $24 per hour with top earners above $30 per hour.
LSUS LPN classes begin each January and August with the application process occurring a few months before the class start date.
Applicants interested in applying to LSUS’s program should visit https://www.lsus.edu/academics/undergraduate-programs/nursing-lpn-certification.
