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About Our Programs

Sunday, November 24, 2024
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Nursing Students

UA - Pulaski Tech offers nursing programs in Practical Nursing, Certified Nursing Assistant, and Certification as a Medication Assistant. Information is provided below for each program. Questions about any of the nursing programs can be sent to Keely Easter at [email protected] or call (501) 812-2745.

Practical Nursing

Practical Nursing students will be selected for enrollment by a point system, based on the following criteria: Entrance exam (to be announced), advanced coursework, and medical certifications. (Application timeline is January 15 - April 15 for the following Fall).

Students applying must be 18 years old, graduated high school or have passed the GED test. A criminal background check and a drug screening test will be required before a student is fully accepted into the program.

The Practical Nursing program is approved by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing (ASBN). The program is a 12-month certificate program beginning in the Fall and ending in the Summer of the following year. Acceptance into the Practical Nursing program is highly competitive. After graduation, students are eligible to apply for the state licensure examination.

Graduating from a nursing program does not assure ASBN’s approval to take the licensure examination. Eligibility to take the licensure examination is dependent on meeting standards in the ASBN Nurse Practice Act and Rules. Students will be required to sign a statement, before beginning the nursing program, that states that you have read and understood ACA §17-87-312 and the specific offenses which, if pleaded guilty, nolo contender, or found guilty of will make an individual ineligible to receive or hold a license in Arkansas.

Nursing Assistant

The Nursing Assistant Training Program (NATP) is offered to meet industry demand. Applications for the Nursing Assistant Training Program are open all year. Classes begin every 8 weeks. Certified Nursing Assistant courses are not offered during the summer semester. The program accepts 24 students for each 8-week period. Applicants must be a minimum of 18 years of age. There are no prerequisites for this course.

The program focuses on safe and effective student performance in a health-care setting. Participants engage in classroom theory hours related to the care of the patient, skills lab hours practicing specific skills of bed making, patient bathing, hygiene techniques, body mechanics, etc, and clinical hours in a long-term care setting providing hands-on care to the residents. Graduates are eligible to take the practical and computerized examinations that lead to Arkansas State Certification as a Nursing Assistant (CNA). This program is approved by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education and the Office of Long-Term Care.

Medication Assistant

The Medication Assistant program is a natural progression of knowledge from the Certified Nursing Assistant. The Medication Assistant-Certified (MA-C) program prepares individuals to administer prescribed medications; observe and report patient reactions and side effects; and perform related emergency and recording duties under the supervision of nurses and/or physicians. Applicants must be currently employed as a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and have a minimum of one year of experience as a CNA. Medication Assistant Courses begin every eight weeks. Medication Assistant Courses are not offered during the summer semester.

The theory and clinical portions of the program includes instruction in basic anatomy and physiology, common medications and their effects, taking vital signs, oxygen administration, medication administration and application, record-keeping, and patient observation. Graduates are eligible to take the computerized MA-C Certification Exam which is a requirement to practice in the State of Arkansas. This program is approved by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education and the Arkansas State Board of Nursing.