Additional Information
- The roles of RN and PN student and graduate require specific physical and mental abilities to assume the roles and meet expected educational outcomes for the associate degree or certificate nurse, the student must possess the following abilities: verbal and written communication, problem-solving, nursing assessment of both physical and psychosocial health status of clients as well as the safe performance of nursing skills and procedures which include strength and coordination with gross motor ability to lift and ambulate patients safely, hand-eye coordination and fine motor dexterity, as well as problem-solving and comprehension, analysis, and synthesis of data.
- Students with documented disabilities who are applying for admission to National Park College Nursing Programs are welcome according to the guidelines of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with disabilities who have the required documentation. It is the student's responsibility to inform the faculty of the disability at the beginning of the term (within the first two weeks of the start of each nursing class), how the disability affects performance, and what accommodation(s) will be required. For applicants, please inform the nursing advisor when initiating the application process. For more information, refer to the section on student activities and special programs and the Essential Functions Statement. If there are any questions, please contact the Division of Nursing in writing.
- PN and RN Licensure Requirements:
- Must graduate from a board-approved program;
- Eligibility for licensure as a practical or registered nurse is considered after successful completion of a Board approved nursing education program; however, completion of a nursing program does not guarantee the Arkansas State Board of Nursing’s approval to take the licensure examination. All applicants for licensure shall complete a criminal background check per ACA §17-87-312. No person shall be eligible to receive or hold a license issued by the Board if that person has pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to, or been found guilty by any court in the State of Arkansas, or of any similar offense by a court in another state, or of any similar offense by a federal court of any offense listed in ACA §17-3-102. ACA §17-3-102 provides an opportunity to request a waiver of eligibility criteria related to a criminal background in certain circumstances. For more information please go to the Arkansas State Board of Nursing.
- Exposure to communicable diseases (for example, Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), the human immunodeficiency virus which is associated with AIDS, the organism causing Tuberculosis which may be resistant to treatment, and the virus associated with Hepatitis B disease), injuries, and related accidents can occur as part of nursing clinical experiences. Students in the Nursing Program are provided with information and guidance about a) Protection from infectious illnesses, b) Immunizations recommended or required for health care workers, c) Testing for infectious illnesses, d) Protection from injuries during clinical experiences, and e) Blood borne Pathogens Education.
- Health Insurance is a requirement of all nursing and health science students. Students enrolled in nursing must maintain adequate health care coverage and disability insurance for their protection in the event of illness and/or injury.
Denial of Clinical Experience
Enrollment for each nursing class is determined by a faculty/student ratio for clinical experiences set by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing. Any student who is denied clinical experience by any clinical facility for reasonable cause will be required to withdraw from the National Park College Nursing Program. Any student denied clinical access for a justifiable cause by the clinical facility will not be eligible for re-admission into the National Park College Nursing Program. If denial of clinical experiences is related to substance abuse issues, the substance abuse policy will apply (amended 2005).
