Nurse Guide 2015

NURSES GUIDE 2015 AN ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO

ARKANSAS TIMES

ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES • NURSES GUIDE 2015 • 1

you MAKE A DIFFERENCE at Arkansas Children’s Hospital

What’s different about being a pediatric nurse?

YOU make a difference in the life of a child!

Our experienced nurses come to work at Arkansas Children’s Hospital because of the culture that only a children’s hospital can provide and the opportunity to truly make an impact on the life of a child. Every day.

AT ACH, NURSES ENJOY:

• • • •

EOE 2 • NURSES GUIDE 2015 • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES

New experiences every day with an ever-changing patient population A team of enthusiastic care providers who love working with kids A leadership team that role models hospital values A culture that provides a supportive and FUN work environment

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Apply online at archildrens.org/dreamjobs. | 501-364-1398

College, Jobs, Advancement

Achieve Amazing Things

at Baptist Health No matter what stage of life you’re in – going off to college, applying for a new career, or taking steps for advancement – Baptist Health can help you reach the next level.

“I was introduced to Baptist Health in high school through the volunteer teen program. I could see that Baptist Health was greatly impacting the lives of others, and I was certain I wanted to be a part of it. Following high school, I entered the Baptist Health School of Nursing and worked as a patient care tech until graduation. Soon after, I secured a job as a registered nurse, and my career with Baptist Health has expanded from there. Baptist Health has invested and continues to invest in my professional growth, and I’m proud to be a member of the team!

I cannot imagine my life without Baptist Health and all the great people I have come to call my family.”

- Kristie Brockette, RN Unit Supervisor

Baptist Health College Little Rock

A Career in Nursing can be a Career for Life

Nursing • Histotechnology • Medical Laboratory Science • Nuclear Medicine Technology

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Baptist Health College Little Rock does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, creed, physical challenges, gender, marital status, race, national origin, or religion. Gainful employment and consumer information can be found at bhslr.edu/outcomes. BHCLR-Schools of Allied Health are licensed by the Arkansas State Board of Private Career Education.

BHCLR-Schools of Nursing are licensed by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing.

For more information or to apply visit baptist-health.com

ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES • NURSES GUIDE 2015 • 3

MEET THE HOSPITAL RECRUITERS

SHELLEY SHEETS Human Resources Specialist Conway Regional Health System At Conway Regional Health System we are accountable to the community to provide high quality, compassionate health care services. We are very proud to have received the 2014 Governor’s Quality Award along with numerous other quality rankings and awards. In 2015 we recognized 146 employees as exceptional performers based upon their achievements in their career fields. We are always looking for exceptional performers who are dedicated to providing excellent care. We offer a smaller nurse to patient ratio than can be found in most metro hospitals along with a family atmosphere that is second to none. Positions are available in a variety of areas including Critical Care, Surgery, Oncology, Medical/Surgical and Women’s Services. If you would like to join the Conway Regional Family – please visit our website at www. conwayregional.org.

Nurse recruiters for hospitals and schools sometimes have a difficult task of guiding prospective students and matching the right people for specific positions. Recruiters from some of the state’s most popular nursing programs and largest hospitals tell what they’re looking for in candidates, what they offer and what makes their programs stand out among others.

SUSAN ERICKSON, RN, MNSC, BC-NA, CHCR Nurse Recruiter & Recruitment/Retention Officer Facilitator, PNO Image Council/Retention Resource Nurses University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences At the heart of patient and family-centered care at UAMS is the belief that nurses and families are partners, working together to best meet the needs of each patient. Excellence in health care happens when we work side by side and honor the expertise each individual brings to each health encounter. Partnerships are strengthened and knowledge shared to provide the highest quality of care. It is what we expect from those who chose a career at Arkansas’s only academic medical center. We also offer unique opportunities combined with salary and benefits including our 10% retirement match and tuition discount for you/your children/spouse plus, the personal satisfaction you receive while working at UAMS – it’s hard to beat. That is why more than 11,000 employees enjoy a career for life. To join our team, log onto: http://nurses.uams.edu or join our face book page @ UAMS Nurses.

MICHELLE S. ODOM, RN, MSN Director of Recruitment and Retention Arkansas Children’s Hospital As Arkansas’s only pediatric health care center and one of the largest children’s hospitals in the country, we offer a wide range of opportunities for nurses from direct patient care to staff education, research, administration, nursing informatics, and much more.

When you walk through the main entrance, you see a statement: “Fear not illness… this place of Care, Love and Hope is for you.”

This statement reflects our culture and guides our practice each and every day that we enter the halls. When looking for potential employees, we look for individuals who have a true passion for caring for the children and families we serve… helping to make them better today and healthier tomorrow.

Pictured (L-R) front row: Anna-Kate Bogaards, Dee Dee Sturdevant, Michelle Odom, Mitch Highfill. (L-R) back row: Denise Cook, George Cobb, Yvonne Pendergraft, and Evie Rodgers 4 • NURSES GUIDE 2015 • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES

SHIRLEY SPURLOCK Director of Human Resources Rivendell Behavioral Health Services, Inc. of Arkansas Rivendell offers a beautiful landscape for the path to healing. Set on 18 wooded acres and a private pond, our 79 bed psychiatric hospital and substance abuse treatment center is centrally located for both staff and patients. We welcome caring nursing professionals to join us in our mission of “Changing lives through compassionate healing!”

For over 30 years, Rivendell has provided quality inpatient behavioral health care for children, teens and adults. Our excellence in clinical programming is continually recognized by The Joint Commission. Be sure to check out Universal Health Services, Inc., our Fortune 500 parent company offering a competitive benefit package with career advancement potential locally and across the US. And, to view our current employment opportunities, please visit rivendellofarkansas.com We look forward to meeting you!

KRISTI CLARK Employment Coordinator White River Health System White River Health System is a leading healthcare provider in North Central Arkansas. We offer a wide array of services. Here at White River Health System we are looking for nursing professionals that want to join our team. It is our goal to promote quality care for our patients. We offer competitive pay and excellent benefits. Come join our team today!

Visit our website today to find out more about our opportunities www. whiteriverhealthsystem.com or call me at 1-877-779-7774.

BRYAN HALL RN, BSN, MS & JAMES SCOGGINS, RN, BA, JD Assistant Director of Nursing (ADON) and Chief Nursing Officer (CNO), Arkansas State Hospital At the Arkansas State Hospital we are on the cutting edge of psychiatric nursing providing a trauma informed environment for patient care. We are seeking nurses with an attitude of compassion, enthusiasm, and professionalism. If you’re seeking excitement and job satisfaction then a career in psychiatric nursing may be for you. Nursing personnel utilized to provide quality psychiatric care include: Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, Behavioral Health Aides, and Unit Safety officers. If you are a nurse looking to work in a great environment with competitive pay, benefits, and a sign on bonus then we may be the place for you. To learn more about employment opportunities with the Arkansas State Hospital Nursing Department, please give us a call at 501-686-9400 or visit arstatejobs.com to apply.

LAKIN RICE, Nurse Recruiter - Little Rock KELLI HOPKINS, Nurse Recruiter - Regionals AMBER DAVIS, Nurse Recruiter - North Little Rock APRIL ROBINSON, Nurse Recruiter - Little Rock Baptist Health Medical Center Our belief at Baptist Health is that we are healing ministry. We provide quality patient care services to all Arkansans with a caring and comforting heart. That is why we are Arkansans’ choice for their healthcare needs.

We have a variety of nursing opportunities, from a Level III NICU to a 90-bed Critical Care area. In the spring of 2016, Baptist Health will open our new Conway facility.

Baptist Health offers top quality benefits for employees. We look for nurses who not critically think but are compassionate and service-oriented. We want to offer a “World Class” environment for everyone. Please apply online at baptist-health.com

MEET THE SCHOOL RECRUITERS

KRISTY FRITZ RN Recruitment Coordinator CHI St Vincent As a system that includes the first Arkansas hospital to earn Magnet® designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, CHI St Vincent is the clear choice for exceptional nurses. We are ranked the number one hospital in Arkansas for the third year in a row by US News & World Report’s Best Regional Hospitals Rankings. Our emphasis is on creating an excellence in clinical practice, the workplace environment, and the patient experience through a rich program supporting nursing professional development and interdisciplinary shared governance.

We offer competitive salaries, robust benefit packages for full- and parttime employees. Learn more about joining our team of excellent nurses at www.chistvincent.com/careers.

MEGGAN SPICER Senior HR Recruiter Practice Plus At Practice Plus, we are constantly recruiting for quality MA, LPN, RN, PA and APRN nursing candidates who embody our five core values of Service, Honesty, Respect, Stewardship and Performance. With over 92 locations and 267 providers, we strive daily to achieve our mission of providing quality patient service which responding to the changing health needs of Arkansans with Christian compassion. As a Baptist Health Affiliate, we offer competitive salary and benefit packages. If you are a nursing professional with a caring heart, we encourage you to apply online at www.practice-plus.com.

JENNIFER MCDANNOLD Enrollment Coordinator Baptist Health Schools Little Rock Healthcare professionals in today’s world must be well-rounded individuals with a commitment to personal and professional excellence. The ideal healthcare professional has strong critical thinking skills and enjoys continued learning and growth. The individual has a personal belief in citizenship and makes healthy, responsible decisions about their lifestyle. Ultimately, being a healthcare professional is about caring for people, sometimes on their worst day. The ideal healthcare professional finds self-worth and joy in caring for others and making a positive impact in a patient’s life.

AMBER STANDRIDGE Academic Counselor JON VICKERS Academic Counselor University of Arkansas at Little Rock Nursing is a rare career field that is as much ART as it is SCIENCE. For nearly 50 years the UALR Department of Nursing has educated and guided individuals towards this honorable profession. We offer an Associate of Applied Science (AAS), BSN, LPN/Parmedic to RN and BSN online completion program. My advice for students is to take ownership and get as much information as possible about the nursing profession and degree options. Do this early and often! For more information about a program with consistently high NCLEX pass rates, state-of-the-art simulation hospital and clinical opportunities at over 30 healthcare facilities, visit: ualr.edu/nursing or email anstandridge@ualr.edu.

