nurses guide 2010

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2010

WHY YOUSHOULDBECOME ANURSE

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WHY YOU SHOULD BECOME A NURSE

Meet the Recruiters

JENAFER WRAYRecruiter/Pre-nursing AdvisorArkansas State University, Jonesboro

Our student friendly environment offers multiple routes to become an RN. The AASN program is available on the Jonesboro campus and the distant site campuses of ASU Beebe, ASU Mountain Home and MidSouth Community College. BSN programs at Jonesboro include traditional, LPN to BSN, accelerated Second Degree and an online RN to BSN. Graduate courses are offered in traditional classroom, web assisted or online and options include Family Nurse Practitioner, CRNA, Adult Health Clinical Nurse Specialist, Nurse Educator and Nurse Administrator. ASU School of Nursing is looking for qualified applicants that have a passion for helping others. For information see the School of Nursing website, http://www2.astate.edu/a/conhp/nursing/index.dot

TIFFANY TERRELL, COURTNEY MULLEN, BRANDIE GRIFFIN, CARA SLONERecruitersArkansas Tech University, Russellville

At Arkansas Tech, we believe nursing is a caring relationship that facili-tates health and healing.

JULIE WURM

Enrollment CoordinatorBaptist Health Schools Little Rock

BHSLR has nine programs of study in nursing and allied health fields. We feel like we offer something for everyone with our variety of programs ranging from one year certificates to a two year associates degree and several bachelors degrees in conjunction with our affiliates and uni-versities and colleges. We are looking for qualified applicants who are mature, caring and want to make a difference in the lives of others. To find out more about our school please visit our website at bhslr.edu or email [email protected]

DR. BERNADETTE FINCHERChairperson, Department of Nursing Southern Arkansas University, Magnolia

The Department of Nursing at SAU offers a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing (BSN), an Associate of Science degree in nursing (ADN), and an online completion program for registered nurses leading to a BSN. Nursing is one of the most challenging, rewarding and versatile careers available today. The faculty at SAU dedicates their time and efforts to support students in reaching their goal of becoming a registered nurse. If you have questions or would like to speak to a nursing advisor, please contact us at 870-235-4331.

BRIGET COLLINS Academic CounselorUALR Department of Nursing

The UALR Department of Nursing offers two Nationally accredited pro-gram options: AS in Nursing and an RN-BSN online completion program. Both programs will offer you a curriculum that is contemporary in focus and will give you the competencies you need for either beginning RN practice or continuing your career pathway. Our nursing programs are known nationally as models of ongoing program assessment and we are always looking at ways to improve your learning and success. For more information on the UALR ASN and BSN completion programs, please visit www.ualr.edu/nursing

OSMONETTA MCRAEEducation RecruiterUniversity of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

College recruitment starts early. My mission as the recruiter is to serve as the primary point of contact and to provide educational presentations at various events around Arkansas and the surrounding areas. My purpose is to assist prospective students with the admissions process and make them better prepared and more competitive when it is time to apply to UAMS CON. Anyone interested in a career in nursing is encouraged to contact me at 501.296.1040 or by email at [email protected].

KATHLEEN BARTA (left) Associate Professor of Nursing

ELIZABETH SULLIVAN, (right) Coordinator of Student Recruitment

Eleanor Mann School of Nursing,University of Arkansas, Fayetteville

At the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing at the University of Arkansas, we will teach you what you need for a rewarding career caring for oth-ers. To learn more about the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, contact Elizabeth Sullivan at 479-575-6655 or [email protected]. For practicing nurses, our advanced degree will take you to new heights. To learn more about the Master of Science in Nursing, contact Kathleen Barta at [email protected].

BARBARA LANDRUM, PhD, RN, CNE

Nursing Department ChairHenderson State University, Arkadelphia

The professional baccalaureate nursing program at Henderson State University combines a liberal arts education with theoretical and clinical nursing education. Smaller class size allows faculty to know students. Clinical experiences occur in a variety settings and locations to enhance student learning. Students are encouraged to engage in student nurse, athletic, and university activities. Nursing graduates are novice generalist nurses who incor-porate holistic concepts of humanity, environment, and health in their practice. Henderson’s Baccalaureate of Science in Nursing program provides students with the scientific, theoretical, research, and evidence-based foundation necessary for graduate studies. The RN to BSN track provides flexibility with both face-to-face and online classes.

SCHOOLSGAIL BURTONPractical Nursing Program DirectorArkansas State University, Beebe

Where are U? Where would U like to be? If you would like to be a LPN, and have job security, good pay, be in demand and be respected, we are looking for U. The ASU-Beebe Practical Nursing Program is a student centered environment with state of the art technology to assist the student in becoming a Licensed Practical Nurse. We are looking for dedicated, enthusiastic individuals who enjoy a challenge, want to learn and become caring, capable LPNs. Our dynamic interactive simulation environment allows students to experience situations of the real nursing environment in a safe, classroom/laboratory environment. Learn more about our program, by going to www.asub.edu and choose Nursing under the A to Z sec-tion or go to: http://csntweb.asub.edu/atah-div/LPN/index.html .


HOSPITALS

Ever wish you could hear first-hand from the people that are recruiting you? Meet the ones who make the world of nursing go round! College and hospital nurse recruiters tell what they’re looking for in a candidate, what they offer and more.

NURSE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION TEAMArkansas 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 ranging from direct patient care to staff education, research and evidence based practice, administration, and nursing informatics. 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 interviewing applicants, we look for those individuals who have a true passion for the profession of pediatric nursing.

REBECCA BROSIUSNurse RecruiterSt. Vincent Health System

As the Nurse Recruiter for the premier faith based organization in Arkansas, I seek out nurses that exhibit our core values of reverence, integrity, compassion, and excellence. Whereas technical skills can be taught to an individual, it is very difficult to teach attitude. Nurses at St. Vincent Health System are at the core of the healing ministry of Jesus Christ that was started at this institution over 100 years ago. 501-552-3738, www.stvincenthealth.com

SUSAN ERICKSON, RN, MNSc, BC, CHCR

Nurse RecruiterUniversity of Arkansas for Medical SciencesThere is a Circle of Excellence that surrounds everyone who works at UAMS. It starts with respect and ends with excellence and it’s what we expect from those who chose a career at Arkansas’s only academic medical center. We offer unique opportunities combined with salary & benefits plus the personal satisfaction you receive working at UAMS – it’s hard to beat. That’s why more than 10,000 employees enjoy a Career for Life. To join our team, log onto: www.uams.edu/jobs.

STEPHANIE SISKEmployment CoordinatorWhite River Health System, Batesville

White River Health System’s mission is to promote healthier communities and provide quality, efficient healthcare in an atmosphere of compassion, respect, and dignity. We are looking for nursing professionals who want to make a difference in the lives of our patients. Successful candidates should have exceptional clinical skills and a desire to serve and impact the lives of our patients – to a make a difference. WRHS is looking for the best and brightest! [email protected] or 877-779-7774.

DEBBIE ROBINSONNurse RecruiterJefferson Regional Medical Center, Pine Bluff

None of the successes of JRMC would have been possible without a strong nursing staff, and we’re excited to see the talented people join-ing the field today. Nursing has changed substantially, but some things remain the same. As JRMC pediatrician Tom Ed Townsend says, “Good nurses are a gift from God.”

TONYA RINEYEmployment CoordinatorSt. Bernards Medical Center, Jonesboro

We look for employees that live our Mission! Our Mission is “To provide Christ-like healing to the community through education, treatment, and health services.” At St. Bernards our expectations are high and our commitment to our employees runs deep. We are constantly looking for ways to improve operations, enhance employee experience, and also grow professionally. Please visit our website if you are interested in employment opportunities at St. Bernards. www.stbernards.info Thank you for choosing St. Bernards!

Left to right: Yvonne Pendergraft, RN Nurse Recruiter; Michelle S. Odom, RN, MSN Director of Nurse Recruitment and Retention; Barbara Johns, RN Nurse Recruiter; Brenda Trice, Nurse Recruiter; and Denise Cook, Nurse Recruiter

MELANIE CRNICNurse RecruiterConway Regional Health System

We realize nursing isn’t just an occupation — it’s a calling. At the very center of patient care, our nurses seem to have superhuman strength and skills, often working behind the scenes expertly managing a number of tasks at once; discussing a patient’s plan of care with their physician, keeping accurate and detailed records, dispensing life-saving medica-tions, recognizing critical changes in a patient’s condition. But the most important thing they do is take care of the families and loved ones of our community and make sure patients get the care they deserve. Conway Regional strives to recruit the best nurses in the area — offering benefits and wages that rival any in the Little Rock area. Check us out at www.conwayregional.org or call me at (501)513-5410 to discuss your options or arrange for a tour.

BOB STOBAUGH, RN

Nurse RecruiterBaptist Health

Baptist Health realizes that we do a much better job taking care of patients if we also take care of our employees. That’s why we not only offer top quality healthcare, dental, and vision plans; we continuously offer additional benefits that reflect employee suggestions. We look for nurses who combine critical thinking with compassion, nurses who are truly extraordinary. We continually strive to maintain a friendly environment in which we care for our nurses the same way we care for our patients—with passion and concern.

JAMES SCOGGINS, JD, RN (left)Director of Nursing

BRYAN HALL RN, BSN, MS, (right)Assistant Director of Nursing

Arkansas State Hospital

At the Arkansas State Hospital we are on the cut-ting 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. If you are 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 visit our website at arstatejobs.com or call 501-686-9400.


Today’s economy has changed everything. Unlike a few years ago, when experts talked

about critical shortages for nurses, today’s market is tight. According to the National League for Nursing, the market is flooded with experienced but unemployed nurses. As if that wasn’t bad enough, many returned from retirement while others put off their retirement plans for the foreseeable future. Making matters worse, the number of patients seeking elective medical treatment has also dropped.

Ouch!Alengo Crook, an RN at St. Vincent Health

System-North says she has seen slowdowns before, but instead of worrying about it, she recommends adapting to change.

“Remain eager to try or learn new things,” she says.

Maria Whitt, director of nursing excellence and education at St. Vincent Health System, says, “While nursing provides a wide variety of opportunities for the individual, the slow economy

has made it more difficult to find a job.” As a matter of fact, she’s fielding employment

inquires and applications from around the country. Last month, she received calls from Florida, Texas and Louisiana.

“These were [calls] from experienced nurses asking about jobs,” she says.

That makes for stiffer competition in central Arkansas.

AREAS OF NEEDSusan Erickson, RN, nurse recruiter at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, says for both new graduates and experienced nurses, there are pockets of need all over the country, including central Arkansas.

