NURSING 2017
DO YOUR HOMEWORK WHEN CHOOSING A NURSING PROGRAM BY DWAIN HEBDA
S
orting through the many choices for nursing education
experiences for students. “UAMS is the only BSN program in Arkansas is a time-consuming process, but it is an exin the state that takes students to the gross anatomy lab to ercise not to be taken lightly. The right program will set learn about health assessment with cadavers,” he said. “We have a nursing student up for early success in this demanding implemented learning communities that help put students into field and open the door to a long and fulfilling career. peer mentoring groups to help with the social aspects of school “Most students are interested in financial aid options, as well as retention. We also require iPads for all of our students tuition, schedule, pass rates and job placement. Those are all and have them use them in both clinical and the classroom to very important, but I would also ask about culture, class size, help them learn to embrace technology.” reputation, opportunities and teaching philosophy,” said Jon “Finally, we have started an exchange program with a nursVickers, academic counselor with University of Arkansas Little ing school in Taiwan and are looking to expand that program Rock Department of Nursing. in the next few years.” “It is very helpful to do some self-reflection. What kind of As with all higher education, financial aid is of paramount student are you? What do you need from your school to be importance to most students and their families. While all colsuccessful? What are some things that could possibly prevent leges and universities offer some form of general financial aid, you from graduating? This makes it easier to find a school that some schools have scholarship monies and other programs fits your individual needs.” earmarked specifically for nursing students. Don’t be afraid to A foundational element to look for in a nursing school is be blunt when inquiring how your school of choice is willing accreditation, said Janice Ivers, MSN, RN, CNE, Dean of Nursing to invest in your success through financial aid. with National Park College. “UA-Little Rock offers over $500,000 in scholarship and “Participating in an accreditation process gives a program sponsorship money to new nursing students every year,”Vickers the opportunity to validate that it is committed to providing said. “This year we announced a new Pathway Program, made a quality nursing program,” she said. “A nationally accredited possible by a partnership between UA-Little Rock and CHI St. school like National Park College requires that a nursing program continually assesses and makes improvements in the educational quality of the nursing program based on data. This is done by evaluating specific standards and criteria, which include mission, faculty, students, curriculum, resources and outcomes.” Another particularly important measurement of a school’s success is its pass rate on the NCLEX licensing exam as well as graduation and placement rates. Mark Tanner, BSN program director at UAMS College of Nursing, said it’s also a good idea to inquire about available academic help. “UAMS is excellent in all of these areas,” he said.“We have a 95 percent pass rate for NCLEX the last reported year and we have an academic coach who helps students who may be struggling to ensure that our attrition rates stay as low as possible.” Tanner also noted the school has invested heavily in resources to help Janice Ivers of National Park College leads nursing students through an exercise. provide the widest range of educational
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NURSES GUIDE 2017
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ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES
Vincent which pays the tuition and fees of nursing school for 40 new students each year. “Pathway students will work as registered nurses at CHI St. Vincent for two years after graduation. This unique program relieves a major financial burden on students, allowing UA-Little Rock to generate a larger number of qualified nurses to meet the demand in Central Arkansas.” “At National Park College there are lots of possibilities for financial aid including the awarding of over $65,000 in nursing scholarships annually,” Ivers said. “Recently, CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs and National Park College announced a partnership where CHI SVHS will provide financial support to selected students that commit to work for CHI SVHS upon completion of the nursing program.” Quality of the instruction is of paramount importance and students should ask about the percentage of instructors that hold Ph.D.s in their respective fields as well as what percentages of the teaching force are full time instructors at schools they are considering. “Faculty credentials and number of full time faculty in relationship to part-time faculty are critical,” said Rebecca Burris, Ph.D., RN, professor and department chair at Arkansas Tech University. “You are looking for a school where at least one-quarter of faculty are doctorally prepared. You also want a school where a majority of the faculty are full time, not part time or adjunct. Finally, look for a wide variety of clinical sites and practice laboratories that are up-to-date. “At Arkansas Tech we are committed to student success with over half of our full-time faculty holding either a Ph.D. or DNP and an additional four faculty members working on a doctoral degree. All of our classroom instruction and the majority of our clinical is done by full-time faculty. ATU also has a large skills lab, a state-of-the-art simulation lab and two health assessment labs.” It’s also important to select a school that can accommodate your individual educational needs both for your initial degree as well as advanced degrees in accordance with your career goals. UAMS College of Nursing, for instance, supports a range of degree programs from BSN through Ph.D., and offers a broad range of specialties throughout. “The master’s program has multiple specialties including Family Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric-Mental