BARBARA LANDRUM & SHELLEY AUSTIN Nursing Professors Henderson State University Department of Nursing Planning for a professional nursing career starts with a strong foundation in math, biology, and chemistry. Whether you are a traditional high school student or a returning second career student, we are here to help you. HSU’s nursing program provides small classes with generous clinical experiences to assure your readiness for your nursing career.

It is never too early to contact us for an individualized plan of study to assure meeting prerequisite courses and application deadlines. More information on our program can be found at: hsu.edu/nursing or contact austins@hsu.edu.

REBEL SMITH, ED.D. Director of Recruitment and Enrollment Management for Online and Distance Education Programs University of Arkansas The University of Arkansas offers three online nursing programs: the RN to BSN, the MSN with a nurse educator concentration, and the DNP with concentrations in adult/ geriatric acute care nurse practitioner and family practice nurse practitioner. For the DNP, students are expected to come to campus a few times a year.

These programs were designed for the working professional. An online program advisor will work with you from start to finish, assisting you through the program. For more information, please visit the nursing page or email Rebel at rebels@uark.edu.

OSMONETTA BEARD Coordinator of Recruitment and Alumni Relations University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences UAMS is the only health science center in Arkansas and one of the region’s largest. It includes five colleges (Nursing, Medicine, Pharmacy, Health Professions, and Public Health) and a graduate school along with a hospital, statewide network of regional centers, affiliations with Arkansas Children’s Hospital and Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, and seven UAMS institutes where clinical, academic and research resources are focused on specific diseases or conditions.

The UAMS College of Nursing provides Bachelor’s, Master’s (MNSc), Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programs to more than 600 students. There are programs to help existing RN’s earn their BSN or MNSc. The college is engaged in activities and interprofessional partnerships across all UAMS colleges that promote scholarly excellence, research and service to the university, nursing profession and society.

For more information on our programs, contact us at 501-686-5224, by email at conadmissions@uams.edu or visit our website at www.nursing.uams.edu.

COURTNEY PRATT, AREANA LOPEZ, SAMANTHA HUGGINS AND CLAY WYLLIA Recruiters Arkansas Tech University At Arkansas Tech, we believe nursing is a caring relationship that facilitates health and healing.

ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES • NURSES GUIDE 2015 • 5

NURSES GUIDE 2015

THE LIFE CYCLE OF A NURSE The 15th edition of the Arkansas Times’ guide to nursing traces the arc of a nurse’s career

The nursing profession has changed immensely in the 15 years since the Arkansas Times first published its annual guide to nursing. Technology has changed how all of us communicate, do our jobs, and interact with the world. The nursing shortage that was then in its infancy is now in full bloom, thanks to the aging Baby Boom generation that’s increased both the number of people who need health care and the number of nurses who leave the profession to retire. In part; because of both of these developments, there’s never been a better time to become a nurse.

It’s easier than ever to get the education and training you need, and the job opportunities are plentiful and varied.

For this year’s publication, we’re taking a look at the life cycle of a nurse. We start at “birth” — that time when the idea of becoming a nurse first crystallizes in a person’s mind, and the preparation begins — and move through the “childhood” of nursing school, “growing up” in the nurse’s early career, and finally entering the “middle years” when nurses often choose a specialty and advance into higher-level jobs. Together, the stories paint a picture of what you can expect from a career in nursing — the possibilities, the pitfalls, the risks, and the rewards.

Birth of a Nurse

WHY YOU SHOULD GO INTO NURSING — AND HOW TO GET THERE

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sk nurses why they chose their profession and many will tell a story about a personal connection: time spent caring for a sick loved one, or growing up with a mother or uncle who worked as a nurse and realizing they wanted to follow in those footsteps.

For Jyrissa Sargent, it was watching her mother go through treatment for cancer. Sargent was in high school at the time, and was planning to become a doctor. But seeing how the nurses cared for her mother changed her mind.

“Nurses were the ones she had a good rapport with,” said Sargent, who went to nursing school at UALR and is now a nurse at Arkansas Heart Hospital. “They’re the ones who were taking care of her and making sure she got what she needed.”

Experiences like Sargent’s may light the spark for many future nurses, but even without that kind of motivation, there are plenty of reasons — both altruistic and practical — to consider a career in nursing.

For one thing, you’ll never be bored.

“One of the main reasons why people are attracted to nursing is because it’s such a diverse profession,” said Kelly Betts, EdD, RN, the UAMS College of Nursing’s associate dean for baccalaureate education. “Nurses are trained to

be generalists initially and may work in a wide variety of settings. If you do go to work in a setting and decide after a couple of years that your interest lies elsewhere, there are so many other areas you can go into.”

Preston Molsbee, MSN, RN, chair of the nursing department at UALR, agrees.

“Sometimes people look at nursing and think it’s strictly a hospital-based profession,” he said. “That’s as far from the truth as you can get.”

Nurses can travel the world, work in schools, work as legal consultants, teach — or all of the above.

“The opportunities for somebody entering the profession are so wide open that if somebody wants to be in the health care industry, this is probably the best route to go,” he said.

And while the primary reason anyone should choose a career in nursing is because they have a desire to help people, there’s no denying that job security is a nice bonus.

Nursing is one of the fastest-growing professions in the country. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be more than half a million new job positions for registered nurses (RNs) by 2022 — a growth rate of about 19 percent.

The publishers of the 2015 Nurses Guide issue would like to thank Osmonetta Beard, Susan Erickson, Erin Fifer, Barbara Landrum, Jennifer McDannold, Michelle Odom, Walter Petty, Kimberly Porter and April Robinson for their help (and ideas!) in creating the editorial content for this year’s issue.

Nursing is a rewarding profession that also offers great pay and job security.

6 • NURSES GUIDE 2015 • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES

“You will always have a job,” Betts said. “There will always be sick patients.”

There’s an ongoing shortage of nurses in the United States, and it’s only going to get worse. The aging of the Baby Boom generation is a double whammy: There will be more older patients with lots of health care needs to take care of, and at the same time, a significant number of Baby Boom generation nurses are reaching retirement age.

The Affordable Care Act — aka Obamacare — has also had the effect of increasing the demand for nurses, Molsbee said. Because of the ACA, which requires everyone to have health insurance, many people have access to health care who didn’t previously.

And, to sweeten the pot, nursing is, overall, a pretty well-paid profession. The median salary for registered nurses in Arkansas is about $56,000, meaning half make more than that amount and half make less. (Don’t expect that level of pay right out of nursing school; remember, that figure includes nurses with advanced degrees and years of experience.)

Good, solid job prospects were part of what attracted Austin Glover, 26, to a career in nursing. Guys who are considering career possibilities shouldn’t let outdated stereotypes get in the way of thinking about nursing, said Glover, who works in the coronary care unit at Baptist Health Medical Center - Little Rock. It’s an exciting, fast-paced career — and, especially for hospital nurses, one that can require a lot of physical strength.

“Being a nurse can be one of the most rewarding things you ever do. You get to see people right at the brink of death, and then they come back because of what you’ve been doing.”

“Being a nurse can be one of the most rewarding things you ever do,” said Glover, who graduated Baptist’s nursing program and is now working on his bachelor’s degree. “You get to see people right at the brink of death, and then they come back because of what you’ve been doing.”

There are several educational pathways students can take after high school to become a nurse. But if you know nursing is your career goal, you should start preparing for it as soon as possible, Betts said.

For high school students, that means taking as many classes as you can in the physical sciences — biology, chemistry, anatomy — along with any classes your high

school offers related to medical fields.

If your school offers AP science courses, all the better: Take as many as you can, advises Barbara Landrum, PhD, RN, chair of the nursing department at Henderson State University.

“Make sure you take the test and get the credit,” Landrum said. “A lot of students will take the class but not the test.”

But it also means preparing yourself to be a great communicator.

“You do have to write and be literate,” Betts said.

“Many students who have not had a good English composition background really struggle with that.

I would advise students to take those courses very seriously and do well in them.”

Jon Vickers, academic counselor and enrollment coordinator in the nursing department at UALR, agreed.

“I see a lot of times that younger students are not great at talking,” he said. “They don’t have that interpersonal communication skill set that older adults do. They need to focus on that.”

If you’re not quite sure that nursing is for you but you’re interested in finding out more, many hospitals have volunteer programs for high school students.

Those programs are great opportunities to observe nursing in action.

“I do encourage students to expose themselves to it,” Vickers said. “Shadow a nurse, volunteer at a hospital — see if that’s your passion.” n

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NURSES GUIDE 2015

Life Cycle of a Nurse: Childhood A CAREER IN NURSING STARTS WITH A DEGREE. HERE’S HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST EDUCATIONAL PATH FOR YOURSELF AND TIPS FOR NAVIGATING IT SUCCESSFULLY

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aybe you’re a young mother and you need the quickest route pos-

it’s very flexible,” said Kelly Betts, EdD, the UAMS College of Nursing’s sible to a stable, secure job. Or maybe you’re a high school valeassociate dean for baccalaureate dictorian with the time and financial ability to attend college full time for education.

UAMS’ College of Nursing refour years. Maybe you’re a 40-something dad in a career that no longer cently started a new accelerated interests you or works for your family, but you need to keep working RN-to-BSN program that nurses can finish in one year. while you get the education you need to transition to a new line of work.

Because both associate and bachelor’s degree nursing programs teach the same clinical skills, BSN completion For all of these people and others in a host of difprograms focus more on skills like leadership and ferent situations, there’s a pathway to a nursing degree community health. designed to suit their needs.

UALR offers an associate degree, but also a BSN ladOne of the best places to start is www.arsbn.org, the website of the Arkansas State Board of Nursing. It lists all of the approved nursing programs in the state. Then check campaignforaction.org, the website of the Arkansas Action Coalition, a group of nurses, educators, and other stakeholders working to advance the field of nursing in Arkansas. The coalition has gathered links to information about a variety of financial aid and scholarship opportunities.

If you don’t already have a bachelor’s degree in another field, the associate degree in nursing is the fastest route to becoming a registered nurse. Students can finish an associate degree in about two years, and then be eligible to take the RN licensing exam.

