Louisiana Christian University, CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini Announce Cabrini Scholars Program

Louisiana Christian University, CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini announce Cabrini Scholars program

By Dr. Elizabeth Christian

July 16, 2020

PINEVILLE, La. (LCUNews)– CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini Hospital and Louisiana Christian University have partnered to establish the Cabrini Scholars program to provide economic support for nursing students.

LCU President Dr. Rick Brewer and CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini Hospital CEO, Chris Karam announced Thursday the Cabrini Scholars program, which will provide grant money to eligible students enrolled in the college’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program.

“Our missions are similar,” he said of the college and the hospital, both built on Christian faith and principles. “Cabrini spends a lot of time and money recruiting and training qualified health-care personnel, and this is a way we can help them know they will have well-trained, well-educated nurses.”

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 Hospital, and a $10,000 grant award requires a 36-month commitment. All details of the program are available on the grant application.

“We know the financial burdens of advanced specialty fields like nursing can sometimes be overwhelming for students, especially in light of the national pandemic we are experiencing, said Chris Karam,” CEO of CHRISTUS St. Frances Cabrini Hospital. “That’s why we are privileged to partner with Louisiana Christian University 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.”

Applications for the Cabrini Scholars program are available on the Louisiana Christian University website.

“The ABSN curriculum is an innovative track leading to the BSN degree,” said Dr. Marilyn Cooksey, LCU Dean of Nursing. “The track is for individuals who 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 Louisiana Christian University, who took the licensure exam in 2020 had a 100% 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 the summer term before admission to upper-level nursing courses.

Application Instructions: 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 the beginning of the upcoming semester for review by St. Frances Cabrini Hospital.

Click here to complete the application, Cabrini Scholars Application.