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Nursing major Zachary Gaspard knew he wanted a career in healthcare, and UL Lafayette was the best place to start his studies.

“Overall, nurses provide so much to those in need,” he said. “The nursing program is a challenging program for a good reason. The Department of Nursing helped me feel empowered to take on this challenge."

“At the end of the day, the lives of many individuals are in my hands, and their outcomes will result from the actions I take,” he said. “The support in class and clinical has given me the tools to help guide my practice in nursing.”

Nursing majors at UL Lafayette get hands-on experience in hospitals through clinicals and other classes, which prepares them for careers in nursing.

“My first clinical semester in nursing was kind of scary,” he admitted, “but our instructors were there to guide us along the way. We learned our core foundation of nursing, making it challenging yet exciting.”

Outside of hospitals, students in the Department of Nursing work with non-profit and other community organizations. In NURS 340: Community and Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing, one of Zachary’s favorite classes, he got to see the impact nurses can have outside of a traditional healthcare setting.

He also assisted with COVID-19 screenings through the Louisiana Volunteers in Action disaster response team.

“It was neat to see how nurses have a huge impact outside of the hospital,” he said. “And our education allows us to become involved in this community approach.”