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

��Vlog��ý Little Rock School of Nursing Earns ANCC Accreditation to Provide Continuing Professional Development Courses for Nurses

John Hill — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 15:50:42 +0000

The American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Commission on Accreditation has granted accreditation for nursing professional development to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Nursing.�� The School of Nursing’s Professional Development Center provides expert educational content delivered in multiple formats to meet the needs of healthcare professionals who are lifelong learners while fostering evidence-based practice for their patients. Accreditation from ANCC demonstrates ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s commitment to using evidence-based criteria when developing high-quality educational activities that promote the professional growth of nurses. With this accreditation, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock joins an influential global community of accredited organizations that offer continuing education for nurses in content areas such as clinical practice, leadership, certificate courses, quality improvement, and simulation with virtual reality options. “We are so proud to be accredited by the American Nurses Credential Center,” said Dr. Elizabeth Sloan Davidson, director of the School of Nursing at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “This organization represents the gold standard for continuing education for nurses. This accreditation signifies that ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is a leader in the region for offering learning opportunities for our students, alumni, and healthcare providers in Arkansas. We are so thankful to the Blue & You Foundation for the support that made this all possible.” The Professional Development Center in the School of Nursing is funded by a grant from the to support continuing education for healthcare professionals in Arkansas. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock is now the third institution in Arkansas with ANCC accreditation including the University of Arkansas and Arkansas Children’s Hospital. The continuing education courses are a great fit for nursing students and nurses who want to complete their continuing education hours, learn new skills, and earn certifications. All of the Professional Development Center’s continuing education courses are currently offered online. In the future, the School of Nursing plans to offer some continuing education courses in a hybrid model utilizing the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Center for Simulation Innovation, a 20-bed state-of-the-art simulation hospital offering simulation-based clinical learning experiences in the Pat Walker Center for Nursing Education. “With our state-of-the-art simulation center, made possible in part by earlier funding from the Blue & You Foundation, we are in a prime position to offer unique opportunities for hands-on application of new skills that will then provide a safer and even better quality healthcare experience for Arkansans,” Davidson said. “This accreditation will promote the professional growth of nurses in Arkansas as well as providing continuing education that will improve patient outcomes, encourage community health, and promote patient safety.” The Professional Development Center also offers an opportunity for ��Vlog��ý Little Rock nursing students to graduate with new skills that will make them stand out in the workforce. “Our students can graduate already having skills, knowledge, and credentials that will give them a step-up in job readiness,” Davidson said. “Our ultimate goal is to graduate the best nurses that are the most equipped to take care of Arkansans.” The ANCC Accreditation Model is based on the original Donabedian framework of structure, process, and outcome measures to evaluate quality. The ANCC standards provide organizations with a structured, evidence-based framework to design and implement NCPD activities. The development of quality outcomes ensures that accredited organizations continuously evaluate processes and their impact on the professional development of nurses.

U.S. News and World Report Recognizes ��Vlog��ý Little Rock for Social Mobility

John Hill — Thu, 16 Sep 2021 13:05:38 +0000

Several academic programs at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock have made the grade by earning a spot in U.S. News and World Report’s 2022 Best College Rankings. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s top ranking came for #143 in Social Mobility – National Universities. The university has risen 48 spots since last year. U.S. News and World Report also previously ranked ��Vlog��ý Little Rock as the top university in Arkansas for social mobility. The ranking measures a university’s success in graduating economically disadvantaged students who are less likely to finish college. “Helping our students advance involves offering more than excellent academic programming,” said Chancellor Christina Drale. “We have intentionally developed resources and expanded services to support students in the transition from classroom to career. Improving our ranking in social mobility reflects a concrete measure of our focused attention on student success.” The social mobility indicator measures how well schools graduated students who received federal Pell Grants. Students receiving these grants typically come from households whose family incomes are less than $50,000 annually, though most Pell Grant money goes to students with a total family income below $20,000. The social mobility ranking was computed by assessing Pell Grant graduation rates and Pell Grant graduate rate performance. At ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, 39 percent of undergraduate students from the fall 2021 semester are Pell Grant recipients, and 55 percent of undergraduate students with known generation status are first-generation students. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s student body is the most diverse of any college or university in Arkansas. About 45 percent of the student population reports to be in a minority population, two or more races, or international. U.S. News rankings are widely recognized as symbols of excellence in higher education that are conferred by an unbiased trust agent. With more than 15 measures of academic quality, the U.S. News 2022 Best Colleges report provides data-driven information and guidance to help prospective students and their families understand their higher education options.�� Vlog��ý Little Rock’s in U.S. News and World Report 2022 Best College Rankings include:

Best Undergraduate Nursing #148
Best Undergraduate Business #212
Best Undergraduate Computer Science #252

The School of Nursing, the university’s largest undergraduate program, has a variety of well-respected undergraduate degree programs, including the Student to RN, Student to BSN, Online RN to BSN, and LPN/Paramedic to RN. The online RN to BSN program was ranked the best in the state this year for the second year in a row by RegisteredNursing.org.

