DE QUEEN, AR. — The Arkansas Rural Nursing Education Consortium (ARNEC) is proud to announce its ranking as #4 in the state for associate degree registered nursing (ADRN) program pass rates. This achievement highlights the consortium’s dedication to preparing highly skilled nurses to serve communities across Arkansas.

   ARNEC is an education consortium, approved by the Arkansas State Board of Nursing, comprised of four Arkansas community and technical colleges: UA Cossatot/Nashville-De Queen, UA Rich Mountain/Mena, South Arkansas Community College/El Dorado, UA Hope-Texarkana. This program is designed for the current Licensed Practical Nurse to transition to the role of a Registered Nurse through a comprehensive nursing program.

 With the recent restructuring of its program, ARNEC focused on curriculum redesign and faculty development to lead to higher student success rates, stronger graduation outcomes, and a growing pipeline of nurses ready to meet Arkansas’s healthcare needs.

“Since its inception, ARNEC has always strived to provide the best nursing education for rural Arkansans, and with recent positive and thoughtful changes to the ARNEC program across South Arkansas, these pass rates are indicative of these changes,” said Dr. Steve Cole, Chancellor of UA Cossatot. “The faculty and administrators from the four two-year colleges that comprise ARNEC only care about getting students ready for the workforce, and we are all proud of the graduates we produce, especially when they are this supremely prepared.”

Dr. Ashley Aylett, Vice Chancellor of Academics, also praised the milestone, adding, “This ranking is a testament to the power of collaboration and innovation in nursing education. ARNEC’s commitment to academic excellence, paired with an understanding of the healthcare needs of rural Arkansas, is producing results that directly strengthen our state’s healthcare workforce. We are incredibly proud of the students, faculty, and leadership that made this success possible.”

ARNEC continues to build on this momentum, ensuring rural and underserved areas of Arkansas have access to compassionate, highly trained nurses.

For more information about ARNEC, contact UA Cossatot Division Chair for Medical Education, Kim Dickerson, at kdickerson@cccua.edu or 870-584-1147.