Southern University School of Nursing Named Best Nursing School by Nurse.org
This is a guest article written by Southern University School of Nursing (SUSON)
For 39 years, the Southern University School of Nursing (SUSON) has been a beacon of opportunity, shaping compassionate and skilled nurses who serve the communities they represent. As Dr. Sandra C. Brown, Dean of the College of Nursing and Allied Health, often says, “We provide healthcare to the underserved and overlooked. Serving the most vulnerable population is a calling.”
This unwavering commitment to service has earned SUSON national recognition, recently being named Best Nursing School by Nurse.org.
SUSON has consistently led in producing African American nurses in Louisiana and ranks among the top nationally. This recognition is a testament to our faculty, students, and alumni who consistently uphold a tradition of excellence.
Our strength is not in resources but in resilience. As Dr. Brown so powerfully states, "Excellence is not having much, but doing much with what we have."
History of Southern University School of Nursing
Southern University School of Nursing (SUSON), established in 1986, offers five (5) nursing degree programs:
- The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
- The 100% Online RN to BSN
- The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with a specialty in family health
- The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) with a focus on leadership
- The Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) with a focus on research
Housed in the College of Nursing and Allied Health, SUSON also produces graduates in:
- Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology
- Therapeutic Recreation and Leisure Studies
- Counselling, Rehabilitation, and Disability Studies
Cutting Edge Education Technology
The College houses an Office of Nursing Research, a state-of-the-art Simulation Center and Skills Lab, a Technology and Learning Resource Center, a Nurse Managed Family Health Care Clinic-Women’s Infant Clinic (WIC), and the Jag Mobile, a mobile health clinic on wheels.
The wheelchair-accessible mobile health clinic is fully equipped with two examination rooms designed to accommodate children, women, and adult populations. Each examination room is outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment to allow for telehealth visits. The overarching objective of the Jag Mobile is to provide access to culturally sensitive health promotion and disease prevention services to vulnerable, medically underserved populations.
Accomplishments & Accolades
To date, SUSON has produced over 2,800 BSN graduates and is nationally recognized as one of the largest producers of African American (AA) nurses in the United States (Diverse Issues in Higher Education, 2023). SUSON has produced 518 family nurse practitioners and 108 doctoral graduates (47 PhD and 61 DNP).
SUSON has a rich legacy of academic and scholastic achievements; moreover, our most recent national achievements are:
- The top 10% as Best Undergraduate Nursing Program for 2025 (U.S. News & World Report).
- Ranked in the Top 10 Best Nursing Schools in Louisiana by Nurse.org for 2024
- Ranked #5 in the Top 10 Best HBCU Nursing Programs for 2024 by Nurse.org.
- Top 10 Best Value Nursing Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Louisiana for 2023
- The 15 Best HBCU Nursing Programs for 2022 (Top RN to BSN)
The Men of SUSON and the Call for Representation
The Men of SUSON initiative underscores the critical need for diversity in nursing, particularly among African American men.
- Despite a national nursing workforce of over 4 million Registered Nurses (RNs), only 11% are African American
- Male nurses make up just 12% of the profession, with African American men comprising less than 1%
SUSON is actively dismantling these barriers, enrolling 38 African American male nursing students for the 2024-2025 academic year—the largest cohort of African American male nursing students nationwide. This milestone reflects SUSON’s commitment to fostering diversity and ensuring more African American men have opportunities to lead in healthcare.
Viral Video: Celebrating Men in Nursing
A viral video capturing this historic achievement reached over 40 million viewers, showcasing SUSON's efforts to change the face of healthcare. This milestone led to the Men of SUSON being featured at Super Bowl LIX’s Breakfast, further amplifying the need for minority representation in nursing.
The video garnered over 3.7 million views, 370,000 plus likes, nearly 15,000 comments, and 70,000 shares. Its success on social media led to several TV networks airing the story, amplifying its reach and impact even further:
- Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, and X and nursing-specific platforms such as Nurse.org, ANA Nursing World, Black Nurses Killing It, and Black Nurses Meet celebrated diversity in healthcare, fostering a sense of belonging and support.
- The Men of SUSON shared their journeys, challenges, and successes, engaging viewers with real-time insights and inspiration.
- By amplifying voices and stories that resonate with African American males, social media helps demystify the path to nursing and encourages more men to consider it as a rewarding career option.
- This digital outreach not only raises awareness but also breaks down stereotypes about men in nursing, particularly African American men, normalizing the profession for underrepresented groups.
One male student illustrated the impact of their journey:
“It is monumental…. Seeing that black men can do other things besides play football or basketball… or being in prison… this (nursing) is an option they can have. Using our brains for things like nursing is an avenue to make an impact”
Diversity in Nursing
Diversity in nursing is not just about numbers—it is about impact. Research has shown that patient-provider race concordance improves health outcomes.
The Men of SUSON are not just students; they are future healthcare leaders, mentors, and role models for the next generation of African American male nurses.
- As of December 31, 2023, Louisiana had 62,923 Registered Nurses (RNs), representing the state’s nursing workforce (Louisiana Center for Nursing, 2023).
- In terms of racial distribution, 77% of RNs in Louisiana are White, while only 18% identify as Black or African American (AA)—a stark contrast to the state’s overall population, which is 32.6% Black/AA, significantly higher than the national Black/AA population of 13.7% (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023).
- Louisiana’s nursing workforce mirrors the national gender disparity, with only 12% of licensed RNs being male and an even smaller proportion being African American men.