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. Photo by Ben Krain.��

“We are very proud of our faculty, staff, and students at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock School of Nursing to gain recognition with U.S. News and World Report, a gold-standard in rankings,” said Dr. Sloan Davidson, director of the School of Nursing at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “Many innovative learning opportunities are happening in the School of Nursing.” The School of Business serves as a catalyst to advance education and economic development in the state of Arkansas. It is home to the Arkansas Economic Development Institute, the state’s lead Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center, the State Farm Business Skills Lab, and the Kenneth Pat Wilson Center for Economic Education. “We are honored to be recognized as a top undergraduate program in business,” said Dr. Robert Mitchell, director of the School of Business at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “Our business graduates are well equipped to become excellent employees and help grow the Arkansas business industry to its potential.” The Department of Computer Science, initially accredited in 1990 and the first Computer Science program accredited in the state, offers a minor in information insurance, a bachelor’s degree in computer science with an option that focuses on games,�� a master’s degree in computer science, and a Ph.D. in computer and information science. The department also welcomed its first cybersecurity majors this fall in a new bachelor’s degree program that prepares students for one of the fastest growing careers in the world. “The department’s areas of opportunity for our students enable undergraduate students to participate in projects outside the classroom,” said Dr. Al Baker, chair of the Department of Computer Science. “These areas include cybersecurity, virtual and augmented reality, data visualization, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and mobile, smart systems, and software for IoT (Internet of Things). These opportunities in an ABET-accredited degree program make ��Vlog��ý Little Rock an outstanding place to study computer science.”

��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.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Professional Development Center Provides Continuing Education Training for Healthcare Professionals

John Hill — Wed, 05 May 2021 19:27:17 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Nursing has launched the Professional Development Center (PDC) to provide continuing education opportunities for nursing students, healthcare professionals, and emergency response professionals.�� The Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas, which is funded by Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, awarded the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock School of Nursing a $68,357 grant in January 2020 that provided the seed money for the Professional Development Center. “In 2019, Dr. Sloan Davidson took over the chair position for the school. She had a vision to offer continuing education to the nursing population after they graduated ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,” said Dr. Anita Joyce Simmons, assistant professor of nursing and coordinator of the Professional Development Center.�� The center’s mission is to provide state of the art, expert educational content delivered in multiple formats to meet the needs of healthcare professionals while fostering evidence-based practice for their patients. “Nursing is a lifelong learning process. You never learn everything you need to know in nursing school,” Simmons said. “The most important thing you learn is that if you don’t know something, or have never performed a procedure, you must ask for guidance. This gap in knowledge is where the Professional Development Center’s educational modules fill in. We also have one of the largest schools in the state for graduating RNs which makes this need even more applicable .” Over the past year, a team from IT Services and the School of Business have collaborated with the School of Nursing to promote and facilitate the continuing education platform.�� The field of healthcare and medicine is constantly evolving through advancements in research and technology. Education is vital to evidence-based care and positive patient outcomes. The courses provide continuing education credits that healthcare professionals need to licensure.

Members of the Blue & You Foundation and ��Vlog��ý Little Rock celebrate a grant to build the School of Nursing Professional Development Center in 2020. Photo by Brad Sims.

“Evidence shows that patients’ mortality rates improve when they are cared for by nurses with higher education,” Simmons said. “Continuing education courses for nurses can also affect the quality of care and patient outcomes by providing necessary opportunities to improve practice skills and knowledge.” The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock School of Nursing is in the early process of receiving accreditation for the PDC from the American Association of Colleges of Nurses (ANCC). The ANCC is the accrediting body for Schools of Nursing and continuing education. The Professional Development Center also works in conjunction with the School of Nursing’s Center for Simulation Innovation, where they can participate in a simulation to learn new skills to complement the knowledge learned through the continuing education courses.�� “As the center grows, more varied online education formats will be offered, including virtual reality and hybrid courses with simulation activities,” Simmons said. “Interdisciplinary collaboration and negotiations with local community business partners are in plans.” The Center for Professional Development website went live in January with several continuing education courses that are free until the end of the year. Some of the continuing education courses available on the PDC’s website cover dementia, consumer health informatics, self-care for nursing students, and a series on leadership and management. “Nurses characteristically are passionate about providing quality care, and have an insatiable thirst for knowledge. They thrive on learning something new,” Simmons said. “Our goal is to help keep those educational flames burning, even for those nurses working full time, in remote areas, or outside of Arkansas.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock celebrates half a century of more than 4,100 registered nurses

