Front and Center
Nursing Profession Soars in Beaumont and Beyond
Staying on the pulse of the latest medical trends, Lamar University has a strong grip on the health care industry and educates the next pool of talented medical professionals not only in greater Beaumont, but also across the state and nation.
“We have a very diverse nursing program, as well as pre-professional programs like pre-med and pre-dental,” said Cynthia Stinson, Lamar University School of Nursing chair. “We are responsible for educating nursing students, who go on to work at not just hospitals but also community clinics and public health. Nurses work everywhere.”
Lamar University is one of the top schools in the nation, and they have the numbers to back it up. Students obtain the skills they need to excel in their classes and during clinicals, so when they take their qualifying exam to become a registered nurse, they are highly prepared. The state average for passing this exam in 2017 was 89 percent; the national average was 87 percent. Lamar University came in at 97 percent in May 2018. Even after the devastation of Hurricane Harvey in 2017, Lamar University boasted a 94 percent passing rate.
Lamar University School of Nursing has a nationally accredited undergraduate program (BSN) and graduate program (MSN). The undergraduate program provides pre-licensure BSN and online RN-BSN/RN-MSN tracks. The graduate program offers online leadership/management and education tracks.
“We have a very dynamic graduate degree,” Stinson said. “Careers in nursing are growing. Not only in Beaumont but the nation as a whole has a shortage of nurses.”
As long as people continue to get sick, there will be a need for highly skilled nurses and other medical professionals.
“Baby boomers are retiring, and in our area, places are always looking for nurses,” Stinson said. “If you want a job, you have one. Lamar University students are highly recruited.”
While there is a need for more nurses, the benefits are nice too. Nurses make a great salary, but this profession is more than just bringing home a rewarding wage.
“Salaries are good, but it is really important to be a people person,” Stinson said. “You have to be a caring person and be passionate.”
Lamar University also participates in numerous research studies. The JoAnne Gay Dishman School of Nursing Undergraduate Research delves into health literacy and HIV knowledge of young adults studying at Lamar University, effects of aromatherapy on anxiety levels in BSN students, exploring spirituality and spiritual care in nursing students and hospice nurses and expressive art and stress levels in cancer patients, just to name a few.