These days, though, there’s a growing emphasis on nurses having at least a bachelor’s degree. Research shows patients do better under the care of nurses who have a four-year degree, and more and more hospitals are beginning to require nurses to at least be enrolled in a BSN program to advance in their careers.

Fortunately, many nursing schools have designed special online programs just for licensed RNs who want to complete their bachelor’s degrees.

They’re the perfect option for nurses who couldn’t Kelly Betts (left), associate dean for or didn’t want to earn a traditional BSN. How long baccalaureate education at the UAMS those programs take depend on how the program College of Nursing, observes two student is structured and how much time the individual nurses practicing skills in the school’s nurse wants to devote to school. simulation lab.

“The beauty of the RN-to-BSN program is that 8 • NURSES GUIDE 2015 • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES

der program. This program lets students take their RN licensing exam before they graduate, so they can spend their final year working as an RN and taking classes online. The university also has a one-year program for licensed practical nurses and paramedics to get the training they need to become registered nurses.

One of the benefits of getting a job in nursing before you finish your bachelor’s degree is that many hospitals offer tuition assistance for employees who want to go back to school. It’s a solid option for someone whose priority is getting that first nursing job as soon as possible.

If you’re able to do it, though, there are advantages to taking the time to earn a traditional, four-year BSN

pursue advanced degrees as early in degree before starting your career, said their careers as they can, rather than Barbara Landrum, EdD, RN, chair of waiting five to 10 years. the nursing department at Henderson “What happens is that by then, many State University. In a traditional BSN nurses are raising family, so they can’t program, students typically spend their even think about going back to school first two years taking general education until they’re in their 40s,” she said. “We and prerequisite courses, and then apgraduate on average the oldest doctorply for admission into their college’s ates in any profession, so their lifelong nursing program, where they spend contribution to the profession tends to their junior and senior years taking be less because of the age at which they nursing classes. obtain that terminal degree.”

“The bachelor’s degree is the foundation And while Hoff recognizes that payfor going on to higher-level learning,” ing for school isn’t easy, she encourages she said. “And the most cost-effective students to think about borrowing and efficient way to get your BSN is money to finish school faster rather to go straight into a generic four-year than working more hours and going program.” to school part-time.

That’s because students’ classes from “I tell students to get enough loans so associate degree programs might not they don’t have to work,” Hoff said. “It will satisfy all the requirements of another cost them less in the long run because school’s BSN program, she said. Students may find themselves having to retake some prerequisites, or take more general education classes than they’d counted on.

“The bachelor’s degree is the Plus, she said, at every university, there’s a discount foundation for going on to when you take a full-time higher-level learning. And load; in other words, past a certain number of hours the most cost-effective and per semester — usually efficient way to get your 12 — you’ll pay the same tuition. If you can take 15 BSN is to go straight into a hours a semester rather generic four-year program.” than 9, you’ll not only finish faster, but you’ll pay less for your degree overall.

And, she pointed out, nurses who enter the field they’ll get into the workforce faster.” with a BSN will be able to move more Fortunately, loans aren’t the only way quickly into management positions to pay for nursing school. Henderson that require that degree. That means a State, UALR, UAMS, Arkansas Tech Unijump-start on the career ladder. versity and the University of Arkansas “Our students come out very well at Fayetteville all offer scholarships for prepared for stepping up into leadernursing students. Many hospitals offer ship roles,” Landrum said. tuition assistance and loan repayment As the focus on education in nursing assistance for their nurses, and there has intensified, more and more nurses are also assistance programs for nurses are going back to school to earn advanced who agree to work or teach in an undegrees as well. This is where nurses derserved or rural area. can start to specialize: You can focus The best way to ensure your success on nursing administration, research, as you move through nursing education geriatrics, advanced practice, mental is to make a plan in advance. What are health, informatics, education, and your eventual career goals? What kind of other areas in master’s and doctoral support can you count on from friends programs. And because advanced deand family? What arrangements do you gree programs also are largely online, need to make to ensure that you have it’s possible to continue working while regular time for studying? you earn your degree.

“They need to evaluate themselves first Julie Hoff, director of the Eleanor and see what their strengths and weakMann School of Nursing at the Uninesses are,” said Jon Vickers, academic versity of Arkansas at Fayetteville, counselor and enrollment coordinator said the direction the profession is for the UALR department of nursing.n taking now is to encourage nurses to

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NURSES GUIDE 2015

Life Cycle of a Nurse: Growing Up ADVICE FROM THE EXPERTS ON HOW TO LAND YOUR DREAM JOB AFTER NURSING SCHOOL

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DANIEL MOODY

a position a high school graduate can get after only 8 said. “It’s very appealing that I got to work three days t would be easy to assume that because there’s such to 10 weeks of training. out of the week, and if I needed to pick those three a shortage of nurses nationwide, anyone who earns “It gives them a solid foundation and an idea of what days, I could.” a nursing degree will have no problem finding a great it’s like to work in a hospital,” she said.

Other new nurses may prioritize a regular 8-to-5 job with fantastic pay and hours that don’t involve Elizabeth Hudson, BSN, RN, worked as a patient care weekday work schedule over other options. Doctors’ nights, weekends, or holidays. technician on the burn unit at Arkansas Children’s clinics might be a good choice for those nurses, or That may work out for some new graduates, but the Hospital while she was in school. working for an insurance company or law firm. Still reality is that like in most other professions, newbies “I think it did help me in getting a job and it gave me others may want to travel or experience a variety of have to pay their dues. In many cases, that means priceless experience,” said Hudson, who now works settings as a float nurse. working nights at a hospital — at least for a while. as a nurse in the infant-toddler unit at ACH. But for new nurses who do start out on a night“We orient new nurses to day and night shifts, but That can be especially helpful, because the transition shift job, the transition can be difficult. When Danelle typically they will start out on the night shift,” said from school to work isn’t always easy, Jacquelyn Wilkerson, director of nursing at said Jessica Rouse, nurse manager at Conway Regional Health System. “I started Rivendell Behavioral Health Center. out on nights, and I liked it because it wasn’t “Nursing school is one of the as fast paced. It gave me an opportunity hardest experiences in life, but even to have time to think — to ask, ‘why is it so, it doesn’t fully prepare you for working this way?’ I learned a lot by being life on the unit with your patients,” on the night shift.” she said.

A common first job for nurses is working Health care-related work exon a medical-surgical unit at a hospital. perience doesn’t have to involve a That’s where they’ll get a lot of experience hospital, though. Lizzie Alvarez, BSN, quickly working with all different kinds RN, who works in the burn unit at of patients.

ACH, spent her college summers “I knew I would gain solid foundation working as a camp counselor. Her skills,” said Allison Clark, whose first job final summer, she coordinated the as an RN was on a medical-surgical unit camp’s health care center. at UAMS. “I knew I didn’t want to do ICU “That gave me a lot of hands-on or anything too specialized. I wanted to experience working with pediatric be pretty versatile.” first aid and building my skills in Some nurses choose to stay in med-surg, therapeutic communication, among as it’s known, but many others use it as a many other things,” Alvarez said. foundation from which they move on to “My experiences that summer were a more specialized area in the hospital or invaluable to my current work.” to a different setting altogether.

Many nurses start their careers working directly with patients at the hospital bedside.

Even as new hires, nurses can Clark has chosen to stay in her med-surg begin to position themselves to move up the career Heaggans, BSN, RN, started working a 3 p.m.-to-3 a.m. unit while she pursues a master’s degree because, she ladder, Wilkerson said. Join different committees. shift in the emergency room at Arkansas Children’s said, it’s great experience, keeps her skills sharp, and Volunteer for projects.

Hospital, her sleeping and eating patterns got out of she has a great team of coworkers. That aspect is just “That gets them more into the system to look at the whack quickly. as important as the work itself, she said. big picture,” she said.

“There would be some days on my off days that I Another aspect new nurses should think about A growing number of hospitals are implementing wouldn’t eat just because my body was adjusting to when they’re job-hunting is what kind of schedule nurse residency programs, which are geared to help being ‘backwards’ from the rest of the world,” she said. they want or need to have. Bedside nurses in hospitals new nurses successfully transition from an academic Heaggans recommends writing out a schedule that typically work three 12-hour shifts a week, either day environment to a professional one. includes meals, sleep, exercise, and hobbies. or night. They’re long shifts, but allow nurses to pack Whatever you decide, Clark recommends taking Whatever direction nursing students think they their workweek into three days instead of five. And into account the people you’ll be working with, not want to pursue, they should start thinking seriously because hospitals need nurses 24/7, nurses can often just the work you’ll be doing. about their careers long before they finish their dechoose which days they’d like to work. The good news “As long as you have coworkers you respect and grees, Wilkerson said. There are lots of things nursing for new grads: Night and weekend shifts pay more. you can trust to take care of you, that will make all the students can do while they’re in school to give them For Clark, the flexible three-day workweek was difference in the world,” she said. “It doesn’t matter an edge in the job hunt, she said. ideal for her when she decided to go back to school what kind of patients you’re taking care of as long as “What sparks my interest is someone that’s already to pursue a master’s degree. the people around you are good.” n working in a nursing assistant position,” she said. That’s “I knew I needed to have a flexible schedule,” she 10 • NURSES GUIDE 2015 • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES

A PA S S I O N FOR CHANGING LIVES. Start with yours.

When a nurse joins CHI St. Vincent, they become part of a team that sets the standard for nursing excellence. As a system that includes the first Arkansas hospital to earn Magnet® designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, CHI St. Vincent is the clear choice for exceptional nurses.

Departments who need you.

• Critical Care • ED • Med-Surg

• Orthopaedics • Surgery • Cardiac

Been away from the bedside for 5 years?

Have less than 1 year of acute care experience?

The RN Acute Care Transition Program is created for the RN with an active Arkansas license seeking a full-time position. In addition to a clinical practicum, the program offers an update on: • • • •

Bedside technology Medication administration IV skills Physician assessment

Applications are now being accepted. Program begins on October 26, 2015.