John Hill — Fri, 08 May 2020 13:04:10 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has graduated more than 4,100 registered nurses since the accredited degree program began in 1970. Most of these graduates earned an associate’s degree (ASN), but many went on to earn a bachelor’s degree (BSN), even while working full-time. A great many across both degrees used the paramedic and Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) transition program. Countless nurses leveraged their hard work and success to serve in nearby hospitals, medical centers, offices or small practices, said Ann Bain, provost and executive vice chancellor at the university. Bain is a former nurse herself who, at various points, has been a faculty member of, then chair of the Department of Nursing, and dean of the College of Education and Health Professions. That sense of community service from a city university is what the administrators and chiefs at what was then St. Vincent Infirmary intended when they helped ��Vlog��ý Little Rock begin its nursing program in the late 1960s. By 1970, the year it was accredited, the program enrolled about 45 students and maintained a lean staff of two faculty and a director. This May, 350 students will begin journeys toward ASNs, joining 330 currently enrolled and another 250 BSN candidates. The investment made more than half a century ago has accrued to the benefit of both landmark institutions. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock has been a vital source of nurses that has helped CHI St. Vincent to continue to deliver exceptional health care to the state of Arkansas. The training and preparation of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock program helps the nurses acclimate quickly to the care environment,” said , CHI St. Vincent’s senior vice president and chief nurse executive.

Practice, Perfect

Bain was one of the chief creative forces behind the program’s Interdisciplinary Health Education Center (SCIHEC), an innovative health care simulation facility located on the ground floor of the Pat Walker Center for Nursing Education building on campus. The 3,800-square-foot facility features a 20-bed simulation hospital unit. There, students can train for real-world events from anaphylactic shock to cardiac arrest to mental illness. The scenarios are brought to life by paid actors (sometimes in the role of family or other caregivers). Students are coached by faculty, sometimes over speaker, and granted the benefit of hindsight with a video recording. “We bring that fidelity to the simulation classroom,” said Sloan Davidson, chair of the School of Nursing at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “Students have an opportunity to experience what it’s like to operate as the RN in a scenario. This is not the case in the hospital” — or not without liabilities. The simulation unit has been a boon to recruitment, and an assurance to area hospitals who know ��Vlog��ý Little Rock-trained nurses have hours of simulated, real-world experience, Bain said. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock taught me the personal and professional skills I’ve needed as a nurse,” said Mike Stramiello, BSN, RN, currently serving as a nurse at Saline Memorial Hospital. “The unique environment cultivated a depth of understanding and hands-on experience that has enabled me to care for my patients and give back to my community.”

Sloan Davidson, chair of the Department of Nursing, leads nursing students working with medical equipment in the SIM Lab. Photo by Ben Krain.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Riley, Snead honored in ‘40 Nurse Leaders Under 40’

Janea Snyder — Wed, 24 Apr 2019 18:00:23 +0000

The Arkansas Center for Nursing has included two of University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s nursing instructors in its 40 Nurse Leaders Under 40. Elizabeth Riley and Leigh Ann Snead will be honored at a ceremony on Tuesday, April 30, at 1:30 p.m. at the Benton Event Center. Riley, 31, teaches Healthcare Economics, Nursing Informatics, and Research and Evidence-based Practice in Nursing. Before joining ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2016, she worked as a registered nurse in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (��Vlog��ýMS). She’s been a registered nurse since 2010. “I feel that my real-world practice helps make me more relatable to our nursing students in understanding the daily goings-on in the patient care setting,” she said. “I also feel better connected to practice and policies as healthcare is continuously evolving.” Riley earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing and a Master of Science in nursing, both from ��Vlog��ýMS, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from American Sentinel University. She continues practicing on a PRN basis. “Leigh is an outstanding nurse educator, both in the classroom and simulation settings,” said Sloan Davidson, chair of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s nursing department. “She specializes in pediatrics and is excellent at designing creative ways to help the students see how pathophysiology drives what the nurse will see and then do for patients.” Snead has taught at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock since fall 2015 and currently teaches Pediatrics and Adult Medical Surgical II (classroom and simulation) and is the interim simulation director. She graduated from Baptist Health Schools with a RN diploma in 1999. She earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Arkansas Tech University in 2012, a Master of Science in nursing from the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) in 2015, and she is currently completing a Doctor of Nursing Practice at UCA. Snead has worked in the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and ; ��Vlog��ýMS Labor and Delivery; and the Arkansas Women’s Center OB/GYN clinic. “My experience has further stimulated my curiosity and creativity in the ways I teach complex concepts to students, especially in regards to pathophysiology,” Snead said. “Simulation allows me the avenue to provide hands-on teaching strategies and practice to help students develop clinical reasoning skills.” Snead has also taught at Southeast Arkansas College and Baptist Health Schools. “Riley, as we call her, is an excellent online educator in our RN-BSN program,” Davidson said. “She is diligent as a researcher, putting data to work for evidence-based practice in the clinical setting, but also in the education setting. We are blessed to have both of these young educators as faculty members.” The Arkansas Center for Nursing works to promote a culture of health for Arkansans by advancing nursing education, practice, leadership, and workforce development. This year’s 40 honorees were selected based on their commitment to excellence, service, outreach, leadership qualities, and their contributions to the advancement of the nursing profession. The complete list of 40 honorees is available on the . Riley and Snead also will be featured in the Arkansas Times’ May issue. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock nursing professors Leigh Snead, center, and Elizabeth Riley, right, have been recognized by the Arkansas Center for Nursing�� for excellence in nursung education. Snead also directs the nursing department’s simulation lab. Photo by Benjamin Krain