UAMS is also receiving resumes from around the country, Erickson says, and suggests that job-hunting nurses check out listings of resources such as the Arkansas Healthcare Human Resources Association (AHHRA). It can be found at Arkansas Hospital Association’s Website at http://www.

arkhospitals.org.“It provides some great leads,” she says.For those who had their heart set on a larger

hospital but aren’t finding a job, experts suggest widening your search.

“My advice is to keep your options open,” Whitt says. “Don’t focus on a single area; instead keep your sights on your long-term goal.”

In addition to health care facilities, there are a large number of employers looking for RNs. For instance, consider doctor’s offices, clinics, schools, large corporations or even a clinic set-ting like the one run by St. Vincent inside the Walmart Supercenter on Maumelle Boulevard in North Little Rock.

“We continue to get calls from clinics and long-term care facilities, and while it may not be that dream job on the day shift in an intensive care unit, it will give the new graduate experi-ence,” says Dr. Ann Schlumberger, dean of the nursing department at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

The obvious places are easy, but the down-side is that a large number of people are applying for a small pool of jobs.

For instance, psych nurses continue to be in demand.

“Don’t overlook jobs in places or institutions off the beaten path,” says James Scoggins, nursing director at Arkansas State Hospital. “It’s hard at times, but very rewarding.”

Tammy Hawkins, director of the Flo and Phil Jones Hospice House at St. Bernards Regional Medical Center, says it’s good to keep your options open.

“When I went to school, I never heard of hospice care, but as the number of baby boomers who need health care increases, I see employ-ment opportunities. More nurses will be needed in hospice and home care, and I believe this is a growing area with lots of possibilities for nurses,” Hawkins says.

Whatever happens, you shouldn’t give up on your dream nursing job. Mary Daggett, assistant

The economyand nursing


An Arkansas Children’s Hospital nurse plays UNO with a dialysis patient.

MAKE IT WORK FOR YOU

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vice president of patient care services at Jefferson Regional Medical Center says although they have few open positions at their Pine Bluff facility, you never know when something will open up.

When looking for a job, leave no stone unturned, Erickson says. Talk to your instructors. Ask them for references or to put in a good word for you with any contacts they have. Don’t be shy. Contact the nurse recruiter at any health care facility you would like to work in, and let that person know that you’re interested in working there.

FROM AROUND THE STATE“If you have to, put your future career goals on hold, but pay attention and get as much experi-ence as you can. You never know where a job will lead you, and don’t overlook opportunities at smaller facilities,” Erickson says.

Despite the economy, rural Arkansas is expe-riencing a real need.

“Our nursing graduates are finding jobs, espe-cially if they’re willing to broaden their search to the surrounding areas,” Schlumberger says.

White River medical Center in Batesville is currently hiring and has RN positions available.

In fact, there are RN positions open in almost every area of the hospital, and new graduates and experienced nurses might be able to find their dream position, says Michelle Bishop, nurse director at White River Medical Center.

Dr. Sue McLarry, school of nursing chair at Arkansas State University at Jonesboro says her graduating students—most of whom remain in the area—aren’t having trouble finding jobs at nearby facilities.

Dr. Rebecca Burris, head of the nursing depart-ment at Arkansas Tech University at Russellville,

reports the same, as does Gail Burton, RN, the practical nurse p rogram director at Arkansas State University at Beebe.

“Once our students graduate, they are finding jobs in Searcy, Jacksonville, Cabot, Conway as well as closer to home,” Burton says.

Besides, there are advantages to

working at a smaller hospital—you’re exposed to more units and you might find an area that suits you, Burris says.

Whether they’re returning to their hometown or looking for a spot in the big city, Baptist Health Schools’ graduates are finding jobs.

“Our graduates are finding jobs in almost all areas of health care,” says the school’s enrollment coordinator Julie Wurm.

Despite the fragile economy, she says she hasn’t seen a flood of unemployed nurses in the market. For many, she believes this is a great time to enroll in a nursing program.

Just because you’ve been out of school for a while, don’t think that the educational ship has sailed.

“Our students’ average age is 28,” Wurm says.

At Conway Regional Health System there was a slowdown in 2009. That is now turning around, says the hospital’s vice president and chief nursing officer Caren Lewis.

Their patient volume was down throughout the year and Lewis thinks it was related to the economy. At the same time, there was virtually no turnover.

“Our people were staying put,” Lewis says, “but we’re starting to see a shift.”

Not only is patient volume picking up but they’re seeing some turnover.

“We feel we’re on the brink of getting back to operating normally,” she says.

For new graduates in Northwest Arkansas, the job market looks good.

Nan Smith-Blair, director of the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville says all of her graduating students have found jobs.

“They may not get the shift or area they want, but they are finding jobs in hospitals, clinics, school systems and even health departments,” she says.

About one-third of her students remain in the Fayetteville area after graduation, and many return to their homes in Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee and central Arkansas.

Like many other experts in the health care field, Blair believes the future for nursing is bright.

“I think we’ll see more jobs opening up. Health care reform will require more nurses with advanced degrees, and we’re still not producing the number of nurses we need to replace those who are retiring,” she says.

DON’T EXPECT THE SLOWDOWN TO LAST LONGAccording to Schlumberger, “Nationally the industry is asking, ‘Do we decrease the nurses coming out of school?’”

She believes the answer to that question is a resounding, “No.”

First, she believes the economy will stabilize and many of the nurses who put off retirement will go ahead and step down. Second, the retirement of baby boomers is likely to have a continued effect. Already the first wave of retirees is apply-ing for Social Security, and increased retirement will create a demand for more medical care, and naturally, more nurses.

Whitt says this offers the next generation a wide variety of opportunities, but only if they can meet demand for a more skilled, well-trained workforce. This might be the perfect time to return to school for additional training. For those in school, it might be wise to stay and get more education.

ASU, counting on a future demand for more skilled RNs, has tailored a program for future health care needs called the Healthy Ager Project.

“It will give our students an extra edge,” McLarry says.

ASU students can receive training in physical therapy, social work, health education, testing and assessment and more.

They’re also making it easier for people who already have a four-year nursing degree to get a second one through their Second Degree Accelerated Program.

Getting a four-year nursing degree is another way to get ahead of the other applicants.

“There is a growing trend toward hiring RNs with four-year degrees,” says Burris. Arkansas Tech and UALR have added online programs that allow RNs with a two-year degree to complete a four-year degree in a shorter period of time.

“We will see a growing need for nurses in the future,” Schlumberger says.

“Health care reform will require more nurses with advanced degrees, and we’re still not producing the number of nurses we need to replace those who are retiring.”

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A Magnet Recognition Program® is a big benefit to patients, but what does it mean for the

nursing staff of Arkansas’s handful of hospitals striving for the coveted designation?

“Unfortunately, there’s misinformation out there, and it’s too bad many nurses don’t fully understand the benefits to our profession,” says Tammy Jones, Ph.D., RN, director of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Center of Nursing Excellence.

The program was developed by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to recognize health care organizations devoted to nursing excellence. There are 370 ANCC Magnet Designated Hospitals in the United States, representing 6.41 percent of all health care organizations. Arkansas is one of five states without a single Magnet health care facility.

Maria Whitt, director of nursing excellence and education and coordinator of the Magnet program at St. Vincent Health System, says they started working toward Magnet status a couple of years ago. Before that, however, they were working toward developing a more professional staff.

“Nursing is the foundation of our hospital, so

we had already changed our focus, empowered our nurses and built a shared governance structure, so much of the work [needed to qualify for Magnet status] was already done,” Whitt says.

MAKING THE GRADEOne of the biggest misconceptions about Magnet status is that all nurses must have four-year degrees.

Typically in Magnet designated hospitals, 46 percent of the RNs on staff have a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree.

“We’re close to that target now,” Jones says. Currently, about 44 percent of nurses at UAMS have their BSN. Direct-care unit nurses are not required to go back to school if they work in a Magnet hospital.

That’s not the case for nurses in management or administrative positions, where they’re required to obtain not only a BSN but are expected to seek advanced degrees.

In order to help their nurses achieve their educational goals, whether for personal satisfaction or professional reasons, UAMS offers employees a helping hand.

“We want highly educated nurses and have a nice

incentive package,” Jones says about a program that currently gives employees a tuition discount on classes taken in the U of A System.

They also have a tuition forgiveness program that will repay up to $5,000 over a two-year period for a commitment to UAMS for a certain period of time.

Departments work with employees when it comes to scheduling their work around their classroom obligations.

St. Vincent is also offering scholarships, grants and flexible work schedules. Whitt says, “This is an opportunity for our nurses to develop professionally.”

STATUS ISN’T EVERYTHING“We look at it like a cookbook, Whitt says, “put in excellent ingredients and the outcome is even better. So it’s not so much the designation as the preparation behind it.”

That means the program will ultimately benefit all involved, whether a new hire or an experienced nurse, a unit supervisor, a manager or a patient seeking treatment.

In addition to the educational benefits, nurses are given a voice at UAMS.

“They are directly involved in decisions that affect their practice through a shared decision-making structure that starts with the nurse at the bedside and extends to the administration,” Jones says.

For this program, UAMS came up with a new motto: Be informed, heard and empowered.

Not all suggestions are life-changing, but sometimes a small suggestion by a nurse on the floor can make a big difference, such as a new food service that includes condiments with the sandwiches delivered to patients in the middle of the night.

“It’s really nice for patients to have mustard or mayonnaise available,” Whitt says.

UAMS is striving to involve nurses in organi-zational processes.

“Nurses need to be at the table, working side-by-side with doctors, administrators and the entire health care team,” Jones says. She adds that they’re making progress through their Professional Nursing Organization (PNO), and she believes nurses who are engaged in the process tend to be happier and more satisfied with their jobs.

“We want to create an environment that supports our nurses in providing excellent patient care,” Jones says.

At Magnet hospitals, not only does overall patient safety and quality increase, but fewer nurses—which can make up to 70 percent of a facility’s staff—leave their jobs. And lower attrition rates make for a more experienced staff. In turn, this means better care for patients.

Besides, Jones says about her belief in the program, “It’s the right thing to do.”

EMBRACING THE PROGRAMTammy Webb, director of the Magnet program at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, says, “We really like the core components of Magnet, and whether we achieve the designation or not, we want to strive for the elements of nursing excellence that the programs stresses.”

“If you want to apply for Magnet, it requires you to support your nursing staff in several ways,” Webb says.

Shared leadership is just one of Magnet’s values that Webb embraces and promotes. The entire hospital staff, including admin-istrators, physicians and bedside nurses, worked together to put together a plan that incorporates the program’s four core values, including quality and safety, recruitment and retention, professional excellence and clinical practice.

“About 18 months ago, we started working toward shared leadership, deciding what it meant and how it should look,” she says.


Magnetmyth-buster

Arkansas Children’s Hospital is the state’s only health care facility dedicated to kids.

