We have designed this site to include up-to-date information about our education, research, and service programs and activities. Additional information about the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, the City of Little Rock, and the State of Arkansas is also available through links to significant and interesting Arkansas websites. 

As you review our nursing education information, you will notice we have five distinct programs: the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), the BSN Honors Program, the BSN Completion and Articulated BSN/MNSc, the Master's in Nursing Science (MNSc), and the Doctor of Philosophy degree (PhD). Our BSN generic program is offered on the Little Rock Campus as well as off-site in Hope, Arkansas, at the University of Arkansas Community College at Hope (UACCH).

Dr. Claudia P. Barone, Dean
UAMS College of Nursing

Our BSN Completion and Articulated BSN/MNSc program for RN students is offered by Internet and is coordinated off campus through the Area Health Education Centers (AHECs). Practicum courses for RN students are arranged in their home communities under the direction of qualified preceptors.  Our master's students take didactic core and support courses in their regional AHECs by interactive video or Internet and on campus in Little Rock if required. All clinical practica are arranged with qualified preceptors in each student's home community if at all possible.

Doctoral classes are usually concentrated on Thursday afternoons and Fridays on the Little Rock campus. This allows the full-time commuting student to carry a full course load with only one overnight stay. Cost effective housing is available. 

Our education programs are supported by program grants totaling $3,363,326 in extramural funding, attesting to our faculty's program grant writing success. Information on scholarships, fellowships, and traineeships to assist students with financial support at all levels is available on our website. 

Over the past 15 years, our College has built a nationally known program of research. With the comprehensive support of our Scholarship and Research Center, we have been successful in mentoring junior faculty to achieve major extramural research grant support from several National Institute of Health Institutes including the National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Aging, National Institute for Nursing Research, and the National Institute of Mental Health. Currently, the College receives $1,448,559 annually in extramural research funding.

Our faculty are supported in their research endeavors with intramural grants, summer fellowships, and financial support for dissemination of their research. The College has ranked nationally in the top 20 NIH funded Colleges of Nursing for a number of years and currently ranks 24^th. To learn about our research support for faculty and doctoral students, check out our web pages on the Scholarship and Research Center. 

The College of Nursing is committed to providing direct patient, family, and community care. Over the past five years, we have focused on creating comprehensive community-based laboratories for faculty practice and student clinical placement. Currently, we provide case management and care coordination for 600 elders living in four North Little Rock high rises managed by the city housing authority. Additional faculty practices include contracts with community medical practices, collaborative practices in the Area Health Care Centers statewide, and with the Arkansas Department of Health. We believe our education and research programs are greatly enriched by the many service activities and faculty practice.

The College has a reputation of providing leadership in professional organizations both at the national and regional level. Since 1990, we have had two faculty members serve as President of Sigma Theta Tau International, Drs. Beth Vaughan-Wrobel and Dr. Patricia E. Thompson; two presidents of the Southern Nursing Research Society, Drs. Craig Stotts and Dr. Jean McSweeney; and a president of the Southern Regional Education Board Council on Collegiate Education in Nursing, Dr. Linda C. Hodges. Other members of our faculty have held major leadership positions on boards and committees. The College is committed to supporting faculty in developing their leadership goals.

College of Nursing faculty also benefit from an Incentive Plan which provides quarterly bonuses in addition to their base salaries. Those who generate 20% of their salary through grants, contracts, faculty practice, and educational incentives are eligible to receive a bonus equivalent to 10% of their base salary. Additional bonuses are given for outstanding achievements in education, research, and scholarship on a biannual basis.

One of the greatest strengths of our College is the sense of community that exists among our faculty, staff, and students. Joining our faculty and staff affords those newly hired an instant support system. New faculty and staff are given an extensive orientation, and faculty are provided mentors suitable to assist with career development and goals. During the academic year, numerous social events are held from potluck luncheons to cocktail and garden parties. We use any legitimate excuse to celebrate our faculty’s and staff's successes. We also remember birthdays and special occasions. If any of our faculty or staff are ill or experience a family crisis, members of the College community move in to help by providing transportation, food, or other services. This same spirit of support and collaboration permeates the work environment with offers of assistance in meeting the expectations of the faculty and staff role.

We are most fortunate to live and work in a great community and state. Little Rock is the capital city, but it feels like a warm southern town. There is little traffic, and the people are open and friendly. We have a great symphony and symphony singer's guild, a ballet, theater for live performances, a top nationally known art museum, and terrific restaurants. We also have a beautiful center for the arts called Wildwood. Each year the Wildwood Festival offers operas, plays, jazz concerts, ballet, and other unique artistic programs. There are numerous opportunities to join in community activities of every type. 

Our climate is mild yet offers the four seasons with long beautiful springs and colorful falls. If you are an outdoors person, this is the place for you. We have beautiful state parks and some of the best hunting and fishing in the world. Our lakes and streams are numerous, big, clean, and stocked with some of the biggest trout and bass on record. Deer and duck hunting is one of the major sports. Be certain to check out the following websites: Arkansas State Parks and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Our state offers low cost housing, low taxes, and excellent health care systems. The unique thing about Little Rock is you can be in the capital city and within 15 minutes be in a beautiful rural setting or hiking in one of numerous state parks.

I hope you will enjoy your visit to our website. If you are a prospective student, we offer you the opportunity to earn a degree in an excellent learning environment. If you are a prospective faculty or staff member, think about joining us—we have a great deal to offer you.