By Megan Sayles
AFRO Staff Writer
msayles@afro.com
The Southern University School of Nursing (SUSON) has been serving students since 1986.
Based in Baton Rouge, La., the school offers degrees that range from a bachelor of science in nursing to a doctorate of nursing practice.
“Our mission is to serve the underserved and overlooked. That is threaded throughout everything that we do,” said Sandra C. Brown. “I often say we move students from poverty to prosperity, and we give them a purpose in life.”
Brown joined the school 30 years ago and became dean in 2019. Over the decades, she said SUSON has experienced significant growth.
“From the time I started to now, we’ve added new programs and our enrollment has almost quadrupled. We’ve expanded so much that we are going to be building a new school of nursing because we have outgrown our space,” said Brown. “It’s been tremendous growth, and I think most of it has been driven by the shortage of nurses in our state and nationwide.”
According to a 2024 brief from the Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA), the U.S. will face a 10 percent shortfall of registered nurses by 2027.
Though this gap is projected to close over time, the demand for licensed practical and vocational nurses is expected to grow much faster than the supply through 2037. Across the country, the supply of licensed practical and vocational nurses will only be able to meet 64 percent of the demand for them in 2037, compared to 80 percent in 2027.
Amid these widespread shortages, the nursing workforce also faces persistent racial disparities, with African Americans significantly underrepresented in the field. According to the 2024 National Nursing Workforce Survey, 8.6 percent of registered nurses identified as Black in 2024, though African Americans represent 13.7 percent of the population. For Black males, this number falls to a fractional percent.
This lack of representation inspired James Rogers, a Chicago native, to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a nurse.
“I’ve always wanted to do this since I was a young boy. My mom was a housekeeper at a hospital, and we’d pick her up. In the hospital, I felt like that’s where I was supposed to be…helping people,” said Rogers. “I didn’t see people of my color in those roles, and I felt like there was a need for that.”
Rogers’ dream was deferred following his decision to join the army and serve active duty for 22 years. However, his passion for nursing stuck with him.
In 2022, he retired from the Army in order to support his wife, who was attending the Southern University Law Center (SULC). This provided him with the opportunity to enroll in SUSON.
“I chose Southern because of the strong reputation they had and their commitment to diversity. With my wife going to school there, I would go to the nursing building from time to time and talk to the faculty,” said Rogers.
The 42-year-old said the instructors at the historically Black institution were a deciding factor for him as he chose a nursing school.
“I knew that they had compassion and that they would shape us culturally. I would have practitioners who look like me and understand what it’s going to be like for me in the field,” he said.
Now a level two student, Rogers is the president of SUSON’s Student Nurse Association. Some of his favorite experiences have been working in the local Baton Rouge community, which is integrated in the school’s curriculum.
SUSON’s “Jag Mobile” acts as a clinic on wheels, visiting underserved and disadvantaged neighborhoods within a 50-mile radius of the school. It features two examination rooms, a patient intake area and state-of-the-art equipment and medical supplies.
The Student Nurse Association also hosts health fairs, blood pressure screenings, mental health awareness events and breast cancer walks in the surrounding community.
Roger said having these real-life experiences has helped to develop his cultural sensitivity and awareness.
“Regardless of who you’re caring for, you’re looking at them as an individual instead of judging them on what they look like or who they are. I want to provide the best care possible,” said Rogers. “Southern teaches you how to listen and how to ask respectful questions. We never make assumptions.”
Rogers is set to graduate in May 2026. Drawn to the fast-paced environment and demand for critical thinking skills, he plans to work in a critical care setting, such as the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Though he noted that the workload of nursing school requires strong time management skills, he encouraged more people to pursue nursing.
“Go for it. Don’t waste time. But, do it with a whole heart. Don’t just do it because nurses make a lot of money or it looks good as a career,” said Rogers. “Do it because you want to because it’s more than just a career— nursing is a calling.”