WHAT MAGNET STATUS REALLY MEANS FOR ARKANSAS’S NURSES

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Instead of a cookie-cutter program designed by someone else, Webb says they looked at other hospitals for ideas, and then put together their own program.

“We had our first (ACH) council meeting in August, and I’m very proud of their work,” she says.

As part of Magnet preparations, the hospital is helping its nurses with education. “We’re finding nurses are excited about learning and are forming support and study groups,” Webb says. “They’re nudging each other to do better. It’s fun.”

Arkansas Children’s Hospital has about 10 nurses who came from Magnet hospitals in other areas of the country, and as part of the process, Webb talked with them about their Magnet experiences.

“They said, ‘It’s a great organization, and we were surprised that you weren’t already a Magnet facility,’” she says.

According to Webb, studies have shown that Magnet-certified hospitals foster better working relationships among RNs and physicians, and that doctors want to work at Magnet hospitals as well.

While Magnet values are already reshaping health care, other factors are influencing medi-cine. For instance, the 2010 Health Care Reform Bill requires a better-educated nurse force in the future, and some states are looking at requiring students to complete a BSN before entering the profession.

THE FUTUREAs more and more health care facilities move toward Magnet status, some medical profession-als believe there will be a shift toward a more educated nursing workforce.

While preparing the next generation of nurses, Southern Arkansas University department of nursing chair Bernadette Fincher, Ph.D., RN, says they are aware of a need for highly educated nurses.

“We’re talking to students about additional education because of the push toward Magnet status,” she says.

This is especially true for students who want

to work in central Arkansas because the job market might be a little tighter for nurses with two-year degrees.

The nursing department also offers an online program where nurses can turn their RN education (with a two-year degree) to a BSN degree, thus helping them reach their educational goals.

Michelle Bishop, nurse director and Magnet coordinator at Batesville’s White River Medical Center, whose facility started working toward Magnet status in 2007, says even though the hospital in Batesville doesn’t yet have the designation, it’s already changing the way they do business.

The administration encourages their LPNs to go back to school to become RNs, and is willing to help with financial aid. Bishop says the nursing staff is encouraged to get involved in different ways. For example, last year the nursing staff successfully led the way in bringing down the patient “fall rate”—the number of patients who injure themselves from falling out of bed or from walking across a room.

Bishop believes their Magnet goal will make the workplace better for nurses at White River. For her, it makes nurse recruitment easier and she expects overall patient satisfaction to improve. She also believes the program will provide their hospital with the best practices available, allowing White River Medical Center to offer an environment “that reflects patient/family centered-care.”

Magnet status requires the cooperation of an entire hospital, from the top administrators to the nurses at the bedside, and this teamwork provides further benefits.

“A facility offers better patient care because of the individual components of Magnet, and this intensive process results in a better hospital,” Bishop says.

Ultimately, she says the journey is well worth taking, and it’s already made WRMC a better facility, she says.

White River and other health care facilities don’t look at the Magnet program as a fad, but as a movement that’s reshaping the vision of professional nursing in America.

Pat Brown, a registered nurse at St. Vincent Health System, takes care of patient Walter May.

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Sure the economy may have cooled tempo-rarily, but most experts say nurses are still

in demand. Even the U.S. Department of Labor agrees and predicts health industry jobs will grow, adding more jobs over the next few years than almost any other industry.

Michelle S. Odom, Arkansas Children’s Hospital director of nursing resources, says this is a great time to consider nursing. As the economy begins to recover and as older baby boomers retire—all of whom will need more health care services—the growing demand for nurses will continue.

But before settling on a particular career path, Odom says, “Find out about the variety of opportunities nursing offers. There are some interesting and challenging areas of nursing that most people aren’t aware of.”

To find out more, she suggests talking to teachers, people who work in health care and college counselors. Also, think long-term.

“Decide what your goal is going to be and build a skill set that will get you there,” Odom says.

For those who are interested in pursuing a nursing career, this is an opportune time, says Keith McClanahan, Arkansas State University-Beebe’s director of advanced technology.

“I encourage them to sign up for classes now,” he says.

To help cover the cost of an education, Arkansas colleges and universities are giving residents extra incentives to pursue a degree. A larger number of institutions are now providing scholarships and grants. For example, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock offers the Walker Scholarship. This year the university received additional endowment funds, doubling the number of nursing students receiving scholarships.

Susan Hanrahan, Arkansas State University at Jonesboro dean of the College of Nursing and Health Professionals, believes that the demand for “all health care professionals” will continue in the future.

Rebecca Brosius, RN, recruitment coordinator for St. Vincent Health System, says, “A career in nursing gives you many choices, and there’s a job out there to suit almost anyone.”

Nurses are needed in hospitals, clinics, adult daycare, homes, rehab centers, doctors’ offices—basically the list is nearly endless, Brosius says.

Arkansas Tech University at Russellville is so firmly committed to its students that the nursing department expanded their RN-to-BSN program. Basically, it offers an on-line program to allow nurses with an Associate in Arts (AA) to turn that two-year degree into a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).

“Our program is designed to make it possible for students to continue their education while they work and live in their own communities,” says Dr. Rebecca Burris, head of the department of nursing.

And why are programs like this important? UALR Nursing Department chair Ann Schlumberger says that’s simple.

“We would like people to consider a career in nursing so we will have a workforce that will meet the demands of health care in the future,” she says.

For LPNs who are looking for a hand up the career ladder, White River Medical Center is willing to help.

“We have a partnership with the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville, and kicked off our first LPN to RN program in August,” says Michelle Bishop, the hospital’s nurse director.

They also have a partnership with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and nearby Arkansas State University at Jonesboro and Harding University offer four-year nursing degrees.

“UAMS has an office in Batesville, and they help students who want to work toward their BSN,” she says.

While the hospital is able to offer better care with a more educated work-force, Bishop says nurses with advanced degrees make more money.

“Education is an avenue to a better life and improved job security,” she says.

For those who don’t have time or money to go to college or for those who have family commit-ments, some employers are offering help when it comes to education. For

instance, Jefferson Regional Medical Center offers a tuition reimbursement program.

The program isn’t limited to the nursing depart-ment; it includes all JRMC employees.

“Perhaps a patient-care tech wants to become an RN, or an RN wants to work on a master’s degree, we will help them out,” says Susan Chambliss, human resources manager at JRMC.

Human resource administrative director Daryl

Scott says, “This program is a perfect fit for many of our employees, but it can be a scary process.”

Instead of simply leaving employees to figure out what can be a fairly complicated process on their own, the hospital’s corporate office department is happy to guide them through the educational maze. They can give guidance about degree options, or help with financial aid, says Chambliss.

The JRMC School of Nursing offers a two-year diploma program. One year is devoted to required college courses at an accredited college and students enrolled in the nursing program may take advantage of the academic resources available at the Area Health Education Center (AHEC).

Like many other institutions, JRMC “encour-ages its employees to continue their education,” says Chambliss.

Scott encourages anyone considering a nursing or any other medical degree to find out what financial aid programs or scholarships their workplace might offer.

“For those who want a career in nursing, get your education now and position yourself for a brighter future,” Odom says.

In order to get a professional edge, Burris suggests students work hard while in college. She also says to ask instructors for references, and as a student, search out volunteer work in the local community. This is a good way to get extra experi-ence and strengthen professional contacts.

Whether during good times or lean years, make sure you’re prepared for the job market.

“There’s definitely a need for well-trained, experienced nurses,” Odom says.

Preparing forthe future


“Our program is designed to make it possible for students to continue their education while they work and live in their own communities.”

University of Arkansas at Little Rock students learn firsthand how to care for patients.

■

POSITION YOURSELF FOR THE LONG-TERM


It’s a great time to go to college. Arkansas’s colleges and universities are welcoming

students in record numbers with a variety of degrees, such as two- and four-year, on-campus, online or a hybrid, fitted to your needs. Whether you’re a recent high school graduate or even if you’ve been out of school for a while, don’t let money woes keep you from completing a nursing degree. There’s plenty of financial help available if you just know where to look, and a little help can go a long way.

Experts recommend making an appointment with your high school counselor early in your high school career so you can design an academic path to follow. Counselors can also share a wealth of financial aid information. Once you’ve selected a college or university, check with the financial aid office—a great resource for scholarships and grants.

Southern Arkansas University department of nursing chair Dr. Bernadette Fincher, RN, says there are many opportunities in the world of nursing, and for those who don’t have the money, there are plenty of programs designed to help serious students. Before giving up on your dreams, she suggests talking to your campus counselor to find out about the large number of scholarships,

grants, federal loans and loan forgiveness programs that might be available to you.

If you’re interested, but don’t know where to start, the following information might help.

STATE FINANCIAL AIDArkansas offers a number of financial aid programs, including the new Arkansas Challenge Scholarship (also known as the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery). It awards full-time Arkansas students with $5,000 scholarships for four-year institutions and $2,500 for two-year institutions. The scholarship isn’t based on income and students with a 2.5 GPA or an ACT score of 19 or above are eligible to apply. Program information with eligibility guidelines, deadlines and applications can be found at www.ADHE.EDU.

SCHOLARSHIP SEARCHESThe Arkansas Student Loan Authority offers free

scholarship searches at Fund My Future (www.fundmyfuture.info). Also, www.FinAid.org, sponsored by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, offers information on scholarships, fellowships and grants.

NURSING STUDENT LOAN PROGRAM

Act 85 of 2003 established the Nursing Student Loan Program to provide financial assistance to Arkansas’s full-time students enrolled in or accepted to an approved Arkansas nurse education program. The loans may be changed to scholar-ship grants if the student works full-time as an RN (Registered Nurse) or LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) in qualified employment in Arkansas, and up to 100 percent of the loan may be forgiven. For more information, go to http://www.adhe.edu/divisions/financialaid/Pages/fa_nursing.aspx.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONWhile local banks no longer offer federally funded student loans, the DOE offers Pell and Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants, as well as Perkins Loans, PLUS Loans, Stafford Loans and Direct Loans. For more information, go to the DOE’s Direct Loan Program website at http://www2.ed.gov.

ARKANSAS HEALTH EDUCATION GRANTThis grant provides assistance to Arkansas resi-dents attending out-of-state accredited health institutions that offer graduate or professional programs unavailable in the state. Information and applications are available at http://www.adhe.edu.

ARMY NATIONAL GUARDFor Army National Guard members, there are four programs to help pay the bills, including the Montgomery GI Bill, Montgomery GI Bill Kicker, the Army National Guard Federal Tuition Assistance Program and Student Loan Repayment Program. For more information, go to www.1-800-Go-Guard.com.

FinancialAid

■

GET THE MONEY YOU NEED


Degrees ofnursing

PLAN AHEADIf you’re planning on a nursing career, here are some valuable steps to consider:• Contact the school of your choice for help in planning a course of study

to better prepare you for nursing, and for specific entrance requirements such as tuition, housing, financial aid and other information.

