Nursing Students Find Excellent Education and Community at McNeese 

McNeese State University nursing students are soon-to-be professionals in their dream careers with top quality education and support from the close-knit community in the College of Nursing and Health Professions.  

Raegan Pankey and Lauren Dugas are both seniors in McNeese’s Bachelor of Science in nursing program.  

“While I took care of my grandmother in the hospital, she would always say that I would make such a great nurse. She’s my main inspiration for becoming a nursing major,” Pankey said. 

“I heard from word of mouth that McNeese had one of the top nursing programs in the nation, and I knew I had to get my nursing degree here,” she explained. “McNeese’s National Council Licensure Exam success rate was 100% and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to join a top education program.”  

Dugas had a similar experience when choosing a college for nursing. 

“I felt a calling to help educate women and mothers about their health, and I felt that nursing was just the profession to do that.  

“My mother, who is a pharmaceuticals sales representative, suggested going to McNeese,” Dugas explained. “She would ask physicians and nurses about good nursing schools, and they all praised McNeese’s nurses.” 

Now nearing their graduation, Pankey and Dugas are the ones to sing the program’s praises.  

“Being a nursing major at McNeese has been one of my life’s most challenging yet fulfilling experiences,” Pankey said. “This is an amazing program, and I’m learning everything I’ll need to be one of the best and safest nurses I could be, all while giving the best patient care I can.” 

Even through the exhaustion and stress that most college students can relate to, Pankey recognizes how her hard work will pay off. “This program is molding me into the kind of nurse that safely and efficiently takes care of patients.”  

“Being a nursing major at McNeese means being part of a family,” Dugas said. “I remember on the first day of class, one of my instructors said, ‘Look around you, this is your family not only for nursing school, but for a lifetime.’” 

Both students have big plans for their nursing careers after graduating from McNeese.  

Pankey plans to become an operating room nurse in Alabama.  

Dugas hopes to work as a labor and delivery nurse in Lake Charles. “After gaining experience, I plan to further my degree in educating women about fertility.” 

Not only have Pankey and Dugas received the education that will help them achieve their professional goals, but they are part of a family that will support them each step of the way.