Find out more from our nurse recruitment team: Kristy Fritz at 501-552-3738 (Little Rock) or Tamme Kinney at 501-622-4621 (Hot Springs)

Infirmary

Infirmary

Morrilton

Find out more by visiting chistvincent.com

ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES • NURSES GUIDE 2015 • 11

Arkansas College/University

Years/Public Private

Calendar

Degree Offered

Arkansas State University - Jonesboro • 870-972-3074 (nursing) • 870-972-3024 (admissions)

4 yr public

Semester

Traditional BSN, LPN TO BSN, RN To BSN, 2nd Degree Accelerated BSN

Arkansas Tech University, Russellville • 479-968-0383

4 yr public

Semester

BSN, LPN to BSN, RN to BSN, MSN, RN to MSN

Harding University, Searcy • 1-800-477-4407, 501-279-4682

4 yr private

Semester

BSN, RN-BSN, LPN-BSN, MSN FNP

Henderson State University • Arkadelphia • 870-230-5015

4 yr public

Semester

BSN

Southern Arkansas University, Magnolia • 870-235-4040

4 yr public

Semester

BSN, Online RN-BSN Completion and ADN

University of Arkanasas, Fayetteville • 479-575-3904

4 yr public

Semester

BSN, LPN-BSN, RN-BSN (online program), MSN (online program), DNP (online program)

UALR, Department of Nursing, Little Rock • 501-569-8081

4 yr public

Semester

BSN, RN-BSN Completion

University of Central Arkansas, Conway • 501-450-3119

4 yr public

Semester

BSN, RN to BSN & MSN, RN to BSN/MSN, MSN & DNP

University of Arkansas - Fort Smith • 479-788-7841, 1-888-512-LION

4 yr public

Semester

BSN

University of Arkansas at Monticello • 870-460-1069

4 yr public

Semester

AASN (LPN-RN), BSN, RN-BSN, LPN-BSN

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Nursing, Little Rock • 501-686-5224

4 yr public

Semester

BSN, MNSc, PhD, DNP. Post Masters options available.

Arkansas Northeastern College, Blytheville • 870-824-6253 • Paragould • 870-239-3200 • Burdette • 870-563-5110

2 yr public

Semester

AAS

Arkansas State University - Jonesboro • 870-972-3074 (nursing) • 870-972-3024 (admissions)

4 yr public

Semester

LPN-AASN, Traditional AASN (Traditional AASN offered Arkansas State University-Beebe, Arkansas State University-Mid-South, Arkansas State University-Mountain home)

Arkansas Tech University - Ozark Campus, Ozark • 479-667-2117

public

Semester

AASN

East Arkansas Community College, Forrest City • 870-633-4480

2 yr public

Semester

AASN

Mississippi County Community College, Blytheville • 870-762-1020

2 yr public

Semester

AAS in Nursing

National Park College, Hot Springs • 501-760-4290

2 yr public

Semester

AS in Nursing

North Arkansas College, Harrison • 870-743-3000

2 yr public

Semester

AAS in Nursing-traditional. LPN, LPN-RN

Northwest Arkansas Community College, Bentonville • 479-636-9222, 800-995-6922

2 yr public

Semester

AAS, RN

Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas, Helena, Dewitt, Stuttgart • Helena 870-338-6474 x1254; DeWitt 1-870946-3506 x1611; Stuttgart 1-870-673-4201 x1809

2 yr public

Semester

AAS, technical certificate/PN

Southeast Arkansas College, Pine Bluff • 870-543-5917

2 yr public

Semester

AAS: RN, Generic RN & LPN/Paramedic to RN. Technical Certificate: PN

UALR, Department of Nursing, Little Rock • 501-569-8081

4 yr public

Semester

AAS/LPN to RN/BSN

MASTER’S DEGREE Master’s degree programs are offered by four-year colleges and universities for students who have completed at least a bachelor’s degree. These advanced degrees prepare nurses to take on a variety of specialized roles, including nurse practitioner, nurse educator, and clinical nurse specialist.

University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville • 870-612-2000, 800-508-7878

2 yr public

Semester

AAS-Generic RN and LPN to RN-traditional and online tracks, PN Program (Technical Certificate) Generic RN Program

University of Arkansas Community College at Hope • 870-777-5722

2 yr public

Semester

Associate/RN

Baptist Health College Little Rock • 501-202-6200, 800-345-3046

private, faith-based

Semester

diploma/PN, Associate of Applied Science in Nursing/RN

DOCTORAL DEGREE The doctoral degree is the highest educational degree available in nursing. Some programs require students to complete a master’s degree first, while others are designed for students who have completed only a bachelor’s degree. There are two main options for doctoral degrees.

The Ph.D., or doctor of philosophy, focuses on preparing nurses to work in research-based fields. The doctor of nursing practice, or DNP, is a clinical degree that focuses on nursing practice.

Jefferson Reg. Med. Center School of Nursing, Pine Bluff • 870-541-7858

private

Semester

Associate of Applied Science in Nursing

Arkansas Northeastern College Blytheville • 870-824-6253 • Paragould • 870-239-3200 • Burdette • 870-563-5110

public

Semester

Certificate of Practical Nursing

Arkansas State University - Beebe • ASU Searcy Campus 501-207-6214

public

Semester

Certificate LPN

Arkansas State University - Mountain Home • 870-508-6266

public

Semester

AAS-LPN/Paramedic to RN, certificate/PN, CNA

Arkansas State University - Newport • 870-680-8710

public

Semester

Technical Certificate in Practical Nursing

Arkansas Tech University - Ozark Campus, Ozark • 479-667-2117

public

Semester

AAS in Allied Health-Practical Nursing

ASU Technical Center, Jonesboro • 870-932-2176

public

Semester

LPN

Baptist Health College Little Rock • 501-202-6200, 800-345-3046

private

Semester

diploma/PN, Associate of Applied Science in Nursing/RN

Black River Technical College, Pocahontas • 870-248-4000 ext. 4150

2 yr public

Semester

AAS/RN, Certificate/PN, Certificate of Proficiency/Nursing Assistant

College of the Ouachitas, Malvern • 800-337-0266 ext 1200

2 yr public

Semester

Technical Certificate in Practical Nursing, Associate of Applied Science in Nursing, Certified Nursing Assistant, Medication Administration Program

Cossatot Community College of the UA, De Queen, Nashville • 870-584-4471, 800-844-4471

2 yr public

Semester

LPN

Crowley’s Ridge Technical Institute • Forrest City • 870-633-5411

public

Semester

LPN, CNA

National Park College, Hot Springs • 501-760-4160

Public

Semester

Certificate in Practical Nursing

Northwest Technical Institute, Springdale • 479-751-8824

public

Semester

diploma/PN

Ozarka College, Melbourne • 870-368-7371

2 yr public

Semester

LPN, LPN-RN

Pulaski Technical College, North Little Rock • 501-812-2200

2 yr public

Semester

Technical Certificate in Practical Nursing/PN

Rich Mountain Community College, Mena • 479-394-7622

2 yr public

Semester

certificate/PN, LPN, CNA, RN

SAU Tech, Camden • 870-574-4500

2 yr public

Semester

Technical Certificate

South Arkansas Community College, El Dorado • 870-864-7142, 870-864-7137

2 yr public

Semester

ADN,LPN

University of Arkansas - Fort Smith • 479-788-7841, 1-888-512-LION

4 yr public

Semester

Technical Certificate

University of Arkansas at Monticello College of Technology, Crossett • 870-364-6414

2 yr public

Semester

Technical Certificate in Practical Nursing

University of Arkansas Comm. College at Morrilton • 501-354-2465

2 public

Semester

LPN-certificates AAS-LPN, RN

University of Arkansas Community College at Hope • 870-777-5722

2 yr public

Semester

certificate/PN

BACCALAUREATE

DEGREES OF

NURSING

W

hether you’re looking to attend school for two years or four, part-time or full, Arkansas’s colleges and universities have a number of programs that will get you on the path to a nursing career.

ASSOCIATE DEGREE Associate degree programs, offered by two-year and four-year colleges and universities, must meet the requirements of a regional accreditation association and be approved by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing.

At the completion of the program, the student is awarded an associate of science (AS) or associate of science in nursing (ASN) degree. The graduate is then eligible to take the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Licensure Examination (NCLEX) to become a registered nurse.

BACCALAUREATE DEGREE Baccalaureate programs must be approved by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing and are usually offered by four-year colleges or universities. Students typically take four to five years to complete the degree requirements. At the completion of the program, the student is awarded the bachelor of science (BS) or bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree. He or she is then eligible to take the NCLEX to become a registered nurse (RN).

NURSING LICENSE LEVELS Licensed Practical Nurse Both private and public two-year and four-year institutions offer practical nurse programs, which generally take 12 months to complete.

Upon completion, the student receives a certificate and is eligible to take the NCLEX licensing exam and become a licensed practical nurse (LPN). LPNs typically work in long-term care, home health and doctor’s offices, although some hospitals employ LPNs as well.

Registered Nurse Both two-year and four-year colleges and universities offer registered nurse programs that are divided into two categories: an associate’s degree and a baccalaureate degree. There are also diploma programs that prepare students to become registered nurses without earning an associate’s or baccalaureate degree. Before going to work, the graduate is required to pass the NCLEX examination.

Advanced Practice Nurse Advanced practice nurses (APNs) have at least a master’s degree in a specialized area of nursing practice. They may practice independently or in collaboration with a physician. APNs must pass an advanced licensing exam and may work as nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, clinical nurse specialists or other specialty areas.