These disparities highlight the critical need for nursing schools to recruit, retain, and graduate more students from underrepresented backgrounds—particularly African American males—to help build a more diverse and representative healthcare workforce.
Nursing Stereotypes
Gender Biases in Nursing
Historically, exclusionary practices have shaped the nursing field. They have reinforced stereotypes, framing nursing as a women’s profession and discouraging men from pursuing caregiving roles.
These deeply rooted biases have lasting effects, often making it challenging for men to see nursing as an inclusive and welcoming career. A study by Juliff et al. (2016) reflected this challenge, finding that prevailing societal assumptions of nursing continue to influence how men perceive their place in the profession.
Racial Biases in Nursing
The barriers to entering and advancing in nursing are even greater for African American students. Many face scrutiny over their competency, are funneled into specific roles based on stereotypes, or experience isolation in predominantly White or female-dominated environments.
These challenges discourage African American men from pursuing nursing careers and hinder their professional growth and leadership opportunities (Morales et al., 2022).
A Critical Need for African American Male Nurses
The lack of African American male nurses has far-reaching implications for healthcare equity, particularly in underserved communities. A growing body of research supports the race concordance hypothesis, which suggests that patients who share racial or gender similarities with their healthcare provider experience better communication, stronger trust, and improved health outcomes (Moore et al., 2022).
Without greater representation of African American men in nursing, many underserved populations miss out on these crucial patient-provider relationships. Ultimately, this shortage will impact healthcare quality and accessibility.
Addressing both stereotypes and the underrepresentation of African American men in nursing requires deliberate and sustained efforts to dismantle systemic barriers. The most effective strategies involve reframing nursing as a science-driven profession where both men and women can thrive.
Additionally, implementing targeted recruitment efforts, increasing positive media representation, and actively engaging in policy advocacy can help reshape public perceptions of nursing. These approaches will foster greater inclusivity and encourage more men, with intentionality toward African American men, to pursue nursing careers.
The Jag Mobile: Healthcare on Wheels
Expanding healthcare access beyond the classroom, SUSON operates the Jag Mobile, a fully equipped, wheelchair-accessible mobile health clinic. Designed to serve underserved communities, the Jag Mobile includes:
- Two examination rooms with telehealth capabilities
- Preventive health screenings and disease management
- A multidisciplinary approach, integrating services from SUSON’s allied health programs
The operation of this mobile health clinic engages nursing, mental health, rehabilitation counseling, speech-language pathology, and therapeutic recreation students. It fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, preparing them for real-world healthcare challenges.
This is the university’s second mobile health clinic. SUSON launched the first Jag Mobile in 1996.
Building the Future: Workforce Training and Development
SUSON’s workforce development initiatives are creating a pipeline for future clinicians. Programs include the following:
Inspiring Future Clinicians Program
Funded by the Louisiana Board of Regents, this program offered a 4-week Summer Bridge Program for 25 rising college freshmen and high school seniors interested in nursing and allied health.
Enhancing Clinical Competence Internship Program
This initiative, in partnership with Ochsner Health, provided 20 senior-level SUSON students with internships and hands-on training in hospital settings. The program aimed to ensure students were academically prepared, clinically competent, and workforce-ready.
A Legacy of Impact and Excellence
SUSON is more than a school—it is a movement for equity in healthcare. As the state's largest producer of African American nurses and one of the top in the country, SUSON is setting the standard for diversity, clinical excellence, and community impact.
As we celebrate this incredible achievement from Nurse.org, we recognize that our work is far from done. The call to serve continues, and SUSON remains committed to educating, inspiring, and empowering the next generation of healthcare leaders.
At SUSON, excellence is not measured by what we have but by what we do and the lives we change.
Support for SUSON’s Mission & Goals
The support of donors, alumni, and corporate partners is essential to continuing SUSON’s legacy of excellence. Investments in SUSON change students' lives and impact the communities they will one day serve.
For those who wish to contribute to support our mission, opportunities for giving are available through the Office of Advancement. Email marlin.hollins@sus.edu. Together, we can build a stronger, healthier future, one nurse at a time.
🤔Nurses and nursing students, share your thoughts on SUSON in the discussion forum below!
References
Diverse Issues in Higher Education (2023). The top 100 degrees conferred: Bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral, 40(15), 19-36.
Health Resources & Services Administration (2024). 2022 national sample survey of registered nurses’ snapshot. https://bhw.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/bureau-health-workforce/Nurse-Survey-Fact-Sheet-2024.pdf
Juliff, D., Russell, K., & Bulsara, C. (2016). Male or nurse what comes first?: Challenges men face on their journey to nurse registration. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, 34(2), 45-52.
Louisiana Center for Nursing (2023). 2023 nursing workforce demand report. Louisiana State Board of Nursing. https://www.lsbn.state.la.us/wp-content/uploads/2023-nursing-workforce-demand-report.pdf
Moore, C., Coates, E., Watson, A., Heer, R., McLeod, A., & Prudhomme, A. (2022). It’s important to work with people that look like me: Black patients’ preferences for patient-provider race concordance. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 10, 2552-2564. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-022-01435-y
Morales, C.T, Perez, M.R, Hernandez, M.A., & Ramirez, C.F. (2022). Current stereotypes associated with nursing and nursing professionals: An integrative review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(13), 7640. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137640
United States Census Bureau (2023). QuickFacts: Louisiana; United States. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/LA,US/PST045221
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