• Take the required entrance exam as early as possible. You’re required by law to have a high school diploma or GED prior to admission to nursing school.

• If you’re an RN, transfer or post baccalaureate student, arrange to have your transcripts sent to the school of your choice for evaluation.

ASSOCIATE DEGREE (TWO-YEAR DEGREE)Associate degree programs, offered by two and four-year colleges and universities, are accredited by a regional accreditation association and approved by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing. At the completion of a program, the student is awarded an Associate in Science (AS) or Associate in Science in Nursing (ASN) diploma. Only then is the graduate eligible to take the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Licensure Examination (NCLEX). Upon successful completion, the graduate will become a Registered Nurse (RN).

BACCALAUREATE DEGREE (FOUR-YEAR DEGREE)Baccalaureate programs must be approved by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing and are usually offered by four-year colleges or universities. At the completion of a program, the student is awarded the Bachelor of Science (BS) or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree and given a diploma. After graduation, the individual is eligible to take the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Licensure Examination (NCLEX). Upon successful completion, the graduate will become a Registered Nurse (RN).

PRACTICAL NURSINGBoth private and public two and four-year colleges and universities offer practical nurse programs, which generally take 12 months to complete. The Arkansas State Board of Nursing approves the practical nurse (PN) programs and upon completion of the program, the student receives a certificate. After completion, the individual is eligible to take the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Licensure Examination (NCLEX) and upon successful completion the graduate will become an LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse).

REGISTERED NURSINGBoth private and public two and four-year colleges and universities offer degreed Registered Nurse programs that are divided into two categories: a two-year associate degree and a four-year baccalaureate degree. Before going to work, the graduate is required to pass the NCLEX examination. In addition to the traditional route, there are two-year diploma certificate programs.

CONTINUING EDUCATIONAfter completing the basic nursing programs, you might want to consider an advanced degree such as an RNP (Registered Nurse Practitioner), APN (Advanced Practice Nurse) or LPTN (Licensed Psychiatric Technician Nurse). These advanced programs require additional education and passage of specific licensure examinations.

INFORMATION CURRENT AS OF SEPT. 2010. 2009 INFORMATION WAS REPEATED IF 2010 INFORMATION WAS NOT PROVIDED BY PRESS TIME. *** FOR BASIC NURSING EDUCATION; VARIES WITH PREVIOUS COURSEWORK OR NURSING LICENSE; MSN PROGRAM = 2 YRS


■

Arkansas College/University Years/Public Private

Calendar Degree Offered

BACCALAUREATEArkansas State University - Jonesboro • 870-972-3074 (nursing) • 870-972-3024 (admis-sions)

4 yr public Semester AASN, BSN, MSN

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

Henderson State University, Arkadelphia • 870-230-5015 4 yr public Semester BSN

University of Arkanasas, Fayetteville • 479-575-3904 4 yr public Semester BSN, RN-BSN, LPN-BSN, MSN

UALR, Department of Nursing, Little Rock • 501-569-8081 4 yr public Semester ASN, RN-BSN

University of Central Arkansas, Conway • 501-450-3119 4 yr public Semester BSN, MSN***

University of Arkansas - Fort Smith • 479-788-7861, 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

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Nursing, Little Rock • 501-686-5374 4 yr public Semester BSN, MNSc, Ph.D, Post Masters options available

ASSOCIATE DEGREEArkansas Northeastern College, Blytheville • 870-762-1020 2 yr public Semester AAS, Certificate of Practical Nursing

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

4 yr public Semester Traditional LPN-AASN (Traditional AASN offered at ASU Mountain Home, ASU Beebe, West Memphis)

East Arkansas Community College, Forrest City • 870-633-4480 2 yr public Semester AASN

National Park Community College, Hot Springs • 501-760-4290 2 yr public Semester AS in Nursing

Mississippi County Community College, Blytheville • 870-762-1020 2 yr public Semester AAS 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 • 870-338-6474 x1254 or 1-870-946-3506 x 1611

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

Southern Arkansas University, Magnolia • 870-235-4040 4 yr public Semester ADN, Online RN-BSN Completion

University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville • 870-612-2000, 800-508-7878 2 yr public Semester AAS-LPN to RN-traditonal and online tracks PN Program (Technical Certificate) Generic RN Program

UALR, Department of Nursing, Little Rock • 501-569-8081 4 yr public Semester AS in Nursing and BSN in Nursing

University of Arkansas - Fort Smith • 479-788-7861 • 1-888-512-LION 4 yr public Semester AAS

DIPLOMABaptist Health Schools Little Rock • 501-202-6200, 800-345-3046 private Semester diploma/LPN, diploma/RN

Jefferson Reg. Med. Center School of Nursing, Pine Bluff • 870-541-7850 private 24 months diploma/RN

PRACTICAL NURSINGArkansas Tech University - Ozark Campus, Ozark • 479-667-2117 public Semester Certificate

Baptist Health Schools Little Rock • 501-202-6200, 800-345-3046 private Semester diploma/LPN, diploma/RN

Black River Technical College, Pocahontas • 870-248-4000 2 yr public Semester certificate/PN

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

2 yr public Semester LPN

Arkansas Northeastern College, Burdette • 870-763-1486 • Paragould • 870-239-3200 public Semester Certificate of Practical Nursing & AAS-Registered Nurse

ASU Technical Center, Jonesboro • 870-932-2176 public Semester LPN

Arkansas State University - Beebe • ASU Searcy Campus 501-207-6214 public Semester Certificate LPN

Northwest Technical Institute, Springdale • 479-751-8824 public Semester diploma/PN

Ouachita Technical College, 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

Ozarka College, Melbourne • 870-368-7371 2 yr public Semester LPN, LPN-RN

University of Arkansas Comm. College at Morrilton • 501-354-2465 2 public Semester LPN-certificates AAS-LPN, RN

Pulaski Technical College, North Little Rock • 501-812-2200 2 yr public Semester technical certificate in Practical Nursing/PN

National Park Community College, Hot Springs • 501-760-4269 public Semester certificates in Practical Nursing

Rich Mountain Community College, Mena • 479-394-7622 2 yr public Semester certificate/PN, LPN, CAN, RN

SAU Tech, Camden • 870-574-4500 2 yr public Semester Certificate of Proficiency, Technical Certificate, Associate

South Arkansas Community College, El Dorado • 870-864-7142, 870-864-7137 2 yr public Semester ADN,LPN

University of Arkansas Community College at Hope • 870-777-5722 2 yr public Semester certificate/PN

University of Arkansas - Fort Smith • 479-788-7861, 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

MEDICAL ASSISTINGEastern College of Health Vocations, Little Rock • 501-568-0211 private monthly diploma/medical assistant

Education America Southeast College of Technology, Little Rock • 501-312-0007 private monthly diploma/medical assistant


TO COMPILE THIS, FORMS WERE SENT TO EVERY QUALIFIED COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY WITH INSTRUCTIONS 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.

Length Of Program Living Arrangements

Aid Deadline Scholarship Deadline Required Exams Application Deadline Comments/Home Page Address

varies on campus housing July 1st February 15th ACT or SAT or COMPASS or ASSET varies Nursing programs are accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission. 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 pro-grams 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 Rolling Rolling ACT or SAT Rolling/$40 Quality nursing education with a focus on Christian service and professionalism. www.harding.edu

4 yrs on campus housing June varies ACT, SAT, COMPASS Februrary 15th The school with a heart. Small classes. CCNE Accredited. www.hsu.edu/nursing

4 yrs*** on campus housing March 15th November 15th SAT, ACT Dec 1st, for Fall admission; June 1st, for Spring

Nursing is a dynamic career, meeting the health care needs of society. http://nurs.uark.edu/

4 semesters/ASN, 3 semesters/BSN on/off campus housing March 1st February 1st ASN: Evolve A2; none for BSN ASN: Feb. 28/applications accepted until class full. BSN: Oct 1 for spring entry, June 1for Fall Entry.

BSN coursework can be completed in 3 semesters or up to five years. www.ualr.edu/nursing

4 yrs/BSN, MSN varies, PMC varies on campus housing July 1st January 8th SAT or ACT none www.uca.edu

4 yrs for BSN/Varies for RN-BSN on campus housing Priority March 15th February 1st ACT/COMPASS Oct. 1st for Spring/ April 15th for Fall RN-BSN is an Online Completion Program. www.uafortsmith.edu/Nursing/BachelorOfScienceInNursing & www.uafortsmith.edu/Nursing/RNToBSNOnlineCompletionProgram

1 to 4 yrs on campus housing contact financial aid (870) 460-1050

March 1st none March 1st Excellent NCLEX-RN pass rates! 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& Ph.D: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, TEAS V for BSN generic applicants.

BSN generic: February 1st/ RN to BSN: March 1st & Sept. 1st/ MNSC: Sept. 1st & April 1st/ PhD: Jan 2; $50.00 application fee

www.nursing.uams.edu

RN-2 yrs, LPN-1 yr commuter campus Priority April 15 Priority March 15 ASSET, COMPASS, or ACT, PAXRN, PAXPN

RN- March 31, PN- March 31, LPN- October 30th

ANC offers both the RN and LPN programs www.anc.edu

ntain Home, ASU varies on campus housing Jonesboro

July 1st February 15th ACT, SAT, COMPASS, or ASSET varies The mission of the School of Nursing is to educate and enrich students for evolving professoinal nursing practice. www.astate.edu

2 yrs commuter campus April 15th varies ACT, ASSET / Nursing Pre-entrance exams

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

2 yrs commuter campus open open ACT, SAT or COMPASS March 1st Options for LPN and new High School graduates. FT evening/weekend option available www.npcc.edu

2 yrs commuter campus Pr ior i ty Apr i l 15 - Rolling

Priority April 15 PAX-RN March 31st www.mccc.cc.ar.us

RN-1yr; LPN-RN-1yr; PN-1yr commuter campus Pell Grant June 30, 2010

June 15th ACT, ASSET, COMPASS varies with program Northark’s students receive excellent healthcare education leading to rewarding careers in nursing.www.northark.edu/academics/nursing

4 semesters commuter campus May 1st April 1st ACT or COMPASS March 1st The college of the NWA community, member of Northwest Arkansas Nursing Education Consortium nwacc.edu/academics/nursing

AAS 72 credit hrs, PN 54 credit hrs commuter campus none none none for admission RN June 1st, PN June 1st or Oct 1st RN Program, NLNAC accredited. www.pccua.edu

tificate: PN PN-1 yr, Generic RN-29 mos commuter campus open none ACT, COMPASS, PAX for PN, ATI Fundementals of Nursing for RN

Second Friday in March Changing lives…one student at a time! www.seark.edu

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 or February 28 for nursing application