Taste of Little Rock draws record crowd, raises $100,000

Janea Snyder — Fri, 12 Apr 2019 22:15:18 +0000

Taste of Little Rock set new records this year, with nearly 800 people attending and more than $100,000 raised for student scholarships. Visitors were treated to tamales from , perfectly plated beef medallions with mashed potato from Arthur’s, melt-in-your-mouth sweets from , frozen treats from and many other cuisines provided by this year’s 33 vendors. served a seafood pasta that won over the crowd and earned the restaurant the “Best of Taste” designation for the second year in a row. “This was by far the most highly attended Taste of Little Rock yet,” said Ryan Miller, director of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Association. “We are excited that this event continues to grow and have an impact on student scholarships.” The event raised just over $100,000 for student scholarships. “This event wouldn’t happen without our volunteers,” Miller said. “Mauri Douglass has been the longtime chair of this event, and we wouldn’t be successful without her guidance. Stephanie Caruthers stepped in to serve as co-chair, and we look forward to her leadership in the coming year. Additionally, the Alumni Board and Taste of Little Rock committee put in countless hours securing sponsors and restaurants to make the event a success, and we had more than 75 student volunteers.” This year’s Taste of Little Rock paid tribute to Arkansas Heart Hospital CEO Bruce Murphy for his longtime support of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and his work to impact the health of Arkansans. Murphy, who graduated from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science, has been a longtime supporter of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Last year, he gave $800,000 to the College of Education and Health Professions. That gift helps support the Student Success Initiatives Fund, which provides academic tutoring and mentoring to students as well as a full-time social worker to assist students. On April 3, the night before Taste of the Little Rock, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock hosted a small reception honoring Dr. Murphy. Sloan Davidson, director of the nursing department, told Dr. Murphy that her students have benefited tremendously from having access to a social worker. Nursing is ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s largest major, with more than 400 students enrolled in associate degree programs and another 400 in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. “Many students have life issues, and their financial need is tremendous,” she said. “A majority are first-generation, and oftentimes they work multiple jobs to get through school to better themselves and their families.” Davidson has had students who have dealt with the death of a spouse and a child. “Having resources to help them get through that and have access to mental health care makes all the difference,” she said. “This gift has been a godsend for our program and our students.” The Student Success Initiatives fund includes emergency funds that have been used to help students in desperate situations. “We’ve been able to help students renew their electricity and prevent them from being evicted. We’ve had homeless students we’ve been able to get housing for. It’s just been more than we could ever ask for, and we so appreciate it,” Davidson told Dr. Murphy. Those kinds of resources often mean the difference between students dropping out of school or finishing a degree that will help them get a job with which they can support themselves and their families. ‘“It’s also adding a nurse to our community, where we currently have a nursing shortage,” Davidson said. Murphy said he felt honored by his alma mater. “I believe that I have a debt to pay to for where I am,” he said. “My expectation when I began this was not that I’d be where I am today. I know it is because I was blessed by my Lord, blessed by the education I got, and I was very blessed by the people who helped me and became role models for me, who were the motivators and molders that gave me the opportunity to stay on the road and not the shoulder.” Top right photo:�� A Taste of Little Rock attendee samples edamame quinoa salad preapred by Arkansas Heart Hospital. Above left: ��Vlog��ý Little Rock student volunteers sample frozen treats from LePop, one of this year’s vendors at Taste of Little Rock. Photos by Benjamin Krain

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

����Vlog��ý Little Rock School of Nursing Earns ANCC Accreditation to Provide Continuing Professional Development Courses for Nurses

U.S. News and World Report Recognizes ����Vlog��ý Little Rock for Social Mobility

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

����Vlog��ý Little Rock Professional Development Center Provides Continuing Education Training for Healthcare Professionals

����Vlog��ý Little Rock celebrates half a century of more than 4,100 registered nurses

����Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Riley, Snead honored in ‘40 Nurse Leaders Under 40’