ASSOCIATE DEGREE

DIPLOMA/Associate of Applied Science Degree In Nursing

PRACTICAL NURSING

12 • NURSES GUIDE 2015 • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES

*** for Basic nursing education; Varies with previous coursework or nursing license; MSN program = 2 yrs

To compile this, forms were sent to every qualified college and university with in

Length Of Program

Living Arrangements

Aid Deadline

Scholarship Deadline

Required Exams

Application Deadline

Comments/Home Page Address

varies

on campus housing for Jonesboro

July 1st

February 15th

ACT or SAT or COMPASS or ASSET; HESI A2 Nursing Admission Exam

varies

Nursing programs are accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. • Graduate Certificates offered: Addiction Studies, Aging Studies, Healthcare Management, Health Sciences Education, Healthcare Emergency Management; Graduate Degrees offered: MSN-Adult Health, MSN-Family Nurse Practitioner, MSN-Nurse Anesthesia, and DNP-Nursing Practice. www.astate.edu

BSN-4yrs, RN to BSN-1yr, MSN-2yrs

on campus housing

varies

varies

BSN-ACT or COMPASS, RN to BSN-None, MSN-GRE

March 1st and October 1st, other programs vary

RN to BSN can be completed in as little as 1 year. Excellent Faculty. www.atu.edu/nursing

BSN 4 yrs

on campus housing

June 1st

Rolling

ACT or SAT

Rolling/$50

Quality nursing education with a focus on Christian service and professionalism. www.harding.edu

4 yrs

on campus housing

June

varies

ACT, SAT, or COMPASS

Feb 15th

NCLEX pass rates are above the national average at Henderson State University - the school with a heart. We offer small nursing classes and are CCNE accredited. www.hsu.edu

4 yrs BSN 2yrs/ADN, 2-4 yrs online RN-BSN Completion program

on campus housing

July 1st

Priority March 15, Final August

ACT, ADN HESI Admission

September 30 for LPN to RN Transition or February 28 for Summer 2014 LPN to RN Transition

SAUM has an LPN to RN track for current LPNs or Vocational Nurses. www.saumag.edu/nursing

4 years for BSN, 3-5 semesters RN to BSN, 2 years part-time MSN, 3 years full-time / 4 years part-time post-BSN-DNP, 2 years part-time post-MSN-DNP

on campus housing for BSN students

March 15th

November 15th

SAT, ACT, GRE for the MSN and BSN-DNP

Varies

We offer generalist and advanced nursing degree programs to prepare nurses to meet the health needs of the public in an ever-changing health care environment. The DNP offers two options: family nurse practitioner and acute-geriatric nurse practitioner. nurs.uark.edu

7 semester BSN, 3 semester RN to BSN Completion

on/off campus housing

April 1st

February 1st

ACT/SAT for students with less than 12 credits.

Rolling

BSN completion for current RNs or recent graduates of an accredited nursing program. UALR students can Ladder into the online BSN and graduate within 4 years. www.ualr.edu/nursing

4 yrs/BSN, MSN varies, PMC varies, DNP 2yrs

on campus housing available

July 1st

February 28 - University Scholarships | March 11 Foundation Scholarships

see website

varies by program, see website for dates

CCNE Accredited BSN & MSN, RN Completion Program, www.uca.edu/nursing

4 yrs for BSN/Varies for RN-BSN

on campus housing

Priority March 15th

June 1st

ACT/COMPASS

Oct 1st for Spring/ March 1st for Fall

RN-BSN is an Online Completion Program. health.uafs.edu/#

2 to 4 yrs

on campus housing

contact financial aid (870) 460-1050

March 1st

none

March 1st

Achieve your nursing goals with us. www.uamont.edu/Nursing/academicprograms.htm

BSN generic: 2 yrs+1 summer/ RN to BSN: 1 yr full time/ MNSC& PhD: students have up to 6 yrs to complete degree requirements.

on campus housing

varies, visit nursing.uams.edu.

Click on scholarships

varies, visit nursing.uams.edu click on scholarships

TOEFL for int’l students, MNSc-MAT or GRE, PhD-GRE, ATI TEAS V for BSN applicants.

BSN generic: March 1st/ RN to BSN: March 1st, July 1st & November 1st/ MNSC: September 1st & April 1st/ PhD: March 1st/ DNP-March 1st

conadmissions@uams.edu • www.nursing.uams.edu

2 year

commuter campus

Priority April 15

Priority March 15

COMPASS or ACT and PAXRN

RN- March 31, PN- March 31

ANC offers the RN, LPN, and LPN to RN programs of study www.anc.edu

varies

on campus housing for Jonesboro

July 1st

February 15th

ACT, SAT, COMPASS, or ASSET; HESI A2 Nursing Admission Exam

varies

The mission of the School of Nursing is to educate, enhance and enrich students for evolving professoinal nursing practice. www.astate.edu

varies

commuter campus

Priority April 15

varies

STEP

March 15th, October 1st

www.atu.edu/ozark

2 yrs

commuter campus

April 15th

varies

ACT, ASSET / Nursing Pre-entrance exams, COMPASS

varies

Allied health program offering RN-Nursing degree (basic students, LPN completion). www.eacc.edu

2 yrs

commuter campus

Priority April 15 - Rolling

Priority April 15

PAX-RN

March 31st

www.mccc.cc.ar.us

2 yrs

commuter campus

open

open

ACT, SAT or College Entry Exam, & TEAS

First Monday in March

Options for LPN and new High School seniors. www.np.edu

RN-2 yr; LPN-RN-1yr; PN-1yr

commuter campus

Pell Grant June 30

June 15th

ACT, COMPASS

varies with program

Northark’s students receive excellent healthcare education leading to rewarding careers in nursing. www. northark.edu/academics/areas-of-study/health-and-medical/index

4 semesters

commuter campus

June 1st and November 1st

April 1st

ACT or COMPASS TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills)

First Monday in March and First Monday in November

The college of the NWA community, member of Northwest Arkansas Nursing Education Consortium. www. nwacc.edu/academics/nursing

AAS 63 credit hrs, PN 54 credit hrs

commuter campus

Federal and state dedadlines observed.

none

Nelson Denny Reading Test 10th grade level for ADN; None for PN admission.

RN June 1st, PN June 1st or Oct 1st

RN Program, ACEN accredited. www.pccua.edu

PN-1 yr, Generic RN-5 Semesters

commuter campus

open

none

ACT, COMPASS, PAX for PN,KAPLAN Admission Exam

Second Friday in March

Changing lives…one student at a time! www.seark.edu

4 semesters

on/off campus housing

April 1st

February 1st

ACT/SAT/Compass for students with less than 12 credits.

Priority Application Deadline Feb 28/ Applications accepted until class full.

LPN/Paramedic to RN (1 year). Traditional AAS (2 years). Accelerated AAS (18 months). See above for BSN information. www.ualr.edu/nursing

11 mos, Generic RN program is 16 mos.

commuter campus

varies

March 1- High school Academic; July 15- Others; Nursing Scholarship- Dec. 1

ASSET, ACT, SAT or COMPASS**, KAPLAN Nurse Entrance Test

PN May 1 - LPN to RN July15 - Generic RN entry deadline is May 1st

UACCB’s nursing programs are among the top programs in the state. www.uaccb.edu

12 months (excludes prerequisites)

commuter campus

none

none

ASSET, ACT or COMPASS

August 31st

www.arnec.org, www.uacch.edu

RN traditonal track 3 semesters + general education courses PN 1yr. RN Accelerated 1yr (LPNs or Paramedics).

commuter campus

March 1st priority

varies

ACT or SAT

RN traditional track/PN program: July 1st & December 1st , RN Accelerated: December 1st

www.bhclr.edu

79 weeks

off campus only

none

none

ACT

Applications accepted until classes filled. $35 application fee.

www.jrmc.org/schoolofnursing

13 months

commuter campus

Priority April 15th

Priority April 15th

COMPASS or ACT and PAX-PN

March 31st

Variety of clinical experiences. www.anc.edu

11 mos

commuter campus

varies

June 1st

ACT/COMPASS and Questionnaire

Call for further information

Application packet and program requirements are online. www.asub.edu

11-22 mos

commuter campus

varies

varies

ACT, COMPASS, TEAS

Fall-April 30, Spring-Oct 15

Application packet and program requirements online. www.asumh.edu

1 yr

commuter campus

contact financial aid

varies

COMPASS, TEAS

August class- June 1, January class- Oct 15

Application packet and program requirements online. www.asun.edu

3 semesters

commuter campus

Priority April 15

varies

TEAS

March 15th, October 1st

Clinical experience in hospitals of varying size, physicians’ offices and geriatric facilities. www.atu.edu/ozark

11 mos

commuter campus

none

none

ASSET, NET

June 1 & November 1

Combines classroom instruction with clinical experience. Graduates eligible to take NCLEX.

2 semester PN

commuter campus

Priority March 1st

varies

ACT or SAT

Dec 1st & June 1st

www.bhclr.edu

AAS/RN 3 semesters, Certificate/PN 3semesters, Certificate of Proficiency/ Nursing Assistant 5 weeks.

commuter campus

contact financial aid office

April 15th

ACT or COMPASS for BRTC Admission and NA Applicants; TEASV for PN Applicants, NACE for RN Applicants.

NA - Contact Nursing department, PN April 1 for following fall acceptance and October 31 for following spring acceptance, August 31 annually for following Spring RN acceptance.

