The state Board of Nursing has granted the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff initial approval for its pre-licensure program for a Bachelor of Science in nursing.
Students admitted to the pre-licensure program who successfully complete all required coursework and program requirements will be eligible to apply to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses. Students who pass that test will be licensed to practice as a registered nurse.
The Nursing Board had put the university's registered nursing program on probation in 2010, citing three consecutive years of less than 75 percent of graduates passing the licensure test on the first attempt. None of the 17 nursing program seniors in that year were allowed to graduate after they all failed a practice licensure exam required to pass a mandatory course.
By 2013, the UAPB nursing program was shut down after failing to fulfill eight of 21 conditions of an extensive agreement with the nursing board.
Now, enrollment is open for the coming 2015-16 school year, and prospective students who have completed the prerequisite general education courses can submit applications.
"I am exceptionally proud of the dedicated nursing program faculty and staff for completing the rigorous process of building a brand new framework and curriculum for our BSN and their tenacity to meet all of the Board of Nursing's requirements for a stellar program," UAPB Chancellor Laurence Alexander said in a Thursday news release.
State Desk on 07/11/2015