- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Nursing Faculty Named to 2021 40 Nurse Leaders Under 40 List

John Hill — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 12:39:30 +0000

The Arkansas Center for Nursing has recognized several University of Arkansas at Little Rock nursing faculty members as successful leaders in the state’s nursing community. Six ��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty members were named to the 2021 40 Nurse Leaders Under 40 list, which honors emerging young leaders in Arkansas. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock School of Nursing faculty members who made the list include: · Lakeisha Falls, assistant professor of nursing · Farren Moore, assistant professor of nursing · Crystal Rose, assistant professor of nursing · Joanna Rostad-Hall, assistant professor of nursing and director of the Center for Simulation Innovation · Fairah Solomon, assistant professor of nursing and AAS program coordinator · Anna Williams, assistant professor of nursing The Arkansas Center for Nursing’s mission is to promote a culture of health for the citizens of Arkansas by advancing nursing education, practice, leadership, and workforce development. The 40 Nurse Leaders Under 40 recognition is intended to identify, celebrate, and encourage exemplary dedication and leadership in the nursing profession. “Being selected as a recipient of the Arkansas Center for Nursing 40 under 40 Nurse Leader award is a tremendous recognition of achievement,” Rose said. “This recognition identifies, celebrates, and encourages dedication to leadership in the profession of nursing. In 2021, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has six nursing faculty receiving this prestigious award which demonstrates the excellence of our nursing faculty, nursing programs, and our dedication to nursing students.” Recipients were selected through a highly competitive nomination process which focused on their commitment to excellence, service and outreach within their community, leadership qualities, and contributions to the advancement of the nursing profession. “We are pleased and honored to have six ��Vlog��ý Little Rock School of Nursing faculty members selected for the Arkansas Center for Nursing 40 Nurse Leaders under 40 for 2021,” said Dr. Sloan Davidson, director of the School of Nursing. “Dr. LaKeisha Falls, Farren Moore, Joanna Hall, Fairah Solomon, Anna Williams, and Dr. Crystal Rose are all outstanding nurse educators. Each is in a tenure-track position and making a huge impact on our students who are the future of nursing in Arkansas.” The 40 honorees will be recognized in a special ceremony on Oct. 11 at the Benton Event Center in Benton.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Receives $165k Grant for Center for Simulation Innovation

John Hill — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 15:35:46 +0000

The Willard & Pat Walker Charitable Foundation has awarded the University of Arkansas at Little Rock a $165,000 grant for the Center for Simulation Innovation in the School of Nursing. “Our board is pleased to continue the working relationship with ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and greatly appreciates the educational opportunities for students,” said Mandy Macke, director of the Willard & Pat Walker Charitable Foundation. “Adequate training is essential to delivering competent healthcare professionals. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is doing their part to address the nursing shortage in our state, and the Walker Foundation is proud to partner with them in providing the highest level of training possible.” The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Center for Simulation Innovation (CSI) provides nursing students with valuable real-world experience that prepares them for their future careers in the healthcare industry. Located on the first floor of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Pat Walker Center for Nursing Education, CSI is a 20-bed state-of-the-art simulation hospital offering simulation-based clinical learning experiences within a 9,500 square foot facility. “The School of Nursing is overwhelmed with gratitude for the generous donation made by the Walker Foundation to help increase our ability to offer state-of-the-art simulation experiences for nursing students and other interdisciplinary undertakings at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,” said Dr. Sloan Davidson, director of the School of Nursing. This grant enables CSI upgrades that tie into the center’s five-year strategic plan pillars: sustainability, impact, standardization, and research. The funding will be used to upgrade the audiovisual system platform in the Center for Simulation Innovation. “The CAE Enterprise platform we will be upgrading to is a complete simulation center management platform that gives endless opportunities for research, inventory management, scheduling, and learner time and performance tracking,” said Joanna Rostad-Hall, CSI director. Additional funding will go towards converting three classrooms on the second floor of the nursing building to Zoom-capable classrooms. “This will allow students in the classrooms to watch live simulations as well as students in simulation to debrief and interact with their classmates upstairs in the classrooms,” Rostad-Hall said. “If further additional funding remains, we may be able to use some of that funding to secure the most state of the art birthing mannikin (Lucina AR).” CSI simulations include scenarios focused on a variety of concepts including communication, education, and patient health and safety. The simulations include caring for post-operative patients, treating critically ill patients, and the ever-popular birthing simulation. Since the School of Nursing comprises the largest department at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, CSI stays busy, typically running simulations five days a week, eight hours a day. “The Willard & Pat Walker Charitable Foundation has changed the lives of Arkansans due to their lasting impact on institutions across the state,” said Michael Johnson, director of development and external relations for the College of Business, Health, and Human Services. “We appreciate their continued support for our nursing program at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and their ongoing support for education and healthcare in Arkansas.” In the upper right photo, senior nursing students prepare for transition to practice by participating in an Emergency Room simulation in the Center for Simulation Innovation. Photo by Ben Krain.

