Search the list of accredited nursing schools below—universities and colleges typically are providers for Baccalaureate and Master’s nursing programs, while community and technical colleges are providers for Practical Nursing and Associates nursing programs.
The nursing shortage has made the field of nursing a number one priority on many state “to-do” lists, Arkansas included. Here a large number of RNs are mid-career and teetering on retirement. So the business of recruiting and educating new RNs and LPNs is at full-tilt.
The state offers nurses a diverse array of study and work opportunities. Study in small technical and community colleges for an entry-level Associates degree, a college or large university for a Bachelors, Masters or post-grad degree. Practice in rural settings or in a large urban hospitals, and provide care for diverse patient populations and communities.
Most RNs and LPNs work in the largest hospitals in major metro areas of Arkansas: Little Rock, Fayetteville, and Fort Smith. But vacation hotspots, Eureka Springs and Hot Springs, draw millions of out of town visitors each year swelling local populations and adding business to regional hospitals and medical centers.
The Arkansas State Board of Nursing is your go-to resource for:
Arkansas participates in the Nurse Licensure Compact, a cooperative licensing agreement amongst a group of 20+ states that recognize each others nursing licenses. For example: Arkansas RNs that would like to pursue nursing practice in one of the NLC states are free to do so with their Arkansas RN license. However, outside the NLC states and RNs would be required to apply for separate licensure to that state’s board of nursing.
The Arkansas Nurses Association provides member nurses with access to conferences, job postings, scholarships, networking and professional support.
The Arkansas Nurses Foundation – through the Arkansas Nurses Association – provides scholarship and grant opportunities for nursing research and for degree-seeking nursing students.
The average salary range for a staff RN working in Little Rock is $50,000 to $60,700, and for an LPN, $32,000 and $38,700.* These salary ranges could adjust by a few thousand dollars up or down depending upon city or nursing specialty.
*Salary.com