Licensed Practical Nursing Club Endowment Established at University
The University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana Licensed Practical Nursing Club recently established the “LPN Club Endowed Scholarship” at UAHT. To establish the endowment, the LPN Club donated $10,000 to the University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana Foundation. The purpose of the scholarship is to provide financial assistance to students pursuing certificates or degrees in Nursing from UAHT.
“Attending any nursing program is expensive,” said Cyndi Graham, UAHT LPN Program Director. “Not only are the programs themselves pricey, but the actual costs associated with books, supplies, and time away from work can add up quickly. This scholarship will help alleviate these barriers to our students’ education.”
The endowment was established in honor of Nina Beth Nivens Thompson and Aaron Ellis, two former students, and Jill Hasley, former Arkansas Rural Nursing Education Consortium (ARNEC) Director at UAHT.
Aaron Ellis, of Hope, Arkansas, passed away September 7, 2013. He was born November 14, 1973, in Prescott, Arkansas, to Randy and Beth Pruitt Ellis. Aaron graduated the then University of Arkansas Community College at Hope LPN Program in 2008 and worked as a clinical instructor from 2009 to 2011. He also worked in psychiatric health care as an LPN.
Nina Beth Nivens Thompson, of Blevins, Arkansas, passed way March 5, 2015. She was born on October 29, 1949. Nina graduated the then Red River Technical College LPN Program in 1981. She worked for over 30 years as a nurse in Hempstead and Nevada Counties, served as a nursing instructor for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and at the University of Arkansas Community College at Hope, and served as a school nurse at Blevins School District.
Jill Hunter Hasley was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas, on April 30, 1971. She passed away on July 30, 2016. Jill started her nursing career as an LPN in 1994. She returned to school and obtained her Registered Nursing Degree (RN) in 1997. In 2004 she earned a master’s degree and licensure as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN). She served as the Program Director for the Arkansas State Board of Nursing and was instrumental in developing the Arkansas Rural Nursing Education Consortium (ARNEC). ARNEC, the first program of its kind in Arkansas, saw six community colleges from around the State join to offer an LPN to RN transition program. She served as the first ARNEC Program Director at UAHT.
Jill Bobo, Executive Director of the UAHT Foundation said, “It is rewarding to see the current LPN students paying it forward for future students in the program. The current LPN students developed the criteria for the scholarship in line with the needs they saw as the most critical for those trying to further their careers, and the financial hurdles they too had to cross.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nursing is poised to add more jobs to the nation’s economy over the next decade than any other single profession. The BLS reports that by 2018, more than 580,000 new jobs for registered nurses will be created, with an additional 460,000 jobs for home health care workers. Together the two professions will account for nearly seven percent of all new jobs created in the United States during the period.
UAHT offers several options in the nursing field including:
- Certified Nursing Assistant
- Licensed Practical Nursing
- LPN/LPTN/LVN to RN Transition
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing RN (University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Partnership)
For more information about the LPN Club Endowed Scholarship, visit uacch.edu or call 870-722-8516.