Center for Simulation Innovation provides ��Vlog��ý Little Rock nursing students with valuable educational experiences

John Hill — Tue, 11 May 2021 15:04:19 +0000

The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Center for Simulation Innovation (CSI) provides nursing students with valuable experience that prepares them for their future careers in the healthcare industry. Located on the first floor of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Pat Walker Center for Nursing Education, CSI is a 20-bed state-of-the-art simulation hospital offering simulation-based clinical learning experiences within a 9,500 square foot facility. Even in COVID times, CSI stays busy, typically running simulations five days a week, eight hours a day. Nursing students comprise the largest department at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “CSI is one of the most innovative simulation facilities in the South and provides simulation-based experiences to students and professionals,” said Josy Nduku, RN-BSN program coordinator. “The experiences are not just for nursing students or professional nurses.” Nursing students are not the only ones who find the CSI invaluable. “We have a lot of high school tours that come through our simulation center, and we let them go through the simulation-based escape rooms,” said Joanna Rostad-Hall, CSI interim director. “It’s a really innovative and unique recruitment opportunity.” The School of Nursing has also collaborated with MidSOUTH, the School of Social Work, and the Interpreter Education Program. Additionally, future collaborations with the Department of Theatre Arts look promising to allow theater students to practice their acting skills by playing the role of patients during simulations. “We also had a legitimate movie that was recently shot here that will soon be on TV. That was a huge deal,” Rostad-Hall said. “This is the direction that we are going. We are trying to open our simulation center doors to approach education and collaboration in a more innovative way.” The School of Nursing isn’t allowed to say much about the movie, but they plan to hold a watch party when it is released. Last summer, CSI completely overhauled its audiovisual system. “We are fortunate to be a part of a university that wholly sees the value of simulation in education. We now have a completely new AV set up with state of the art functionality that allows students to watch video playback of their simulation experiences,” Rostad-Hall said. “This has significantly enhanced our simulation debriefs.” If the School of Nursing receives a grant they’ve applied for, future plans for CSI include converting second floor space into flex classrooms “to allow us to bring simulation into the classroom.”

Senior nursing students in the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock School of Nursing prepare for transition to practice by participating in an Emergency Room simulation in the Center for Simulation Innovation. Photos by Ben Krain.

“Instead of sitting in class and watching someone lecture for three hours, we may ask students to complete a simulation while the other students watch and debrief the simulation. It will really bring simulation in the classroom, encourage more critical thinking, and make learning more fun,” Rostad-Hall said. “The next generation NCLEX licensure exam is slated to come out next year. It will be focused more on application rather than textbook knowledge. We want to include more dynamic, immersive student experiences rather than static theory lectures.” CSI simulations include scenarios focused on a variety of concepts including communication, education, and patient health and safety. The simulations include caring for post-operative patients, treating critically ill patients, and the ever-popular birthing simulation. “We have a birthing simulator that gives birth routinely to a manikin baby several times a week,” Rostad-Hall said. “She’s a tired mama.” Among the simulation center’s five-year strategic plan is to purchase an even more advanced birthing manikin named Lucina with augmented reality features. “She’s the most state of the art birthing manikin available. Participants can wear augmented reality goggles, and you can see inside the stomach as the baby is being birthed,” Rostad-Hall said. “This manikin addition will aid in our pursuits to keep our exceptional School of Nursing as competitive as possible.” At the end of the spring semester, CSI provided a valuable learning opportunity for graduating nurses preparing to take the NCLEX exam this summer. “We ran a multi-patient simulation-based learning experience for our students who are about to graduate,” Rostad-Hall said. “We developed a riff on ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ aptly called ‘Trojan’s Anatomy,’ It was essentially a three hour-long episode of the show where students had to care for and prioritize numerous patients coming into the Trojan Memorial Hospital. The students on campus got the opportunity to play the role of nurses and patients while other nursing students were able to watch and engage via Zoom. We are always trying to push the envelope here in CSI and believe learning opportunities like this very much align with our simulation center vision.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock celebrates National Nurses Week: Melissa Gargus