BRTC: A college of vision. BRTC has a 95% plus boards pass rate. www.blackrivertech.org

1-3 semesters

commuter campus

open

Fall-May1, Spring-Dec 1

COMPASS

First Friday in September / Spring, First Friday in March / Fall

www.coto.edu

De Queen 11 mos Day Program, Nashville 18 mos evening program

commuter campus

varies

June 15th

COMPASS, NET

Day Program-De Queen March 1st, Evening Program-Nashville August 31st

Prerequisites required prior to admission. www.cccua.edu

LPN: 40 wks, CNA: 12 wks

commuter campus

Please contact Shelly Laird at 870.633.5411 ext. 140

varies

ASSET, TEAS

Call for more information

www.crti.ar.tec.us

11 mos FT

commuter campus

none

none

College Entry Exam, TEAS

First Monday in March

Do you want to make a difference? Then nursing is for you! www.np.edu

3 sem. & 1 Summer session (includes Pre-Reqs)

commuter campus

July 1/Fall, December 1/Spring

June 1/Fall, December 1/Spring

NET, COMPASS

November 1st

Bilingual scholarships available- www.nwansged.org

11-18 mos

commuter campus

none

March 1st

Wonderlic, TEAS, LPN STEP

April 1/Fall, November 1/Spring August 31 - RN

Providing life-changing experiences through education. www.ozarka.edu

11-month traditional track/22-month non-traditional track

commuter campus

Oct. 15 for Spring, March 15 for Summer, May 15 for Fall

varies

ACT or COMPASS and Kaplan Admission Test

April 15th

Call an advisor to discuss pre-recuisites and eligibility. www.pulaskitech.edu/programs_of_study/nursing/ practical_nursing.asp 501-812-2834 or 501-812-2339

11-12 mos

commuter campus

varies, contact financial aid office

April

PSB and ACT, COMPASS

LPN-March, RN-Sept

www.rmcc.edu

11 mos

commuter campus and on-campus

N/A

March 1st

ASSET. TEAS. Practical Nursing

June 1st

Two Applications required: admissions and nursing. www.sautech.edu

11 mos

commuter campus

June 1, November 1, April 1

Priority April 1st

ACT, ASSET, or COMPASS

open

SouthArk: Where students come first. www.southark.edu

12 mos

on campus housing

Priority March 15th

June 1st

ACT/COMPASS/NLN PAX-PN

May 1st for Fall

health.uafs.edu/#

11 mos

commuter campus

varies

March 1st

ACT, COMPASS, ASSET, or SAT and TEAS

April 15th

Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. www. uamont.edu/uamctc

3 semesters - 2yr

commuter campus

prior to semester

April 1st

COMPASS, NET Gap

LPN-June 1st, AASLPN-Oct 1st, RN-Aug 31st

Enrollment limited to 20 each admission for LPN. www.uaccm.edu

10.5 months (excludes prerequisites)

commuter campus

none

none

ASSET, ACT or COMPASS

May 15th

www.uacch.edu

nstructions to return by a specified deadline. Those schools not meeting the deadline were repeated from last year. Every attempt is made to gather and verify the information.

ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES • NURSES GUIDE 2015 • 13

NURSES GUIDE 2015

NURSING OFFERS LIFELONG OPPORTUNITIES FOR EDUCATION AND ADVANCEMENT.

The Life Cycle of a Nurse: The Middle Years… and Beyond A

sk 10 nurses who started working at the same time in the

JACOB SLATON

but she felt a calling to be an educator as well. Once reducing falls — a major cause of injury she left the military, she went into K-12 education and for older people — and with a colleague, same job 15 years ago what they’re doing today and you’re spent the next 23 years as a school nurse, teacher, and created a statistical tool called the Hester likely to get 10 very different answers. The profession of nursing head of a small private Christian school in Little Rock.

Davis Scale that’s used to predict which Along the way, she earned a master’s and doctorate patients were most at risk for falling and is one that allows for tremendous career growth and encourages in education. for being injured if they fall. The system lifelong learning — through formal degree programs, certification Now she’s back at the bedside, working as an inhas been so successful that UAMS decided in a specialty area, or even just through workplace seminars. patient obstetrics nurse at UAMS and contemplating to market it to other hospitals, and it’s the next phase of her career. now used across the country.

“You can do so much in nursing,” Washington said.

“The innovation we created touches the lives of 65 For nurses who’ve got a few years of experience “You can do one thing, then go do something else million people across the US every day,” said Hester, under their belts, the career possibilities are almost and get refreshed, and then come back. Nursing is who is also an entrepreneur and heads a start-up endless. It’s becoming more and more common for company that markets and services the Hester Davis nurses to pursue master’s and even doctoral degrees the profession.”

Scale. “It’s really cool and it feels really good.” to give them advanced education and training in their Setting goals is vital, said Tammy Diamond-Wells, Nurse Cheryl Washington’s career is a great example chosen area of specialty. In the past decade, Arkansas’s MSN, RN, a nursing director at Arkansas Children’s of how nursing can combine with another passion to colleges and universities have added a number of Hospital. ACH has a career mapping tool that nurses create a role that is truly tailor-made for an individual’s master’s and doctoral programs in nursing — usually can use to create their plan, she said. talents and interests. Washington spent 10 years as all online.

“The learner identifies what they aspire to be, and an Air Force nurse after she graduated from college, Some will choose a single career path — in education, the management teams helps to set small goals to for example, or advanced help achieve that,” she said. practice nursing, or even Continuing her education up the career ladder of has been a consistent theme bedside nursing — and throughout Samantha Tate’s some hop from one path career at White River Health to another to another System in Batesville. Tate as their situations and started out as a licensed interests change. practical nurse — a position Amy Hester, PhD, RN, that requires less training earned her bachelor’s than a registered nurse degree in nursing from and has a narrower range UAMS in 1994. Since of duties. She completed then, she’s worked as a RN training, though, and medical-surgical nurse on while working as a medicalthe hospital floor, in the surgical nurse, she also got outpatient neurosurgery additional training in critical clinic, in administration, care, advanced cardiac life and — most recently — as support, and chemotherapy, director of nursing research and earned her certificaand innovation at UAMS. tion in medical-surgical In that position, she looks nursing. After that, she for new ways to improve returned to college and nursing care — and she’s earned a bachelor’s degree As nurses gain experience, they may choose to stay in bedside roles or specialize in other areas, such as had phenomenal success. in nursing from Arkansas administration or informatics.

She decided to focus on State University, and was 14 • NURSES GUIDE 2015 • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES

ASH Welcomes YOU!!

Come and join our professional nursing staff.

Using trauma informed care and a patient centered approach to help foster recovery.

Labor and delivery is just one of many jobs open to new nurses. recently promoted to manager of the Inpatient Physical Rehabilitation and Recuperative Care units at White River Medical Center.

“There’s always room for advancement and growth, which is one of the many things I love about nursing,” Tate said.

“Nursing has so many options to choose from. You just have to find where you fit and hit the ground running.”

Claudia Barone, EdD, RN, APRN, is an expert in nursing education — both as a teacher and as a student. She’s been on the faculty at the UAMS College of Nursing since 1992, not only giving her students the knowledge they need, but also helping them work through challenges such as test anxiety and work/ life balance issues. Barone has lived those challenges herself: When she first graduated from nursing school, it took her three tries to pass the RN licensing exam. It was a devastating experience at the time, she said, but now she uses

that experience to help new graduates who are in a similar situation take the steps they need to be successful.

Before she joined the UAMS faculty, Barone worked as a staff nurse, clinical nurse specialist, and assistant head nurse. Over the years, Barone went back to school to earn first a master’s degree in nursing, then a doctorate in education. She’s now pursuing a second doctorate — the doctor of nursing practice degree — at UAMS. Going back to school mid-career can be a daunting prospect for nurses who are already balancing work and family, but it’s worth it, said Kristie Brockette, RN, a unit supervisor at Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock who is working to complete her bachelor’s degree online.

“You’ve just got to get back to it, even if it’s only one class,” she said. “Continuing education in this field is crucial to success.” n

“You can do so much in nursing. You can do one thing, then go do something else and get refreshed, and then come back. Nursing is the profession.”

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NURSES GUIDE 2015

Speaking the language OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND FOR BILINGUAL NURSES

A

s chief nursing officer for Conway Regional Health System, Jac-

able. But a bilingual nurse is a great asset, she said.

If the nurse shares the patient’s native language or if the nurse has passed a proficiency test, he or she is allowed to speak directly to the patient in that language, but can’t act as an interpreter for other providers.

Hernandez pointed out that being bilingual isn’t only about language. Cultural differences come into play too, and it’s important for healthcare providers to recognize and understand those differences, and take them into account as they plan the patient’s treatment.

Arkansas Children’s Hospital has Spanish-speaking health care providers at several of its clinics now, and will be looking to expand that in the coming years, said Lori Batchelor, BSN, MHA, RN, director of primary care services for ACH’s Ambulatory Care department.

“As we look forward to the future care needs of our community, we will be recruiting specifically for bilingual team members across the board, from registration and check-out to nurses,” she said.

“The Hispanic population is the fastest growing ethnicity in the United States, and meeting the needs for their children’s care can often best be accomplished by a clinical team member that speaks their native language. This also assists with building relationships of trust and cultural understanding.”

Hernandez recommends going beyond basic language classes if your goal is to be able to function as a bilingual nurse.

“Immerse yourself as much as you can,” she said.

“Take the college courses and then travel abroad.

That’s the best way to learn the language.”

But even just picking up some basic conversational Spanish goes a long way, Hernandez said.

“A lot of our providers know enough to just say ‘Open your mouth, stick out your tongue,’ or ‘I’m Dr. So-and So, welcome to UAMS.’ That just makes such a difference. It puts the patient at ease because they see the doctor is making an effort to understand them and meet them halfway. It’s very important for any provider to just have a basic understanding of language and culture.

“I always tell people, ‘Imagine if you were in China traveling and you broke your leg. How would you feel if you went to the hospital and nobody speaks your language?’ It’s so important to be able to get Bilingual nurses and medical interpreters, such as these Spanish-language interpreters at UAMS, make sure all patients the information in a way you can understand.” n can get information about their health in their native languages.

UAMS

speaking.

The most recent U.S. Census quelyn Wilkerson has a list of qualities she looks for in applicants figures show that just over 7 perfor nursing positions. There’s education, of course, and experience, and cent of Arkansas’s population — in other words, more than 200,000 evidence that the candidate can function well as part of a team. And then people — speak a language other there’s one other skill that you might not think of in relation to nursing. than English at home. The most common is Spanish, but a sizable number speak Vietnamese, Marshallese, and others.

“When I see ‘bilingual’ on an application, that is like Many speak at least some English, said Mariella Hergold,” Wilkerson said. “That is such an asset to have. nandez, supervisor of interpreting services at UAMS, It’s definitely one thing that would be great to pick up but healthcare providers want to make sure patients if you were going into nursing.” understand exactly what’s going on with their care.

There’s a huge demand for nurses who can speak UAMS has several full-time Spanish/English interpreta second language. They don’t necessarily function ers on staff who have specialized training in medical as official interpreters — that’s a separate role with interpreting, and — like most hospitals — subscribe its own skill set and education requirements — but to a telephone-based interpreting service for other are simply able to ask and answer patients’ questions languages or when an in-person interpreter isn’t availin the language the patient feels most comfortable

16 • NURSES GUIDE 2015 • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES

Keep the fire burning B

urnout is an issue in any profession, but especially so in one as intense as nursing. The hours can be long, the work physically hard and emotionally demanding. And nurses are natural caretakers, so they’re more inclined to put their own needs behind those of everyone else in their lives. Here are some tips from nurses about ways to take care of yourself while you’re taking care of your patients:

TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH. Many hospitals have wellness programs to encourage staff members to care for their own health as much as they care for their patients’. Making time to eat healthfully, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep is a crucial tool in the fight against burnout. n

AMY HESTER

NURSES NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES, TOO

Taking time for personal hobbies — such as fishing, nurse Amy Hester’s choice — is important to help avoid burnout.

