Nursing consortium gains national recognition

NEWPORT — The Arkansas Rural Nursing Education Consortium was selected as one of the 10 national finalists for the Bellwether Award in the area of Workforce Development.

Arkansas State University in Newport is part of the consortium, along with six other colleges in Arkansas.

The award is presented by the Community Colleges Futures Assembly.

In an attempt to reduce a shortage of nurses in rural Arkansas, the consortium began in 2005 with 60 students - 10 students at each college.

Now there are eight colleges that are part of the nursing education consortium: ASU-Newport; Black River Technical College, Pocahontas; Cossatot Community Collegeof the University of Arkansas in Nashville; Ozarka Technical College in Melbourne; Rich Mountain Community College in Mena; South Arkansas Community College in El Dorado; the University of Arkansas Community College at Hope; and the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton.

“None of the consortium colleges could afford to start a registerednurse program on its own, but by coming together, they were able tocreate a very cost-effective program,” said Alison DeLong, director of the consortium. “At first, there was a great deal of opposition to the model from other nursing educators who thought it wouldn’t work. However, we had support from the Arkansas State Board of Nursing, several legislators and college administrators and were granted initial approval. We proved to be very successful and,in 2007, the Arkansas State Board of Nursing granted us full approval.”

The nontraditional nursing program provides evening classes and weekend clinical experiences so students may continue working while they are in school.

In a fast-track, 12-month format, students begin in January and graduate in December with an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing degree. They are then eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for registered nurses.

“Because of ARNEC, licensed practical nurses who wish to further their education no longer have to leave the area where they live to attend classes and clinical,” DeLong said. “They make contacts through these experiences or are already working at local facilities that provide employment opportunities upon graduation. Most of our graduates stay and work in the area where they live.”

She also said the program has grown tremendously. Last year, the program graduated 187 students, and DeLong said most of them will continue to work and live in rural areas of Arkansas.

“The class of 2012 began last week with 230 students,” she said.

Before ARNEC, there were limited educational resources for RN students. The consortium provided those opportunities closer to their homes.

“The shortage is somewhat of a vicious cycle,” DeLong said.

“Arkansas has a shortage of master’s- and doctorate-prepared nurses to fill the faculty positions, especially in rural areas. Therefore, schools can’t accept all the qualified applicants, which leads to fewer graduates and a smaller pool for employers and for graduate education, meaning a smaller pool of qualified nursing faculty.”

DeLong said jobs in education tend to have lower salaries than those in the nursing field, which caused a problem when colleges tried to recruit qualified faculty.

“In addition, the aging population places a greater burdenon health care and, thus, a greater demand for nurses,” she said. “Nursing is a demanding career, and the nursing workforce is aging. When the economy is stronger, many students opt for other careers.”

She said that with the economic downturn in the country, the colleges have seen an increase in the applicants for the nursing program. There were more than 600 applicants for the 230 available spaces in the class of 2012.

“Jobs in health care in rural areas tend to be more available and secure in tight times than those in other career areas, like manufacturing,” DeLong said. “In fact, we’ve had several students come into nursing who have been laid off because offactories closing and jobs being lost or relocated.”

DeLong said because most of the graduates from the nursing program live and work close to the colleges they attend, they tend to stay in the areas. Providing professionals to fill the medical workforce need contributes to the economy of the communities.

“We also encourage our graduates to continue their education and are working with baccalaureate and master’s nursing programs to improve educational transition from our program to theirs, while allowing the students to remain in their home area,” DeLong said. “We have countless stories from students who tell us that ARNEC changed their lives, and without it, they would never have achieved the success that they have. … Ourprogram is extremely successful.”

She said the overall retention rate averages around 90 percent and the national average is around 70 percent. Delong also said the consortium has one of the highest National Council Licensure Examination-RN pass rates in the state - 95.5 percent for the class of 2010, and the class of 2011 is still testing. The national average is about 87 percent.

Staff writer Jeanni Brosius can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or jbrosius@arkansasonline.com.

Three Rivers, Pages 129 on 01/29/2012

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