John Hill — Mon, 10 May 2021 17:11:49 +0000

In celebration of May 6-12, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is recognizing outstanding nursing students. Melissa Gargus, upcoming graduate and mother of three, said she made it through nursing school by remembering some words of encouragement from her nursing instructor. Tell us about yourself. I’m from Cabot and have lived in Arkansas for 20 years. I have been married for 17 years. I have three beautiful children. I love being a mom and wanted my kids to be older before going back to school. I have been studying nursing for three years now. Why did you decide to become a nurse? I wanted to be a nurse from a young age. Taking care of other people has always been a passion of mine. I love helping people through the good and bad times in their lives. What is your most memorable experience as a nursing student? When I started this journey, Mrs. Joanna Rostad-Hall said on orientation day, “It’s hard, but you can do it.” I let that stick with me throughout the program. I lost my mom and brother three months apart last year. I just kept saying that comment to myself and kept going. honors the birthday of , the founder of modern nursing. Who are some of the nurses you admire or who have mentored you throughout your time in the nursing program? My husband has been a nurse for 22 years, and he has supported me all the way! What advice would you give to others hoping to become nurses? Stay strong. Your instructors are your best friends. Push through because it’s just a season of your life. What are your plans after graduating from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock? I will be an ICU nurse at St. Vincent in Little Rock. I also plan to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree this upcoming fall.

Graduating Student Spotlight on Nursing Student Christian Flenniken

John Hill — Fri, 08 May 2020 12:45:48 +0000

Christian Flenniken, a native of Edmond, Oklahoma, will graduate this month with an associate degree in nursing from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Following graduation, she will begin her nursing career at Baptist Health and continue her education in the BSN program at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Q. Why do you want to become a nurse? Nursing is a second career for me. I originally got my English degree and planned on teaching college courses. However, I didn’t have as much of a sense of purpose in that field. I have always had a drive towards service, and I found my passion in nursing. It’s challenging, continuously improving, and gives you never-ending opportunities to exercise empathy and care-taking. Q. Why did you choose ��Vlog��ý Little Rock? I chose ��Vlog��ý Little Rock after researching several of the nursing schools here. This is the only school that offers the option to get your RN and begin practice while continuing on and getting your BSN. I really wanted to get out into the workplace as soon as I could, but I also knew that I wanted to continue my education. I think it’s the most practical option for obtaining your degree. Q. How is ��Vlog��ý Little Rock helping you prepare for your future career? ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Nursing Program has been instrumental in preparing me for my career. We have had countless hours of hands-on experience in clinicals and sim labs that have given me the confidence to perform well in the hospital setting. I think a lack of self is a big barrier to being a good nurse in the beginning. In a lot of situations, there’s no room to be squeamish, to be scared. You can’t hesitate. In those moments, I just always remember Mrs. Fletcher telling us in our first Fundamentals of Nursing class to “own your three feet,” as in, “you made it here, and you deserve to be here, so stop second-guessing yourself.” That’s really stuck with me, and I think that will follow me into the hospital setting. Q. What are your plans for after graduation? After graduation, I’ve accepted a position working in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit at Baptist Health Little Rock, where I currently work as a patient care tech. I’ll be working there while I earn my bachelor’s degree in nursing. I eventually plan to continue my education past the BSN program, but I’m planning on working for a while and getting my feet under me before I jump back into school. Q. What is the most interesting thing that has happened to you as a nursing student at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock? I’ve seen some really wild stuff during my time in nursing school. I’ve seen a cardiothoracic surgeon saw through a man’s sternum for a coronary artery bypass graft. I’ve seen babies being born, broken bones, open wounds, machines breathing for people…the list goes on. But, I think the most interesting thing I’ve seen is how the human body is able to recover from some of the wildest injuries or infections. It’s pretty mind-blowing in a lot of ways. Q. Who is your mentor in the nursing program? I would say my mentor throughout the program has been Ms. Joanna Rostad-Hall. Not only does she give incredible lectures on cardiac rhythm strips, but she’s been an incredible support for me, especially during all the stress of Covid-19. She’s an incredible educator and student advocate.