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

hnical Certificate) 11 mos, Generic program is 2 years commuter campus varies March 1-High school Academic : July 15-Others

ASSET, ACT, SAT or COMPASS NET

PN May 1 - LPN to RN Oct 1 - Generic entry deadline is May

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

4 semesters for AS; 3 semesters for BSN

on/off campus housing March 1st February 1st ACT, SAT for general university acceptance; Evolve A2 Exam for Asn

Priority Application Deadline Feb 28/ Applications accepted until class full

LPN/Paramedic option (May to May). Accelerated traditional option (18 months). Traditional option (2 years) BSN: 3 semesters or up to five years. www.ualr.edu/nursing

2 years on campus housing Priority March 15th February 1st ACT/COMPASS/NLN-PAX May 15th for Fall/April 15th for LPN/Paramedic Transition Program for Summer

www.uafortsmith.edu/Nursing/AssociateDegreeOfNursing

RN traditonal track 3yrs. RN express track 2yrs. LPN 1yr. RN Accelerated 1yr (LPNs or Paramedics).

commuter campus March 1st priority varies ACT 3yr-Aug, 2yr-June 15, RNA-Dec 1 bhslr.edu

1 year pre-requisites + 2 years core courses

commuter campus none none ACT Applications accepted until classes filled. $30 fee

Length of program recently changed. See webpage for details. www.jrmc.org/nursingschool.htm

3 semesters commuter campus Priority April 15 varies COMPASS, NET June 1, October 1 Clinical experience in hospitals of varying size, physicians’ offices and geriatric facilities. http://atuoc.atu.edu

2 semester LPN commuter campus Priority March 1st varies ACT or SAT, NET Dec 1st & June 15th bhslr.edu

3 semesters commuter campus contact financial aid office

April 15th ACT or ASSET 1st day of class BRTC: A college of vision. BRTC has a 90% plus boards pass rate. www.blackrivertech.org

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

18-36 mos commuter campus 4 wks prior to first day Priority April 15th ASSET, PAX-PN & PAX-RN March 30th Variety of clinical experiences. Accept 20 students for each of the two campuses. www.anc.edu

11 mos commuter campus none none ASSET, NET June 1 & November 1 Combines classroom instruction with clinical experience. Graduates eligible to take NCLEX.

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

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

cience in Nursing, m

1-3 semesters commuter campus open Fall-May1, Spring-Dec 1 COMPASS First Friday in September / Spring, First Friday in March / Fall

Mrs. Shelley Austin, Division Chair, [email protected] www.otcweb.edu

11-18 mos commuter campus none March 1st Wonderlic, TE AS, LPN STEP April 1/Fall, November 1/Spring August 31 - RN

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

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

11 mos traditional track/ 22 mos non-traditional track

commuter campus March 1st varies ACT or COMPASS and NET March 1st Visit our new Allied Health Education Center on the Pulaski Tech Campus. www.pulaskitech.edu

13 mos FT; 2yr PT commuter campus none none COMPASS, NET March 1st Do you want to make a difference? Then nursing is for you! Evening option available. www.npcc.edu

11-12 mos commuter campus Varies, contact financial aid office

April PSB and ACT, COMPASS LPN-March, RN-Sept www.rmcc.edu

varies commuter campus April 1st June 1st ASSET, NET, Practical Nursing June 1st Two Applications required: Admissions and Nursing www.sautech.edu

11 mos commuter campus none Priority April 1 ACT, ASSET, or COMPASS open SouthArk: Where students come first. www.southark.edu

2 sem. (excludes prerequisites) commuter campus none none ASSET, ACT or COMPASS June 30th [email protected]

12 mos on campus housing Priority March 15th Feb. 1st ACT/COMPASS/NLN PAX-PN June 1st for Fall www.uafortsmith.edu/Nursing/LicensedPracticalNursing

12 mos commuter campus varies varies entrance exam March Accredited by the Commission on Schools of the North Central Association, and the council of Occupational Education.

varies commuter campus to be determined varies High School Diploma or GED monthly 26 yrs as an AR established business, hands-on training and job placement assistance, as well as financial aid opportunities to those who qualify.

8 mos commuter campus none none C-PAT monthly Excellent career opportunities available. Day and evening classes. www.educationamerica.com


10 JOB HUNTING TIPSWhenever University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences nurse recruiter Susan Erickson, RN, needs job market advice, she gets in touch with her professional contacts at the National Association of Health Care (NAHC).

“They’re on top of the current job market. So whether you’re looking for a job for the first time, or an experienced nurse hoping to move across the coun-try, they are a great resource,” Erickson says.

NAHC vice president Deborah Rowe, RN, is always happy to share her expertise and knowl-edge. She and nursing spectrum vice president Terri Gaffney put together 10 tips for a successful job hunt for this publication:

1 NETWORK! NETWORK! NETWORK!Don’t underestimate the power of personal rela-tionships and professional contacts.

2 ATTEND CAREER FAIRS AND OTHER RECRUITMENT EVENTS.This is an opportunity

to meet recruiters and increase your network of professional colleagues.

3 MAINTAIN A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR INSTRUCTORS. They are often an employment resource and can provide you with a reference.

4 KEEP IN TOUCH WITH A STAFF NURSEor other personnel after completing your clinical rotations, and let them know you’re interested in working for their unit or health care facility.

5 MAKE SURE YOUR RÉSUMÉ is accurate and current. On cover letters be sure and include a nurse recruiter’s name—double check to see if the name is spelled correctly—and ensure you have the proper title.

6 SCHEDULE YOUR NATIONAL COUNCIL LICENSURE EXAMINATION (NCLEX) imme-diately after graduation because it looks good on the resume.

7 JOIN PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS for networking opportunities.

8 WHEN LOOKING FOR A JOB, check out resources such as Nursing Spectrum, Nurse.com and the National Student Nurses Association.

9 BE FLEXIBLE. As a new graduate, you must be willing to consider an entry-level position, which can be a great way to get the experience you need to reach your career goal.

10 THINK AND ACT POSITIVELY. It will impress prospective employers and keep you motivated when job hunting.

A FINAL THOUGHTIf you’re planning on a nursing career, University of Arkansas at Little Rock nursing department dean Dr. Ann Schlumberger offers the follow-ing tips:

As graduation approaches and you prepare for your first job interview, your preparation must include a professional resume. It must be “well designed, and it’s important that you clearly state your goals,” she says.

When filling out an application, make sure it reflects the same competence as your resume.

“Employers are going to consider if you filled out the application correctly and completely,” she says.

However, your job’s not done yet. When dressing for an interview, Schlumberger says, leave the flip-flops and T-shirts at home.

“Step back,” Schlumberger says, “look in the mirror and ask yourself, ‘Is this the kind of person I want to take care of the person I most love in the world?’”

Your clothes need to match the profes-sionalism of the resume, but Schlumberger says the interview is about more than your clothes and recommends practicing your interview skills.

You’ve graduated—Now what?


Experts recommend keeping your employment options open.

■

High Demand Great Benefits Competitive Salaries

Life Changing Care Diverse Work Areas

Pursue your career as a nurse with Baptist HealthNursing Educator - Baptist Health Rehabilitation Institute

Nursing Supervisor - 9B Cardiac, BHMC-Little Rock

Advance Practice Nurse - Stuttgart Clinic

Nursing Assistants - System wide

For more information or to apply visit Baptist-Health.com

A Career in Nursing Can be a Career for Life

GET A JOB, OF COURSE


While Facebook started out as a way for friends to keep up with

friends, it has exploded into a social net-work that connects the world and crosses generations. More and more, it’s becoming a way to reconnect with family members and old friends, advertise a business and, more importantly for job seekers, a way to cultivate vital connections when look-ing for work.

As social networks continue to grow, people need to be aware that there’s a down-side to putting their entire life online. For instance, your Facebook page is a way for employers to check you out before calling you in for an interview or offering you that coveted job.

Last Saturday’s bar photos might be fun to share, but might keep you from getting that first interview.

“What you post matters,” says Michelle S. Odom, Arkansas Children’s Hospital director of nursing resources. And the new graduate isn’t the only one who might want to watch their P’s and Q’s when complaining or sharing work-related information online.

“As a nurse working at a health care facility, be mindful of what you post because social sites are a public forum, and you never know who’s going to read it,” says Odom.

SOCIAL NETWORKS AREN’T GOING AWAYMore and more professors are posting class information online and answering classroom questions via e-mail, so students are becoming quite comfortable with the use of social media. However, experts are cautioning against becoming too relaxed online.

Keith McClanahan, Arkansas State University-Beebe’s director of advanced technology, says, “We cau-tion our students that employers are checking out their Facebook page.”

More importantly, he says, you should con-sider your email address and screen names.

“‘Sexylittlegirl’ isn’t a good name to have, especially when entering the profes-sional world,” he says.

Matthew Martin, a nursing student at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock believes the pros of social networking outweigh the cons, but students must learn a new set of boundaries and behaviors.

“It’s a genie that can’t be put back into the bottle … on the other hand, who knows where it will take us,” he says.

THE RULES OF SOCIALIZINGColleges and universities are seeing the benefit of guiding students through the pitfalls of social networking, and UALR nurs-ing department dean Dr. Ann Schlumberger says their students are now required to attend orientation, which includes rules and guidelines when it comes to sites like Facebook and Twitter.

“It’s important how you present your-self and how you represent our nursing program,” she says.

You should always be careful of any comments you make

online. For example, maybe you feel you can trust a friend with a juicy piece

of gossip, but you never know if your

friend might post it on Facebook in the

future. Schlumberger says if you’re nervous

about whether you should write something online or not, you prob-ably shouldn’t.

Dr. Sue McLarry, School of Nursing chair at Arkansas State University at Jonesboro, says, “Just like health care professionals, the university stresses discretion when it comes to online postings, and we teach about the consequences of discussing patient information online.”

As the use of social media rises, nurses have to be aware of employer expectations when it comes to sites like Facebook.

“There are issues with social network-ing sites, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) that nurses should keep in mind. It’s definitely about patient privacy, and you wouldn’t want to write negative comments about your co-workers or

boss and then have them read it,” Odom says.

“Consider your words carefully, because failure to comply [with patient privacy laws or hospital policy] is grounds for dismissal,” Schlumberger says.

Another reason to be careful about your on-line activity is because employ-ers, as well as examina-tion board members, are

monitoring sites to see if people are passing along information about

licensing examinations, she says.Schlumberger offers one final

thought. “We need our nurses to be profes-

sional. … We have people’s lives in our hands, and because of that, it’s extremely important our students learn how to be a true professional in every sense of the word,” she says.

The dos and don’tsof social media

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While popular TV shows glamorize nursing jobs in the emergency room or labor

and delivery, there are a number of jobs that are worth considering that might not make it onto your television screen. There are a number of local opportunities – such as flight, emergency management, medical-surgery, computer, and clinical – all jobs we think are not only interest-ing, but a little off the beaten path.

