Registered Nursing

Registered nurses provide and direct others in the provision of nursing care to patients in acute care settings and a variety of other healthcare agencies. They work closely with physicians and other members of the healthcare team.

Regardless of your educational experience, we have a program to meet your needs.

The school of nursing offers three educational tracks designed to serve a variety of students with diverse educational backgrounds. In addition, we also coordinate with Arkansas Tech so that graduates from our program can seamlessly complete a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Students wishing to complete some or all of the general education and science courses prior to entering into a nursing program have the unique opportunity to apply to become a BAPTIST HEALTH/PTC student. BAPTIST HEALTH/PTC students are eligible to take the general education and science courses required for the nursing program on the BHSLR campus through Pulaski Technical College. Students interested in becoming a BAPTIST HEALTH/PTC student must complete the application process with BHSLR – School of Nursing.

Track 1: Traditional Track

The Traditional Track is a three-year track designed for students who have little or no college experience. During the first two semesters of the Traditional Track, students are considered pre-professional students, and will be taking introductory nursing classes as well as general education and science courses.

• Fall 2009 Application Completion Deadline for the Traditional 3-Year Track: Friday, July 31, 2009, 5:00 PM
• Fall 2009 Classes Begin Monday, August 17, 2009
• 6 semesters in length
• High school diploma or GED required
• ACT composite score of 19 or above preferred or SAT score of 910 or above preferred
• Nurse Entrance Test (NET) is required with a score of 50 or above on both the Reading and Math components of the NET. Scores must be no more than 10 years old.
• No college courses required for admission. Required college courses are taken within the Three-Year curriculum. College courses are offered on the BHSLR campus through Pulaski Technical College
• Graduates are eligible to apply to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) upon successful completion of program requirements.
• Average Clinical Ratio = 1:10

View application information

Track 2: Express Track

The Express Track is a two year track designed to meet the needs of more experienced students who have completed a minimum of five selected college level courses. Eight college courses are required for successful completion of the RN program, five of which must be completed as pre-requisites. The eight required courses are detailed below.

To be eligible for entry into the Express Track for Fall 2009, students must have successfully completed:

3 laboratory science courses, Psychology, and Composition I
OR
4 laboratory sciences and Composition I.

Express Track students will begin nursing classes during the Freshman semester and are allowed to complete the remaining three college courses during the Express Track curriculum. For convenience, required courses are offered through Pulaski Technical College on the BHSLR campus. Below are some fast facts about the Express Track.

• Fall 2009 Application Completion Deadline for Express Track: Friday, June 19, 2009, 5:00 PM
• Fall 2009 Classes Begin Monday, July 6, 2009
• 4 semesters in length
• High school diploma or GED required
• ACT composite score of 19 or above preferred or SAT score of 910 or above preferred
• Nurse Entrance Test (NET) is required with a score of 50 or above on both the Reading and Math components of the NET. Scores must be no more than 10 years old.
• A minimum of five selected college-level prerequisites required for entry
• Graduates are eligible to apply to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) upon successful completion of program requirements

View application information

Track 3: Accelerated Track

The Accelerated Track is an option for Paramedics and LPN/LPTNs who wish to become a registered nurse. The Accelerated track is one year in length, and applicants applying for classes that begin January 2009 and after, a minimum of six (6) months work experience as an LPN, LPTN, or Paramedic is preferred for the Accelerated track but not required.

• 2 semesters in length
• Classes begin in January each year, the deadline to all submit required documents of the application for January 2009 is December 3, 2008.

Effective with January 2009 class

1. Complete application for admission,


2. Official High school transcript reflecting graduation or passing GED,


3. Official transcripts from all colleges/ universities attended,


4. ACT composite score 19 or above preferred or SAT of 910 or above,


5. Nurse Entrance Test (NET) reflecting a minimum composite score of 50% on both the math and reading portions is required,


6. Current unrestricted Arkansas LPN or LPTN license; If out of state, license must be from a compact state with Arkansas or apply to Arkansas State Board of Nursing for endorsement,


7. Personal interview as requested,


8. Documentation of employment as a LPN/LPTN or Paramedic  for a minimum of 6 months is preferred,


9. Completion of Employer Validation of Basic Nursing Skills form,


10. Documented completion of a minimum of two (2) of the eight (8) required general education courses with official transcript reflecting final grade of “C” or greater.

Remaining general education courses are taken as co requisites with the nursing curriculum and may be completed during Spring, Summer I, Summer II, and Fall semesters through Pulaski Technical College (PTC)*evening or online classes as offered.

Spring
Chemistry	4 credit hours
Comp I	3 credit hours
Psychology	3 credit hours

Summer I
Anatomy & Physiology I	4 credit hours

Summer II
Anatomy & Physiology II	4 credit hours

Fall
Nutrition	3 credit hours
Microbiology	4 credit hours
Sociology	3 credit hours

* Transfer credits are accepted as identified in the Catalog, applicants are referred to the schools Transfer Credit Guide available online here.

11. Paramedic to RN additional requirements:

• Arkansas Paramedic certification required
• Achieve score of “C” or above on Excelsior Fundamentals of Nursing Examination.

View application information

FAQs

The cost of the BHSLR School of Nursing varies depending on the number of general education courses and the track of study that a student is enrolled in. Please download the cost sheet for estimated costs.

The BAPTIST HEALTH School of Registered Nursing prefers an ACT Score of 19 or above for admission. If you do not score a 19 or above, we recommend that you re-test. Generally, students are able to increase their score with each time they take the ACT. We also recommend that you use a study guide or preparatory course that is specifically designed for the ACT.

Nursing courses including class, skills lab, clinical may be up to five days per week. Pulaski Technical schedule will vary based on need.

At this time, the BAPTIST HEALTH School of Registered Nursing does not offer classes at night or online classes. General Education classes may be offered in the evening or online, and are scheduled by Pulaski Technical College.

Earnings for Registered Nurses vary greatly and have many different factors. Please visit the US Department of Labor website to find out earning information.