Christian Flenniken and her dog Charlie

Q. What extracurricular activities at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock or community organizations are you involved in? I work often, so my only extracurricular has been Alpha Delta Nu, the nursing honor society. As our service project this year, we raised over $800 for the Arkansas Foodbank, so that was a pretty cool undertaking. Q. What message would you give to all the nurses out there in honor of Nurses Week? Keep on keeping on! It’s tough out there, but nurses are such a vital part of our healthcare system. Q. How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted your decision to work in healthcare? I’ve just seen so many incredible acts of selflessness, teamwork, and compassion from our healthcare workers. That’s what has always drawn me to this profession, and it’s definitely inspired me to be the best nurse I can be. Q. Is there anything else you’d like to add? I’d like to give a shout out to my dog, Charlie, who has been 90 percent of my mental health support during the insane stress of nursing school.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock students co-create new faculty award to honor one-of-a-kind faculty members

John Hill — Thu, 16 Apr 2020 16:00:31 +0000

The Student Government Association (SGA) at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock has created a new award to show appreciation for faculty members who have positively influenced the lives of students. The SGA Faculty Appreciation Awards will be presented annually to one faculty member in each of the university’s colleges. The award is a one-of-a-kind, handmade glass heart created by in the colors of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. The glass hearts symbolize positive, influential support that makes a real difference in the lives of students. As students enter the university to pursue their education, faculty often play a nurturing role, guiding students through the learning process and working hard to foster an environment that best ensures success. “The SGA is excited to offer students the opportunity to formally recognize their favorite faculty members through the new We HEART Our Faculty Award,” SGA President Katie Zakrzewski said. “We know faculty work very hard to promote the success of students. This award is one way students can return the favor.” The winners include:

College of Social Sciences and Communication – Rebecca Glazier, associate professor in the School of Public Affairs
College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences – Mark Baillie, assistant professor of chemistry
George W. Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology – Thomas Wallace, senior instructor of web design and development
College of Education and Health Professions – Joanna Rostad-Hall, instructor of nursing
College of Business – Casey Rockwell, assistant professor of marketing and advertising

The SGA Faculty Appreciation winners include Rebecca Glazier, Mark Baillie, Thomas Wallace, Joanna Rostad-Hall, and Casey Rockwell.

“I truly found my passion when I began teaching,” Rockwell said. “I get such joy out of watching the ‘ah ha’ moments happen in the classroom. To find out that my students have also found the same high level of joy in our classroom community is such a pleasure.” Several winners were especially touched to receive the award and found it even more meaningful to be selected directly by the students. “Student-selected awards are by far the most meaningful,” Wallace said. “Students are why we are all here and to have made an impact on their lives is the most fulfilling achievement I can think of in our profession.” “Students are really at the heart of what we do and to know that the students made this call really means the world to me,” Glazier added. “It is incredibly rewarding and just warms my heart to know that they would honor me with this award.” After teaching at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock since 2017, Rostad-Hall believes her success in teaching is down to the amazing students in the Department of Nursing. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock nursing has the most amazing nursing students, hands down,” Rostad-Hall said. “You won’t find more engaged, resilient nursing students anywhere. To be recognized by them means my passion and enthusiasm for nursing education is translating. I am blessed to get to work alongside these brilliant future nurses every day.” Baillie, who also leads the annual Mobile Summer Institute on Scientific Teaching every summer, believes in utilizing evidence-based teaching practices to provide the best instruction for his students. “The way I approach my teaching is that it is my job to help all students succeed,” Baillie said. “I utilize evidence-based teaching approaches in my classroom, which focuses on inclusive teaching practices, active learning, and alignment between assessment and what I most value students being able to do.” Provost Ann Bain said she appreciates how this SGA initiative will continue to encourage faculty to invest themselves in students. “Faculty are the heart and soul of our institution,” said Bain. “Faculty do so many things to help students succeed that most people do not recognize. I think it’s important that we can shine a light on all their accomplishments.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock nursing students save man’s life