VALUE YOURSELF MORE THAN YOU VALUE YOUR PROFESSION. Know when your plate is full, and understand that it’s OK to say “no” when you get there. “If you have nothing to pour out and give, it does the patient no good,” said Tammy Diamond-Wells, a nursing director at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. “You have to pour back into yourself.”

BE REALISTIC. It’s important to have goals, says Amy Hester, PhD, director of nursing research and innovation at UAMS, but it’s also important to take into consideration all the different aspects of your life. “Sometimes you want to go into a particular direction but life has other demands,” she said. “You don’t want to set yourself up for failure.”

CHALLENGE YOURSELF. Doing the same job for too long can cause burnout whether it’s stressful work or not. Always build in ways to learn new skills or get involved in different activities at work. “It’s important to maintain openmindedness, to realize you don’t know it all,” said Jessica Rouse, nurse manager at Rivendell Behavioral Health Services.

“The field is always changing and growing. I never want to be quoted as having said ‘Oh yeah, I got this!’ no matter how well trained or experienced.”

TALK ABOUT IT. When tornadoes tore through Vilonia and Mayflower in 2014, Conway Regional Health System was inundated with injured people. The hospital’s staff really pulled together that night and took care of everyone that came in, but after it was over, they took time to talk through their experiences together. It was important to allow the nurses to work through their own trauma, said Jacquelyn Wilkerson, Conway Regional’s chief nursing officer.

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ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES • NURSES GUIDE 2015 • 17

NURSES GUIDE 2015

O

40 Under 40

ne oversees staff education programs at a

That’s where the 40 Under 40 program comes in, Beverly major hospital. Another spearheads efforts to said. By recognizing emerging improve the way nurses care for the most fragile nurse leaders, the Arkansas Action Coalition puts a spotinfants. Others work in university classrooms making light on both what’s happening sure tomorrow’s nurses have the intellectual and in the profession and what’s possible when nurses are fully clinical skills they need to provide excellent care. empowered as leaders.

“This is an opportunity for society to They’re among the Arkansas Action better understand nurses,” she said. “We Coalition’s inaugural 40 Under 40 class, at times seem to have difficulty explaining chosen by a panel of their colleagues to individuals what nursing is today in based on their leadership contributions our health care system. As we recognize within the profession of nursing. And these individuals we want them to see they’re just what Arkansas nursing needs the various activities and services that for the future. they’re engaged in providing.”

“This is a way that we can recognize Several hundred nurses were nominated nurses for their outstanding work and statewide by colleagues, supervisors, and maybe stimulate others to do really others. The nominees were pretty equally cutting edge work,” said Claudia Beverly, divided between academic settings and PhD, director of the Hartford Center for hospitals, Beverly said.

Geriatric Nursing Excellence at the UAMS “These individuals were identified as College of Nursing and co-leader of the being outstanding leaders in their field Arkansas Action Coalition. already,” Beverly said. “We will be nurturing The Arkansas Action Coalition is a them and expecting to see that they are group of nurses and other stakeholdthe nurses of the future and will lead the ers that is working toward a number of profession in a very strong way.” nursing-related goals set in 2010 by the The nominees were announced last respected Institute of Medicine in its spring, and honored at a reception at landmark Future of Nursing report. One Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Funding of the primary goals is to increase the for the 40 Under 40 program came from number of nurses who have bachelor’s a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson degrees or higher — specifically, that 80 Foundation. The Arkansas Action Coalipercent of RNs will have bachelor’s degrees tion is considering whether to make it by 2020. Another goal is to encourage an annual event. We’ve profiled a few of nurses to take on leadership roles both in the nominees here. their workplaces and in the community.

18 • NURSES GUIDE 2015 • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES

MEET THE NEXT GENERATION OF ARKANSAS’ NURSING LEADERS SEE THE FULL LIST ON PAGE 22

LASHOND HILL, MSN, DNP, APRN Family nurse practitioner, St. Vincent Health System To say that LaShond Hill does not waste time is a major understatement. Within just nine years of graduating with a diploma from the Baptist Health School of Nursing, Hill not only went back to school to earn a bachelor’s degree, but she completed a master’s degree and a doctorate of nursing practice degree as well. Along the way she’s also earned several certifications in different specialties. Next up: a certification in diabetes education.

“If I could be a career student, I would,” Hill said. “In order to be my best self, I have to continue to learn.”

As a family nurse practitioner, Hill provides some of the same routine primary care services that a family physician does, such as giving physicals and providing ongoing care of chronic conditions like diabetes. She would ultimately like to open her own clinic in a rural area, where physicians are in short supply, but she’s limited by state laws that require nurse practitioners to work under a collaborative agreement with a physician. Some states do allow nurse practitioners to practice independently, and Hill said she’d like to see Arkansas follow suit.

“It’s hard to find someone to collaborate with,” Hill said.

“I would love to see independent practice, because it is a barrier. A huge barrier.”

CHRIS STONE, BA, RN Instructional development specialist, UAMS Chris Stone didn’t set out to be a nurse, but once he got into the field — after a short post-college stint in advertising — he wasted no time finding his place. He went to work as a medical-surgical nurse at UAMS, and was always quick to volunteer for various committees and groups. He found he loved doing preceptorships — a kind of on-thejob training period for new nurses — and his colleagues noticed he was pretty good at it. Stone received the UAMS nurse educator of the year award in 2014.

NURSES GUIDE 2015

You Aspire Eventually, Stone said, he decided that he really wanted to move into a leadership role where he could reach more people and help make sure the latest developments in nursing reached the front-line staff.

He’s now the instructional development specialist at UAMS, focusing on staff education and orientation.

And he’s not neglecting his own education in the process. Stone is back in school working on a master’s degree in nursing, with the goal of becoming a psychiatric/mental health nurse practitioner. He’ll finish in 2018.

His career at UAMS has shown him the value of a strong mentorship program, Stone said. “Basically, whatever kind of nursing you want to be in, there’s someone who can help you through that process,” Stone said.

Dreams drive each of us. Realize your dream of a professional nursing career in our Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program. Whether you are an academically motivated traditional college student or a returning LPN or RN, your ambitions can become reality at Henderson State University.

ERIN FIFER, MSN, RN Coordinator, Arkansas Action Coalition Erin Fifer is barely into her 30s, but she’s already making her mark on the profession of nursing in big way. Within five years of going to work at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, she’d climbed the clinical career ladder to an RN IV position. She’s already earned her master’s degree in nursing education, and she’s the statewide coordinator for the Arkansas Action Coalition. Oh, and she teaches in the nursing programs at Harding University and the University of Central Arkansas, and still works as a nurse at ACH. Her ultimate career goal is to earn a PhD and teach full time as a tenured professor. But in the meantime, she’s taking full advantage of the opportunities available to younger nurses with an interest in developing their leadership abilities.

“Every day I wear a different hat,” Fifer said.

“I’ve been so blessed to have such different jobs, and ones that I love.”

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NURSES GUIDE 2015

REBEKAH THACKER, BSN, RN

couple of years, she’s been working on her bachelor’s degree, and she uses her experiences to help other nurses develop plans for continuing their own schooling. Often, that starts with just getting nurses over the initial hump and back into the academic groove.

“I’d been out of school for 10 years,” Brockette said. “I didn’t even know what an online class was.”

As a 40 Under 40 nominee, Brockette hopes to help the Arkansas Action Coalition with its focus on increasing education for nurses.

“I just want to be that resource for people who are afraid to go back,” she said.

JAMIE JONES, MSN, RN

Instructor, University of Arkansas at Little Rock Advanced practice partner, UAMS A few years she earned her neonatal intensive care unit bachelor’s degree in nursThe health care field has been ing from the University of Rebekah Thacker’s destiny Arkansas at Monticello in since she was 3 years old and JANA CORLEY, BSN, AMANDA IRBY, RN 2002, Jamie Jones moved to watching Dr. Red Duke on PBS. RN Nursing director for the Little Rock with the goal of But it didn’t quite work out like emergency department, Nurse manager, Conway pursuing her master’s degree. she’d initially planned: instead Conway Regional Medical Regional Medical Center She did eventually meet that of going straight to medical Center Jana Corley was just 12 years goal, but not before she took school after college, she took Amanda Irby chose nursold when her career as a a career-changing detour. She some time off and got a job ing as a career because she nurse was set into motion. was working a regular nursing working in the pediatric lab wanted to help patients.

She had to have a tumor job when someone mentioned at UAMS’ neonatal intensive But becoming a manager removed from her head, that UALR was hiring BSNs as care unit. has allowed her to expand and the care she received nursing instructors, on the “I just fell in love with the her focus to helping other from her nurses that day had condition that they start a NICU environment,” she said. nurses as well. a profound effect on her. master’s degree program.

And she realized that the kind of “It’s highly rewarding to “They had no idea who “I became a nursing instructor hands-on care nurses provide watch new grads or new I was, but they cared for in 2008 and the bug bit me,” was what she really wanted to ER staff members (who me as if they had known she said. “I really fell in love do with her life. are terrified) walk out of me forever,” she said. with nursing education. I love Next came a fast-track a successful Code Blue Corley graduated from the students. I love to see their nursing degree program and, resuscitation with a smile Henderson State University JAYE H E N DE RSON, ‘aha’ moments.” finally, a nursing job in the on their faces and the satand in six years has risen MSN, RN Jones teaches health care UAMS NICU. Ten years later, isfaction that they played a to the position of nurse Instructor, Eleanor Mann economics and ethics, legalities she is the advanced practice part in saving that patient’s manager over four units at School of Nursing, University and advocacy in UALR’s online partner for the NICU. Advanced life,” she said. “Nurses are Conway Regional Medical of Arkansas at Fayetteville RN-to-BSN completion program. practice partners work with vital to our well-being and I Center.