CHILDREN’S ANGEL ONEFor Paige Keen, the chief flight nurse for Arkansas Children’s Hospital Transport Angel One, there’s not another job like hers.

“It’s a very exciting job,” she says. Keen says the hospital’s inter-facility transport

team flies by helicopter to other health care centers to pick up children—from premature birth up to 18 years of age—who are suffering from some kind of trauma. They bring the children back to Children’s for treatment.

“We see a wide range of patients,” Keen says.

Such patients can include a preemie ready to make an appearance, a teenager who has been badly injured in a car or motorcycle wreck or burn victims (some of whom are adults because of Children’s burn center).

Instead of waiting, treatment starts before the patient is loaded onto the helicopter and continues until they arrive at the hospital in Little Rock.

However, this isn’t a job for everyone.“You have to be a type A personality, because

you’re required to make decisions on the spot,

and you are the team leader,” she says. A flight team includes the flight nurse, respira-

tory therapist and pilot. Every once in awhile, a medical student tags along.

Keen says she won’t even talk to a new nursing graduate about working on Angel One; instead she’s looking for someone who has at least three years of critical care and pediatric skills – perhaps someone who has worked in an emergency room or as a surgical nurse, she says.

On top of the necessary training, Keen says it’s an emotionally difficult job.

“We see injured and abused children, but you have to be able to focus. It’s hard.”

BAPTIST’S NEW CRITICAL CARETheresa Carroll spends her time at Baptist Medical Center in Little Rock watching a series of five computerized monitors as part of her job with the hospital’s Electronic Intensive Care Unit (EICU). Her main job is to support bedside nurses and to monitor patients at any one of the medical center’s five locations, including Little Rock, North Little Rock, Heber Springs and Arkadelphia. Normally, she’s a member of a five-person team.

Much of her job involves watching over patients in critical care.

“I’m an extra set of eyes and ears for the nurses at the bedside,” she says.

In addition to monitoring vital signs, she can actually peek into a room through the system.

Those interested in this area of nursing must work well with others, including nurses, physicians and patients and their families, Carroll says.

Before signing on board, a nurse needs at

least five years experience in critical care, good communication skills and a love of teaching. It’s also a good job for anyone who has critical care experience.

“Instead of working on the floor, you’re passing your knowledge to the next genera-tion,” she says.

ST. VINCENT NORTH MED-SURGIt’s fast-paced, and your cases change day-to-day, hour-to-hour, says Bill Benton, intern nurse manager at St. Vincent Health System North. When looking for a job that requires a combina-tion of skills, ranging from general medicine to neurosurgery, check out the medical-surgerical (med-surg) nurse.

“It requires a broad knowledge,” says Benton.

But that’s not enough. He says a successful med-surg nurse must be “fast on their feet, and there’s nothing repetitive about med-surg. Each day is different.”

A med-surg nurse needs to have a positive attitude, be flexible and like interacting with people, he says.

When deciding on a career, Benton recommends choosing “a job you love.” If you find med-surg interesting, he recommends talking to nurses in the business or your instructors.

There’s a real need for med-surg nurses, and it’s an area where a four-year RN graduate can get a position without previous experience.

UAMS TRAUMA CENTERA minute can mean the difference between life and death at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Trauma Services Center.

“It’s pretty cool,” trauma center director Terry Collins says. However, it’s not a place for the faint of heart, and the fast-paced setting requires a wide range of skills.

“We see patients of all ages with all kinds of conditions, like ATV wrecks, car crashes and high falls,” Collins says. “It’s a very demanding job, and young patients can be emotionally taxing.”

For those interested in working in a trauma center, Collins says a person needs training over and above general nursing skills. She suggests getting a job as a medical-surgery, emergency room or intensive care unit nurse before applying for a job in trauma.

“You have to be able to think critically … be quick on your feet,” Collins says.

Despite the rigorous demands, she says it’s a wonderful job that offers her the opportunity to learn and grow professionally every single day.

“It’s not a job, it’s a calling,” Collins says.

ST. VINCENT CLINICAt the St. Vincent Clinic located inside the Walmart Supercenter on Maumelle Boulevard in North Little Rock, people line up to see advanced practice nurse (APN) Cynthia Jansen.

The clinic offers patients a large number of services, such as stitches, lab work, treatment for poison ivy and more. In a nutshell, Jansen sees it as an option for when the doctor’s office is closed or a condition doesn’t warrant a trip to the emergency room.

“We’re not here to replace your primary-care doctor or try to be an emergency room, but we fill a gap,” Jansen says. She also believes this type of clinic setting is a trend that will continue. So for an experienced nurse with an advanced degree and an independent spirit, this job might be the perfect fit.

“You have to be versatile, and it pays off to have surgical or emergency room experience. You have to be able to work on your own,” she says. However there’s medical backup available when needed. “It’s been a great experience, and people are so appreciative of our help,” she says.

ARKANSAS TECH’S EMERGENCY MANAGEMENTThere’s been a lot of interest in Arkansas Tech University’s emergency management degree. The master’s degree requires nurses to complete a number of hours focusing on emergency manage-ment and many of those classes are taught by Homeland Security personnel.

“We are one of only a few programs in the country, and there’s not another program like it in the state,” says the university’s nursing department head Dr. Rebecca Burris.

The first graduating class of emergency man-agement nurses (the program is only two years old) didn’t have a problem finding a job.

“We’re very pleased with the program and the success of our students,” she says.

ARKANSAS STATE HOSPITALIt’s a job not often considered by students who are about to graduate from nursing school, but a psych nurse position can offer tremendous rewards.

“It’s a unique specialty and different than most areas of nursing,” says James Scoggins, director of nursing at Arkansas State Hospital.

Unlike many other areas of medicine, nurses are dealing with people, not the condition. “You have to be able to talk with and empathize with the patient,” Scoggins says. As a bonus, the nurse doesn’t need experience in the field, Scoggins says. “If you have a heart, I can teach you the skills to help our patient.”

You’rewhat kind of nurse?


SPECIALTIES YOU MAY NOT HAVE THOUGHT OF

The Trauma Room at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences is fast-paced.

St. Bernard’s Regional Medical Center’s recently opened Flo and Phil Jones Hospice House moves at a slower pace than most health care facilities.


JRMC’S INFORMATION SYSTEMFor those who think Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Pine Bluff is off the beaten path, consider the distance traveled by a Singapore medical team. They wanted a closer look at the hospital’s new electronic medical records system.

It’s one of the first such systems in the country, and at JRMC, they call it Clinical Informatics.

The department’s director, Leah Wright, says they welcome a number of visitors from around the country each month. “It’s excit-ing,” she says.

And while she thinks it’s a career path that would appeal to a new graduate, she says she prefers an experienced nurse because her employees need to understand the way a hospital works.

“My team supports everyone who uses Eclipsys,” she says.

Eclipsys is a software program her depart-ment designed to meet the needs of various other departments in the hospital. In addition to design, her department is involved in employee education and support.

“This is definitely a job that most people aren’t aware of,” she says.

ST. BERNARDS’ HOSPICE“I was praying for direction in my

life, and was really drawn to hospice care,” says Licinda Ohler. For her, it’s proving to be a rewarding choice. “When you’re in the typical hospital setting, it can move at a fast pace, but in a hospice setting, the day is slower,” she says.

The job at hand may be more about a tender touch or a kind word than the right medication.

Sometimes the hospice nurse is with a patient for months, days and other times, only a few hours. “That’s enough time to make a big difference in their life,” Ohler says.

Barbara “Bobbie” Wilson, RN, has about five years of hospice experience. “As nurses we need to come to the realization that people have come to a point in their life where they can’t be fixed,” she says. Wilson’s job is to meet the needs of the person and the family.

“It’s a time that touches our hearts deeply,” Wilson says.

“This isn’t a job for everyone, and many nurses find they can’t do it,” says Tammy Hawkins, direc-tor of the Flo and Phil Jones Hospice House at St. Bernards Regional Medical Center.

For the right nurse, she describes hospice care as a calling.

“The care we provide is more like nursing at its best,” Hawkins says. “Like an ideal you heard about in nursing school, hospice care gives you a whole new perspective on nursing and doesn’t require special training. It’s a very rewarding job, and often it’s more about social and emotional support. Sometimes all you can do is hold their hand.”

WHITE RIVER’S WOUND AND BURN NURSESWhile certainly not for every nurse, wound care is a challenging and rewarding career that involves patients of all ages, from infants with burns and infections to the elderly with diabetic ulcers. This area of medicine relies on technologies like a hyperbaric chamber that infuses 100% compressed oxygen into wounds to promote healing.

Wound care nurse spe-cialties are used in both outpatient and inpatient settings and the nurses “are similar to investiga-tors, because first they have to find the source of the wound,” says Michelle Bishop, nurse director and magnet coordinator at White River Medical Center.

“They also must deter-mine any disease process or infection preventing it

from healing properly,” Bishop says. “This is very much a hands-on profession.”

CONWAY REGIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM’S INFECTION CONTROL

“It’s like quality control for the health care community,” says Susan Molsbee, RN, infection preventionist with the Conway Regional Health System.

She also describes her multi-faceted job as preventing, not controlling infection. “We don’t want to make our patients sicker,” she says.

Infection prevention is done through equipment sterilization, hand washing and other procedures, and sometimes this means the preventionist observes the entire process. When there’s new construction or renovations going on at the hospital, Molsbee says it’s their job to get involved.

“We want to make sure that dust, water and

debris are contained in the area,” she says. This ensures that patients’ rooms are not affected by contaminated air or improper ventilation.

Infection control nurses need to be observant and assertive - not aggressive - as well as inquisitive and have the ability to catch on quickly.

Nurses who are interested in this field need certification in infection control (CIC) and at least two years of experience as a clinical nurse.

“We save lives,” Molsbee says. “Our goal is patient safety.”

UA’S NURSE EDUCATORSNan Smith-Blair, director of the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, says the nurse who is interested in a career change or loves teaching should consider education.

“There’s a huge shortage of nurse educators,” she says.

This deficiency is only expected to increase as baby boomers start retiring. Colleges and universities across the nation need educators in all areas of nursing, and Arkansas is encouraging nurses to go back to school with scholarships and loan forgiveness programs.

For those interested in education, Blair says teaching requires an advanced degree, and it’s best to have a couple of years of clinical experi-ence. In order to teach BSN students at UA, a minimum of a master’s degree is required.

“If you like teaching students and have a love of learning, it’s a challenging career with great hours, generally the same as students,” she says. “And it’s great having holidays and summers off.”

“When you’re in the typical hospital setting, it can move at a fast pace, but in a hospice setting, the day is slower.”