Janea Snyder — Mon, 14 Jan 2019 17:06:55 +0000

Two first-year nursing students at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock saved a man’s life Friday at a North Little Rock gym because they were able to quickly administer CPR and give other life-saving help in the crucial moments before paramedics arrived. Megan Crawley, 23, had gone to the North Little Rock Athletic Club on Friday, Jan. 11, to work out. She arrived at 10:45 a.m., just seconds after 67-year-old Charles Rainey collapsed. People were yelling for a doctor, and a man asked Crawley if she knew one in the building. “I said I was a nursing student, and a man told me, ‘You have to go! There’s no one else back there,’” Crawley said. Crawley ran over to Rainey and couldn’t find his pulse. She saw that he was turning blue, checked his airway, and saw that his tongue was swollen and knew he wasn’t getting air. She began giving Rainey breaths, while Jessica McCrary, the general manager of the Athletic Club, started compressions. Ryan Ruff, another full-time ��Vlog��ý Little Rock nursing student who works at the front desk of the athletic club, got an automated external defibrillator and charged it. He’s also a medic in the National Guard. “We put the pads on him and shocked him,” Crawley said. “It [the AED] told us to keep doing CPR, so I started doing compressions, and Ryan did breaths.” Crawley’s boyfriend, Evan Gardner, who is a nursing student at Baptist Health, stood ready to take over when Crawley or Ruff became fatigued from the CPR. Crawley had administered 90 compressions when Rainey made a noise. She checked and found his pulse and then she and Ruff rolled him onto his left side to wait for medics. Rainey was awake and talking when medics arrived. “It was definitely shocking,” Crawley said. “I’m so glad I did what I needed to do and glad I had the courage to do it, but afterward I couldn’t stop shaking.” After the incident, Crawley and Gardner stayed at the gym to exercise, and a police officer returned to get a report. “He told us that the doctors said that had we not been there, he would have died,” she said. She and Gardner visited Rainey at Baptist Health Medical Center-North Little Rock on Sunday, Jan. 13, and learned that Rainey had suffered sudden cardiac arrest in the gym. On Monday, Jan. 14, Rainey had three stents placed and said he expects to be released Monday afternoon. “I feel amazing right now,” Rainey said from his hospital room. Rainey said he had decided to run the three-quarters of a mile from his home to the gym Friday morning, rather than drive, because his truck was being worked on. “I felt slight angina during the run, but nothing I hadn’t felt before,” he recalled. “As I started to cool down, I felt a bit of dizziness. I walked in and was standing next to a pipe, and I started sliding down to the floor. I was flatlined when Megan attended me. “She’s a sweet girl,” Rainey said of Crawley. “She apparently was very efficient and jumped right on it, and Ryan had charged the AED. It worked out very well.” Crawley credits ��Vlog��ý Little Rock nursing instructor Joanna Rostad-Hall for preparing her for Friday’s emergency. “She was the one who taught my CPR class,” she said. “If it wasn’t for Mrs. Rostad-Hall and God, I don’t know what I would’ve done.” All of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s nursing students are required to be Basic Life Support (BLS) certified to be in the nursing program. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Nursing Department offers certification and recertification courses several times a year. The certifications cover recognition of cardiac arrest, CPR, AEDs, ventilation, and choking for adults and infants, Rostad-Hall said. Crawley is in the Associate of Applied Science in Nursing program and plans to continue her education and get a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing. Ruff is in the Bachelor of Science nursing program. Needless to say, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock nursing faculty are extremely proud of both Crawley and Ruff. “We truly do have some amazing future nurses in our program,” Rostad-Hall said.

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Nursing Faculty Named to 2021 40 Nurse Leaders Under 40 List

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Receives $165k Grant for Center for Simulation Innovation

Center for Simulation Innovation provides ����Vlog��ý Little Rock nursing students with valuable educational experiences

����Vlog��ý Little Rock celebrates National Nurses Week: Melissa Gargus