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.

• 6 semesters in length
• Classes begin on August 18, 2008; the deadline to submit all required documents of the application for Fall 2008 is August 1, 2008.
• High school diploma or GED required
• Preferred ACT score of 19 or above, or SAT score of 910 or above
• Nurse Entrance Test (NET) required
• No college courses required for admission. Required courses are taken with the nursing curriculum.
• Eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) upon successful completion
• 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 college credits in Composition I, Anatomy and Physiology I and II, Microbiology and Chemistry. In Fall 2008, students who have completed college credits in Psychology and three of the four sciences will also be eligible for this track. To be eligible for the Express Track, students must also demonstrate that they have strong math skills with either a college level math course, or a comparable math score on the Nurse Entrance Test. Express Track students will begin nursing classes during their first semester.

• 4 semesters in length
• Classes begin in July each year; the deadline to submit all required documents of the application for Fall 2008 is June 13, 2008.
• High school diploma or GED required
• Preferred ACT score of 19 or above, or SAT score of 910 or above
• Nurse Entrance Test (NET) required
• College prerequisites required*:
  • Composition I (3 hours)
  • Chemistry w/laboratory (4 hours)
  • Microbiology w/laboratory (4 hours)
  • Anatomy and Physiology I w/ laboratory (4 hours)
  • Anatomy and Physiology II w/laboratory (4 hours)
  • College Level Math or score of 50+ on Math Component of NET
  • * Psychology (3 hours) may be accepted as a prerequisite as long as the one remaining science course is completed in the Freshmen Nursing Semester.
• Eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) upon successful completion
• Average Clinical Ratio = 1:10

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, must have a minimum of six (6) months work experience as an LPN, LPTN, or Paramedic in order to be eligible for the Accelerated track.

• 2 semesters in length
• Classes begin in January each year, the deadline to all submit required documents of the application for January 2008 is December 1, 2007.
• Official high school transcript reflecting graduation or GED or GED required
• Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended,
• ACT composite score 19 or above preferred or SAT of 910 or above,
• Nurse Entrance Test (NET) reflecting a minimum composite score of 50% on both the math and reading portions is required,
• 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,
• Personal interview as requested,
• Completion of Employer Validation of Basic Nursing Skills form.
• Paramedic to RN additional requirements:
• Arkansas Paramedic certification required
• Achieve score of “C” or above on Excelsior Fundamentals of Nursing Examination.
• Eligible to take the national Council for Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) upon successful completion.
• For applicants applying for classes that begin January 2009 and after, the following additional requirements are in effect:
• Documented completion of general education pre requisite courses with official transcript reflecting final grade of “C” or greater in each of the following:

  Anatomy & Physiology I & II	8 credit hours
  English Comp I	3 credit hours
  Chemistry	4 credit hours
  Total pre requisite credit hours	15 credit hours

  Completion of additional general education courses as co requisite with Junior semester:

  Nutrition	3 credit hours
  Microbiology	4 credit hours
  Total co requisite credit hours	7 credit hours

  Completion of additional general education courses in either Summer I or II; with remaining 3 credit hour course as a co requisite with Senior semester.

  Psychology	3 credit hours
  Sociology	3 credit hours

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 sheets (Express 2 year track [82 KB PDF], Traditional 3 year track [77 KB PDF], Sophomore and Junior years [75 KB PDF], and Senior year [75 KB PDF]) 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.