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These days, hospitals and health care centers are working hard to keep experienced nurses

not only motivated but satisfied with their jobs. Most facilities offer a variety of retention programs as well as a helping hand for nurses who are interested in climbing the ladder of success.

UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS FOR MEDICAL SCIENCES“It costs one and a half times a new graduate’s annual salary to train them, so the goal is to keep them happy and motivated,” says Susan Erickson, RN, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences nurse recruiter.

It’s just as important to keep UAMS’s experienced nurses satisfied. In order to find out what nurses want out of their job, Erickson says UAMS takes a hard look at nurses’ exit interview data and studies the trends.

“We came up with a new and fun way of welcoming and helping new nurses adjust to the demands of a teaching hospital, which can be stressful to nurses who aren’t used to a student-teacher environment. We

call it the On-Boarding Program,” says Erickson, the program’s captain.

Before a new hire’s first day, the person is partnered with a volunteer “Cruise Director,” who has been around UAMS for a while.

“They help with things like parking, commu-nication … basically, they’re there to help and provide support to the new hire for the first five months,” Erickson says.

So far, the program has proven to be a suc-cess.

ST. VINCENT HEALTH SYSTEMThroughout the St. Vincent Health System, admin-istrators are working hard to retain great nurses and keep them motivated and happy.

“Our Career Ladder program is designed to

attract nurse leaders at all levels,” says Rebecca Brosius, RN, St. Vincent recruitment coordinator.

Also designed to keep nurses moving up the ladder of success, the Nursing Clinical Advancement Program (NCAP) focuses on professional devel-opment and promotes bedside education. In short, the program’s goals are to recognize and acknowledge the contributions of St. Vincent’s nursing staff, and create opportunities that will retain or attract the best nurses, she says.

St. Vincent’s Carolyn Ford, RN, was named Nurse of the Year in 2004. She says the program keeps “nurses motivated toward professional growth through the Career Ladder and also gives them

an “opportunity to collaborate with physicians.”

And Brosius says that’s the point.

“We want to foster an environ-ment of learning that offers our patients the highest quality of care. More than a just job or paycheck,

we want our nurses to be stimulated. We want them to be excited about their jobs.”

JEFFERSON REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTERNurses have the opportunity to take part in special programs designed to guide and recognize the contribution of nurses in the delivery of patient care, says the hospital’s assistant vice president of patient care services Mary Daggett.

The Care Delivery Partnership Program (CDPP), with its mission of providing a forum focused on the continuous improvement of patient care, is unique to Jefferson Regional Medical Center.

At JRMC, nurses have a voice. The program’s framework revolves around professional develop-ment and the contributions of nurses at the unit level, Daggett says.

In addition, JRMC’s Nursing Department also

Keeping ournurses happy


“We came up with a new and fun way of welcoming and helping new nurses adjust to the demands of a teaching hospital, which can be stressful to nurses who aren’t used to a student-teacher environment. We call it the On-Boarding Program.”

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has a Clinical Practice Ladder Program. Its pur-pose is “to reward and recognize our registered nurses by providing a framework for advancement of nurses who choose to remain bedside clinicians,” Daggett says.

The department’s policy says, “Advancement is based on application of the nursing process, profi-ciency with clinical skills, educational development, leadership and community

outreach. The Division of Nursing is focused on empowering nurses, enhancing their careers and promoting excellence in practice.”

White RiveR Medical centeRAt White River Medical Center, the top brass are working hard to keep their nurses content. So last year, they put together a shared leadership model that places bedside nurses on the hospital’s administrative committees.

“It was hard to get that model up and going,” says Michelle Bishop, the hospital’s nurse director, “but we’ve had a good, successful year.”

So how does it work in practice? For one, when there was a major room redesign planned, nurses were asked to try out a mock room based on the design.

On the flip side, training a nurse is expensive, and hospitals

often require the new hire to stay in a department for a certain period of time before transferring out.

Leaving a department before a contractual commitment is complete can result in the repayment of training costs at many hospitals, says Susan Erickson, RN, Nurse Recruiter at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

Both she and Arkansas Children’s Hospital Director of Nursing Resources Michelle S. Odom recommend studying your options carefully before signing up for a particular department.

“Learn what is required of a nurse on the different units, and see what best fits you,” Odom says. Even if you’re about to graduate, she recom-mends thinking long-term.

“Ask your instructors questions, talk to the nurses you know, and familiarize yourself with the different options,” Erickson says. “It will save you some grief in the long run, and it never hurts to look at the endless possibilities of nursing.”

“They had nurses come through and offer feedback,” Bishop says.

Their observations were incorporated into the design and the finished product proved more efficient for nurses and patients.

“I think the administration is doing a great job and they’re willing to go the extra mile to give nurses a voice … to get them more involved in the day-to-day operation,” Bishop says.

The hospital also recognizes its staff for indi-vidual efforts through its Employee of the Month program. The employee gets their choice of a parking spot for a month and the hospital pays for a dinner at the restaurant of their choice.

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It’s a caring profession. Anyone in nursing knows it’s not about the paycheck but the desire to make the world a better place.

—Keith McClanahan, ASU-Beebe advanced technology and allied health director

SAU-MAGNOLIA’S NURSING STUDENTS“We give a lot of flu shots,” Southern Arkansas University department of nursing chair Bernadette Fincher, Ph.D., RN, says with a laugh.

Fincher and her staff try to instill an atmo-sphere of caring and concern at the university at Magnolia. It’s so important to them that they’ve incorporated volunteerism into the curriculum.

“Part of the nursing program includes pro-fessional development hours, which gives our students credit for volunteering their time in

the community,” she says. There are a number of choices for the students, including work with Alzheimer’s patients or disabled children.

“We think it’s critical to a student’s education, and for many, it’s a real eye-opening experi-ence,” Fincher says. Once involved in a cause, many students continue to volunteer even after fulfilling their classroom obligation.

The SAU Student Nurses Association also participates in the local Angel Tree program and adopts a family each year at Christmas.

“We take pride in their work, and our entire facility believes the community would miss a lot if we didn’t volunteer,” Fincher says.

ST. VINCENT’S JOYCE DIEMERSpending long days as a nurse manager at St. Vincent Urology and Women’s Surgery Unit isn’t quite enough for Joyce Diemer. For a long time, and in large part because of her family, she had a strong desire to make a difference in other people’s lives.

That desire manifested itself in helping oth-ers, even those outside the U.S. For a time, she helped her aunt, a Catholic sister working in India to raise funds. She wasn’t alone in her efforts, her family— 42 first cousins—also helped. The money was used to furnish hospital rooms, daycare facilities and pay for nursing scholarships.

About two years ago Diemer traveled to Belize to work with the Catholic Sisters of Charity. There, she and a number of her cousins built a house.

“It was a life-changing experience. It was a poor, poor country, and we saw the kind of places not usually seen by tourists,” she says.

In addition to the hard work, the cousins got a chance to strengthen their familial bond.

Last year, Diemer returned to Belize.On this trip, they built another home, but

again went the extra mile, buying a curtain that doubles as a bathroom door and other amentities like a table and flooring.

“We really don’t have it as bad as we think we do,” she says.

ASU-JONESBORO’S FUTURE NURSESBefore receiving a certificate or degree, Arkansas State University at Jonesboro students are required to do community service. Not long ago, students spent the day working at Jacksonport State Park

after a flood. Another group did cleanup after a tornado in Marmaduke. And during a recent ice storm, a shelter was set up on campus, with both students and faculty volunteering their time and talents.

There are other causes, such as fundraising and gifts for children, health screenings, blood drives and flu clinics.

“As nurses we have a responsibility to the community we live in,” says ASU-Jonesboro School of Nursing chair Dr. Sue McLarry.

Our work is changing lives, she says. A health screening can lead to “early detection” of hear-ing or sight problems—making a big difference in a child’s life.

McLarry says her department believes in volun-teerism and feels it’s their job to teach giving.

ARKANSAS STATE HOSPITAL’S RUN FOR THE CUREEmployees at the Arkansas State Hospital have traveled around the world, so to speak, in their

race for the cure.“We lost a nurse, Milli Cagle, last February to

breast cancer, and we wanted to do something to honor her,” says the hospital’s nurse coordina-tor Kay Baudier. So a handful of employees got together in April and decided to walk in this year’s Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure as a way of remembering Cagle, an RN at the hospital.

Since then, they have held several fundraisers, including monthly luncheons featuring Italian, Mexican and Southern meals as well as other regional delights.

“We’ve raised over $2,500, and I think it’s great,” Baudier says.

Part of that money was spent on T-shirts and the remainder will pay to register the 60 Arkansas State Hospital employees who are now planning to participate in the race.

While the team is named Milli’s Pink Love, Milli isn’t the only one at the hospital who battled breast cancer.

“We have five survivors on our team, and another person at the hospital was recently diagnosed with breast cancer,” she says.

Baudier, who points out that effort no longer just involves the nursing department, but also people from all areas of the hospital, says that for everyone who has participated, “It’s been a wonderful experience.”

ARKANSAS TECH’S CAREY BOSOLD AND STUDENTS

At Arkansas Tech University at Russellville, students are learning the importance of giving, says Carey Bosold, assistant professor of nursing.

Out of the many volunteer projects on campus, one close to Bosold’s heart is the River Valley Military Outreach. This program helps families of deployed members of the military with childcare, vehicle maintenance and more.

“Our students have taken on a number of projects,” she says.

They’ve collected donations, brought in items such as socks, puzzle books, stationary, stamps, candy, cards, DVDs, portable movie players and a bevy of personal products.

For the last four years, her students have filled about 40 boxes each year, while the university’s Student Nurses Association pays for the packages and shipping costs.

Several ROTC students on campus were called up, and “We wanted to remind them how important they are to us,” Bosold says.

However, there’s more to the program than that.

“Giving stays with our students, and they realize it doesn’t take a lot of effort to make a huge impact,” she says. “It forces them to focus on what’s going on in the outside world, and it changes their perspective.”

UAMS’ ANGELA DUNCANFor Angela Duncan, a trip to Limon, Honduras, through the nonprofit Carolina Honduras Health Foundation, was the experience of a lifetime.

An advanced practice nurse (APN) working in UAMS’ Emergency Department (ED), she traveled to Honduras, one of the poorest countries in Latin America, with 14 other medical professionals, also from the ED. Instead of sunny beaches and endless margaritas, the team ran a medical clinic for the poor.

“There were 15 totes full of medical supplies,” she says.

They filled their bags with medicines to treat malaria, diabetes and high blood pressure because the people near Limon have limited resources.

They spent the first day setting up the

Reachingout


Southern Arkansas University Department of Nursing requires student nurses to volunteer their time in the community.

NURSES MAKE A DIFFERENCE THROUGH VOLUNTEER, CHARITY WORK


clinic—hooking up the generator so they would have electricity.

