UAMS Hosts Statewide Conference to Showcase Advances in Nursing Research

By Chris Carmody

Nurses and nursing students from across the state gathered April 5 on the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) campus for a conference that highlighted recent advances in research.

Organized by the UAMS College of Nursing and the UAMS Office of Continuing Education, the 2024 Arkansas Nursing Research Day conference focused on the theme of “Nurses as Active Drivers of Positive Change in Health Care.” The event featured a mix of podium and poster presentations from students and nursing professionals who are striving to improve health outcomes through research and evidence-based projects.

Janiece Taylor, Ph.D., RN, assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, served as guest speaker for the conference’s morning keynote session, giving a lecture on equity in pain management. She started her speech by asking attendees whether they had ever experienced pain, drawing a show of raised hands throughout the auditorium.

UAMS Hosts Statewide Conference to Showcase Advances in Nursing Research

Nicholas Odom, associate professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, delivers a guest lecture during the afternoon session of the Arkansas Nursing Research Day conference. Image by Bryan Clifton

UAMS College of Nursing’s BSN Program Ranked 86th in Nation by U.S. News & World Report

By Chris Carmody

U.S. News & World Report ranked the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Nursing among the nation’s 100 best undergraduate nursing programs for the 2023-24 academic year.

UAMS’ Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program tied for No. 86 out of 656 programs examined by the publication. UAMS was the only Arkansas institution to rank in the top 100.

U.S. News & World Report determined the rankings through surveys from top academic and nursing school officials, who rated BSN programs they were familiar with on a scale from 1 to 5. Schools on the list were required to have a bachelor’s-level accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, and they needed to have recently awarded at least 40 BSN degrees.

UAMS College of Nursing’s BSN Program Ranked 86th in Nation by U.S. News & World Report

Students take part in a white coat ceremony for the College of Nursing’s BSN and graduate programs. Image by Evan Lewis

UAMS’ Elizabeth Riley, DNP, APRN, Chosen as Fellow of National League for Nursing Academy of Nursing Education

By Chris Carmody

Elizabeth Riley, DNP, APRN, clinical associate professor in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Nursing, has been selected as a fellow of the National League for Nursing (NLN) Academy of Nursing Education.

Riley is among 20 nurse educators who will be inducted into the academy during a Sept. 30 ceremony at the NLN Education Summit in Las Vegas. The Academy of Nursing Education has more than 300 members affiliated with teaching hospitals, academic institutions and other health organizations across the country.

https://news.uams.edu/2022/08/09/uams-elizabeth-riley-dnp-aprn-chosen-as-fellow-of-national-league-for-nursing-academy-of-nursing-education/

Elizabeth Riley, DNP, APRN

Nursing Schools Almanac Ranks UAMS College of Nursing Among Top 100 in Nation

By Chris Carmody

Nursing Schools Almanac has recognized the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Nursing in its 2022 ranking of the nation’s 100 best nursing programs.

The UAMS College of Nursing ranked No. 82 among the 3,000 institutions examined by Nursing Schools Almanac, which places UAMS among the top 3%. Among public nursing schools in the United States, UAMS is listed as No. 44 out of more than 1,800. UAMS was also the only university in Arkansas to make the Top 100.

“The UAMS College of Nursing continues to be recognized for our excellent programs,” said Patricia Cowan, Ph.D., RN, dean of the College of Nursing. “This would not have happened without the faculty’s dedication and commitment to providing quality education to our students.”

https://news.uams.edu/2022/06/29/nursing-schools-almanac-ranks-uams-college-of-nursing-among-top-100-in-nation/

Arkansas Children’s Research Institute Gets $11.5 Million To Study Obesity Prevention

By TALK BUSINESS & POLITICS STAFF

Scientists at Arkansas Children’s Research Institute (ACRI) and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences will continue studying the impacts of childhood obesity after the National Institutes of Health awarded $11.5 million in renewed funding to the ACRI Center for Childhood Obesity Prevention.

The grant will fund further improvements to the center’s existing research infrastructure and ensure development of more scientists with expertise in childhood obesity.

Led by Dr. Judith Weber, the multidisciplinary Center for Childhood Obesity Prevention anchors the pediatric obesity program at Arkansas Children’s. Weber also serves as associate dean for research and a professor in the UAMS College of Nursing, as well as a professor in the pediatrics.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/post/arkansas-children-s-research-institute-gets-115-million-study-obesity-prevention

Arkansas Children's Hospital

CREDIT MICHAEL HIBBLEN / KUAR NEWS