Jaye Henderson enjoyed her With a master’s degree under unit managers to make sure want to help mold and shape “I find inspiration in early career, working as a travel her belt, she’s now pursuing nurses are providing the best the nurses for the future. nursing every day from my nurse and charge nurse after a doctorate. care possible at the bedside.

People will always suffer patients, their families, my earning her bachelor’s degree Jones said she’s learned a lot Thacker is also continuing from illness or injury, and co-workers, and doctors,” from Arkansas Tech University about leadership through her her formal education, pursuing it’s important to maintain she said. “It is a beautiful in 2004. But it was while she own career, and believes in the a master’s degree in nursing nurses as anchors in the thing to work as a team was working on her master’s importance of nurses branchadministration at UAMS. She’s healthcare setting.” and know you are directly in nursing administration at ing outside their profession. hoping her participation in the aiding in the recovery of Tech a few years later that she “A lot of times nurses can 40 Under 40 program will help someone’s life.” found her true calling. bring a different perspective to the table,” she said. spread the word about the “I fell in love with informatics nursing,” “I’m looking to network and expand outside nursing value of nursing. she said. After she finished her master’s, so hopefully I can lend my expertise to others.”

“I feel like we’ve struggled to be at the table,” Thacker she landed her first real leadership position as clinisaid of nursing. “Nursing is now being recognized as cal informatics team director at Arkansas Children’s the most trusted profession. The Institute of Medicine Hospital.

JACKLYN GENTRY, MSN, RN is recognizing our place in health care.”

“We did the support and education for our cliniUndergraduate coordinator, Eleanor Mann School of cians,” Henderson said. “I got experience in teaching, Nursing, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville measuring competencies, and mentoring.”

Jacklyn Gentry always knew she wanted to be a nurse KRISTIE BROCKETTE, RN A job opportunity for her husband took Henderson educator. Becoming a nurse leader, though, “just kind Unit supervisor, Baptist Health Medical Center to Northwest Arkansas, and now she’s an instructor at of happened” — and it’s been a great fit.

For Kristie Brockette, being a leader means leading the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing at the Unversity “I can work with many different kinds of people in by example. Not only on the job, where Brockette is a of Arkasnas at Fayetteville. She’s planning to apply different settings with different teams,” she said. “Being unit supervisor at Baptist Health Medical Center, but to the PhD program in management at the U of A’s able to facilitate that kind of interworking within your outside the hospital as well. Brockette, 32, encourages Walton School of Business, with a goal of eventually own group helps keep a strong team around you.” all of the nurses she supervises to continue their returning to hospital administration.

Gentry earned her BSN from the University of Areducations, and she’s doing the same: For the last

KELLI STRACK, RN Critical Care Unit nurse, Conway Regional Medical Center Instructor of nursing, University of Central Arkansas Kelli Strack always knew she was meant to be a nurse.

“I could not drive by a hospital or walk inside without feeling that I belonged there and I was meant to be there,” she said. “I knew nursing was where my abilities would be most utilized.”

20 • NURSES GUIDE 2015 • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES

As a nurse, she’s inspired by helping someone who’s at their weakest and most vulnerable improve to the point of being able to walk out of the hospital.

And as an instructor, she values what she learns from her students as much as the opportunity to teach them.

“They inspire me daily as I see their drive to want to become a nurse,” she said. “In nursing, you learn something new every day.”

MEG PRINCE, BSN, RN Emergency room nurse manager, Conway Regional Medical Center Meg Prince has spent her entire 12-year nursing career working in the emergency room because she loves challenge of having to be a critical thinker and expect the unexpected. Taking on a leadership role has only intensified that feeling.

“Professionally, I am motivated by pushing myself to do more than I’ve done

kansas at Fayetteville in 2002 and just three years later started working on her master’s degree through the University of Phoenix so she could move into teaching. She’s now the undergraduate coordinator for the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing at the U of A and is pursuing a doctorate in education with a focus on adult and lifelong learning.

That’s an important part of being a nurse, she said.

“Even if you get your bachelor’s, you still have to be a lifelong learner in the sense that health care changes every day,” she said.

MARGARET HANSON, BSN, RN Telemetry/medical-surgical nurse, Conway Regional Medical Center The resilience of the human body has always fascinated Margaret Hanson, and getting to see that resilience in action is a big part of the reason she was drawn to nursing.

“It’s very inspiring to see my patients pull through difficult illnesses and injuries,” she said.

She stays in nursing because of the role nurses play in that process.

“I’m committed to the nursing profession because nurses make up a very important part of the healthcare team who go above and beyond every day to offer compassion and hope to their patients no matter their situation,” she said.

before, seeking new opportunities for growth and pushing my staff to do the same,” she said. “I love to have employees come in and show excitement over getting that difficult IV, doing CPR for the first time, or participating in their first trauma.”

SHANA SANDERS, RN Orthopedics nurse, Conway Regional Medical Center Nursing is not just a career choice for Shana Sanders. That drive to make a difference in people’s lives is part of her core, she said.

“I wanted to be that person who possibly changed someone’s outlook on life,” she said. “My outlook was changed when I went to Africa when I was 20 years old on a mission trip, and really felt like everyone can make a difference. You just have to have the passion and drive to do so.”

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THE FULL INAUGURAL LIST OF HONOREES INCLUDES: WESLEY BOWLIN Conway Regional Medical Center KRISTIE BROCKETTE Baptist Health ANDREA BUTLER Little Rock School District NATALIE CAPPS UAMS LANCE COBB Jefferson Regional Medical Center, Pine Bluff JANA CORLEY Conway Regional Medical Center SAMMIE CRIBBS North Arkansas Regional Medical Center, Harrison DEBORAH CROSSFIELD Arkansas Children’s Hospital ALLISON DIVINE National Park Community College, Hot Springs ERIN FIFER Arkansas Children’s Hospital JACKLYN GENTRY University of Arkansas (UA) Eleanor Mann School of Nursing TEMEKIS HAMPTON UAMS MARGARET HANSON Conway Regional Medical Center ANDREA HARRISON Conway Regional Medical Center KRISTEN JAYE HENDERSON UA Eleanor Mann School of Nursing ALLISON HESTER Little Rock School District MITCH HIGHFILL Arkansas Children’s Hospital LASHOND HILL St. Vincent Infirmary

SARA JONES UAMS College of Nursing JAMIE L. JONES University of Arkansas at Little Rock School Of Nursing JASON KETCHER Arkansas Children’s Hospital

15 Surprising Facts about Nursing IN HONOR OF THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARKANSAS TIMES’ ANNUAL GUIDE TO NURSING, WE’VE GATHERED 15 FACTS ABOUT THE PROFESSION WE’LL BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW.

STEPHANIE KITCH UAMS CARRIE LEE Arkansas Children’s Hospital HEATHER MCKNIGHT South Arkansas University DAWN MCPIKE Northeast Arkansas Child Advocacy CHRIS MILLER Arkansas Children’s Hospital JEFF PINTO UAMS MEG PRINCE Conway Regional Medical Center CLINTA “CHE” REED University of Central Arkansas School of Nursing DYANN SANDERS Conway Regional Medical Center SHANA SANDERS Conway Regional Medical Center TRACY STARKS Arkansas Medicaid in the Schools (ARMITS) CHRISTOPHER STONE UAMS KELLI STRACK Conway Regional Medical Center REBEKAH THACKER UAMS MANDIE VAUGHN Dierksen Hospice, Hot Springs JENI WARRIOR UAMS JASON WILLIAMS Arkansas Children’s Hospital

AMANDA IRBY Conway Regional Medical Center 22 • NURSES GUIDE 2015 • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES

KELLEY COOPER

JACOB BAKER Conway Regional Medical Center

NURSES GUIDE 2015

Men fill all types of nursing jobs today, including in the neonatal intensive care unit.

1 2

Nurses make up the majority of hospital staff nationwide.

3 4 5 6 7 8

There are more than 5.5 million nurses and nursing aides in the United States, which is five times the size of the US Army.

Women still make up the majority of nurses, but more men are entering the profession today than ever before.

Nurses are the most trusted healthcare professionals.

9

The poet Walt Whitman was a nurse during the Civil War, and his experiences inspired much of his poetry.

10 11

The percentage of nurses under the age of 40 has dropped from 54 percent in 1980 to less than 30 percent today.

12

The first person to earn a nursing diploma in the United States was Linda Richards in 1873.

13

The first hospital training school for nurses, established in Germany in 1846, was called the Institute for Protestant Deaconesses.

14

Nursing is one of the fastest growing occupations in the United States.

One out of every four nurses works part time.

The median salary for a registered nurse nationwide is about $66,640.

15

About 43 percent of hospitals and other healthcare settings require new nurses to have at least a bachelor’s degree.

Nurses have a lot of autonomy. They don’t just stand around waiting for orders from a doctor.

Depending on their specialty, advanced practice registered nurses can earn six-figure salaries.

Nurses are jacks-of-all-trades. They do whatever needs to be done; they may be a counselor, a carpenter, or anything else that the patient or family needs on a given day.

ConwayRegional.org/Jobs ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES • NURSES GUIDE 2015 • 23

we Choose the Best. Choose UAMS.

the heart of UAMS Nursing

Whether you’re looking for the right place to further your education or the right place to work, UAMS is the best choice for you.

UAMS College of Nursing* is offering the Accelerated RN to BSN or RN to BSN/ MNSc program.

Program completion in 12 to 18 months 7 ½ week courses 5 start dates throughout the year *Arkansas’ most comprehensive nursing college offering BSN, MNSc (7 specialties), DNP, BSN-PhD and PhD degrees.

Visit nursing.uams.edu for Student Recruitment

24 • NURSES GUIDE 2015 • ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO ARKANSAS TIMES

Already a nurse and looking for the best place to work? Nurses are the heart of UAMS. 10% retirement match Tuition discount (up to 90%) at UA System college for you and/or dependents Loan assistance available for nurses or nursing students Visit nurses.uams.edu for Nurse Recruitment