“Still, what we could do was limited,” she says, even though over the course of four days, they saw 749 people—that’s about 188 people per day.

“Only 10 weren’t infected with malaria,” Duncan says.

In addition to working in the clinic, members of the team traveled to rural churches to see additional patients.

“A lot of people came to see us (at the clinic) in their Sunday clothes, but they live in mud huts and have no bathroom,” she says.

So it isn’t surprising that the trip made a big impression on Duncan, and she plans to make the trip again.

“I realized how fortunate I am, and how I can make a difference,” she says.

BAPTIST HEALTH SCHOOLS’ STUDENTS“Committed to Christian principles and quality healthcare education, Baptist Health Schools strive to enhance the quality of life for the citizens of Arkansas by providing quality, accessible and student-focused education for future and current healthcare professionals,” says the school’s enrollment coordinator Julie Wurm.

With this in mind, the school requires its nurs-ing students commit to five hours of community service each semester.

“The more you help the community, the more experience you have, and you become a better citizen. This can pay off when it’s time to look for a job,” Wurm says. “Each time you volunteer, you make a new contact.”

BAPTIST’S CHERYL VANWINKLEWhen Baptist Medical Center RN Cheryl Vanwinkle was a young college student at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, she decided she wanted to volunteer with the Southern Baptist Journeyman, a Christian organization that works around the world.

But life happens.About 30 years later, Vanwinkle decided it was

time to leave her mark. After her daughter returned from a Honduras mission trip while studying at

the University of Central Arkansas at Conway, Vanwinkle, who had successfully battled breast cancer, knew it was her turn to volunteer.

“This was something I needed to do,” she says.

So she signed up, along with several others from her hospital, to work at Hospital Escuela, a government hospital in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, for a week. While there, her team removed tumors, straightened jaws and performed endless cleft palate surgeries, among other procedures.

The trip was so personally rewarding that she signed up for a second trip to India. While the idea is to make improvements in another person’s life, Vanwinkle says that’s not exactly how it works.

“You go to help people but you come away realizing how blessed you are,” she says. “It’s awesome. … It’s life-changing.”

Elaine White, RN, Baptist Medical Center clinical qual-ity value coordinator, says, “We do it because we make a difference.”

While she may be chang-ing the world one bandage at a time in as many as 10 countries, White also likes to talk about the things she has

seen in the world outside the United States.She talks about landmines in Cambodia,

snakes in Paraguay and former headhunters in Ecuador.

“These people walk 20 miles and line up before dawn to see us. They have nothing, and it’s more than a desire to give to those who have nothing. It’s a calling,” White says.

JRMC’S SUSIE HARGISIn early February of 2010, while most people were wrapping water pipes and stocking up on groceries as the first snowfall of the year moved in, Susie Hargis of Monticello was sweltering in the sun and humidity of Haiti, dressing wounds and comforting the victims of the devastating January 12 earthquake.

For Hargis, Jefferson Regional Medical Center nursery RN, mission trips are nothing new, and in 37 years of nursing she has volunteered for 17 missions, but this trip was different.

“All my previous mission trips were really

medical clinics, where you go in, set up, and see patients with chest pain or runny noses,” Hargis explained. “This was the first disaster I ever worked.”

Family connections were important following the earthquake, Hargis says, because so many people lost multiple loved ones in the disaster.

“It was unbelievably sad,” she says. “One woman I treated not only lost a limb, she lost three of her four children. “

Most of the injuries she saw were fractures and amputations, so most of her work involved changing dressings, caring for wounds and assisting the doctors. Supplies were limited so the crew used whatever they could find to treat patients. In one case, a fracture had to be stabilized with rebar, the material used in concrete to stabilize buildings.

“I’ve seen poverty before,” Hargis says, “but this was poverty with no hope because everything was literally under concrete.”

While the trip was difficult both emotionally and physically, she says without hesitation, “I would go back tomorrow.”

CONWAY REGIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM’S KELLEY KINGFor Kelley King, a wound nurse at Conway Regional Health System, the March trip she made to Guatemala with St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Conway was her first mission.

“It was very overwhelming. These people are beautiful,” she says about the trip that included 23 team members, including three nurses, a doctor and a number of volunteers.

Their work was done through the Boca Costa

Medical Mission in Guatemala, says Marianne Welch, a medical technologist at the hospital.

King worked in rural areas, including the jungle.

“We had to carry everything we needed, and we would set up our equipment in a school or church and just start seeing patients. People would just line up,” she says.

In order to talk with patients she needed two interpreters—one translated English to Spanish while a second translated Spanish into the Mayan’s K’iche’ language.

While there, they saw more than 500 patients.

In addition to medical attention, Welch says they hand out T-shirts and teach people about personal hygiene.

“It was sad, but I love these people and was impressed with their culture,” King says.

UA’S STUDENTS Nan Smith-Blair, director of the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, says the nursing department holds a number of free health clinics throughout the year. These health screenings are held on campus for both students and faculty members and include blood pressure and cholesterol testing, as well as nutrition instruction.

These clinics are designed to give nursing students some real world experience.

In addition, many of their clinics are held at area public schools.

“At these schools, we try to provide the children with good dental health and nutritional information,” Blair says.

“The more you help the community, the more experience you have, and you become a better citizen.”

Susie Hargis, a registered nurse at Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Pine Bluff, spent last February caring for earthquake victims in Haiti.

■


It isn’t surprising that entire families work in nursing and that “the calling” is often passed

from one generation to the next, but what about nurses who share a love of their profession as well as for each other?

Well, we discovered romance happens in the workplace more often than you might think.

For instance, Rebecca Brosius, RN, St. Vincent Health System recruitment coordinator, met her husband James Robinson, RN, on the job about 20 years ago. He was working in the Cardiovasular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU), and she was in nurse recruitment.

Being married to another nurse has its up-side, she says.

Today, they both work at St. Vincent and ride to work together. “It makes it a little easier for me because he understands the stresses of the job.”

COMMON BONDSShannan and Jeff Crowson, both RNs working at St. Vincent, also found true love through nursing.

Jeff, who works in Infection Control, says they met while working at a different hospital and were married about a year ago.

About his attraction to Shannan, who now works in care management, he says, “We both spoke the same language and understood the long hours…. A good day can be a really good day, while a really bad day can be horrible, and it’s good to have someone who understands.”

Shannan agrees. For her, being married to an RN eases the stress of her job, and it’s nice to be with someone who understands the demands of her position. For instance, even though she was hired for a Monday through Friday shift, from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., they both know flexibility is a must in their positions.

“We have days we come in early, days we stay late. We both have meetings, sudden deadlines, and things that suddenly take priority over our

everyday duties. I work occasionally on Saturdays and Sundays without being scheduled; and he understands why,” she says.

As a bonus, she says, “I feel that it also adds respect to our relationship with each other because what we both do here makes a difference in different ways.”

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHTSparks flew from the first moment two RNs, Jennifer and Dean Gammill, caught each other’s eye at St. Vincent.

“I worked for Radiology Associates P.A. (in Little Rock) and he worked in the central pool, “Jennifer says. “I kept running into him in dif-ferent places. It was like fate, and every time I turned around there he was.”

Finally, Cupid intervened, and she says, “We had a patient in common, and that was it.”

They married two years ago.Now, they both work at St. Vincent. Dean

works in Critical Care and Jennifer in the Center for Women and Children.

“We have so much in common and can talk about our days. He’s a great resource for me and me for him.”

IN RECOGNITION OF SERVICEThis summer a married couple, Roy Standridge, RN, who works in the Emergency Department (ED) at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and his wife Melinda Standridge, RN, who works in the Outpatient Hemotology Clinic at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, were recognized as the first nurse couple to receive the industry’s prestigious Daisy Award for Extraordinary Nurses.

Roy Standridge received his Daisy Award last July, while Melinda Standridge was named a Daisy Award recipient in 2008.

“We are both proud to have been nominated for and to have received the Daisy Award,” Roy says.

Bonnie Barnes, Daisy president and co-founder, said in a statement on the organization’s Website, “Melinda and Roy both being honored with the Daisy Award is, indeed, a first! I can only imagine what a special couple they must be … dedicated to incredible compassionate care for their patients and to making a difference in the world together. I would love to meet them.”

Their story so impressed the folks at Daisy that the couple made the cover of their Daisy Award newsletter this summer.

“We were delighted with the recognition they received for their dedication and willingness to go beyond the call of duty,” says Susan Erickson, RN, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences nurse recruiter.

Melinda and Roy are celebrating their first anniversary in October and he says, “Nursing does provide us with some commonalities and we are able to understand the joys and stressors of the job that each of us do.”

While they experience different situations, including good and bad days, they can lean on

each other for support.“Melinda is a wonderful, caring nurse and wife,

which makes our marriage so great. We also enjoy most of the same things outside of work and enjoy being with each other,” Roy says.

LEAN ON MEJust a few weeks ago, Micah and Megan Ragsdale celebrated their two-year anniversary and the birth of their son. They live near Jonesboro and work at St. Bernards Regional Medical Center.

“We met in nursing school in 2007,” Megan says.

They were attending Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas in Helena and were introduced by mutual friends who married a couple of weeks before the Ragsdales.

“I started not really liking him but I grew to love him,” she says.

Before long both graduated, and Micah, now RN, went to work at St. Bernards in cardiac and Megan, LPN, took a job a few floors away in orthopedics.

“Because we are married, we can’t work on the same floor,” and, Megan says, to keep it professional, they leave their personal lives at home.

However, that doesn’t mean they don’t find comfort in each other after their shifts end.

“If he’s having a problem at work, I’m usually the pick-me-up person,” she says. He also does the same for her.

“We’re a good support system for each other,” she says.

A BEDSIDE ROMANCEJenna Roper admits there was a little flirting at the bedside with her future husband Michael, and after working together in the Intensive Care Unit at Jefferson Regional Medical Center, the couple seemed a natural fit.

The two, along with the rest of the team, worked hard, long hours.

“We were around each other a lot, and I enjoyed talking to him,” she says.

Even though Jenna was planning a permanent move to Hot Springs, she asked Michael if he wanted to catch a movie, and the next weekend they had their first date.

“We had only dated a couple of weeks before I thought this might turn into something spe-cial,” she says.

Although they tried to keep their relationship a secret, it wasn’t long before co-workers were teasing them. The rest is history, and the couple recently celebrated their four-year anniversary.

Jenna believes part of the attraction is the strong bond they developed while working in intensive care.

“It’s hard to meet someone outside nursing who understands the job and the crazy hours,” she says.

Romance in theworkplace


MARRIED NURSES SHARE PERSONAL LIFE, LOVE OF NURSING

KELL

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Nurse couples are able to empathize with each other. From left: Micah and Megan Ragsdale, Dean and Jennifer Gammill, Roy and Melinda Standridge.


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