Northwest Arkansas Community College offers a practical nursing program that can be completed in one year

BENTONVILLE — Northwest Arkansas Community College will offer a hands-on nursing program that can be completed in one year, according to a news release from the school Friday.

Applications are open Monday through July 31, and the program will begin in the spring 2025 semester, according to the press release.

The degree is offered through the college’s Health Professions Division, according to the release.

Mark Wallenmeyer, dean of the Health Professions Division, said the program was created to meet the needs of the industry in Northwest Arkansas and to align with the state’s plan for practical nursing programs in high schools.

“We are trying to listen to the needs of our industry partners and provide them with programs that we can use to better support the workforce in Northwest Arkansas,” Wallenmeyer said in the release. “This is one of the needs we have heard from the community. The practical nursing program will fill a need as the population in Northwest Arkansas grows and the need for health care increases.”

Nursing assistants monitor patients’ health, including checking blood pressure, changing bandages and ensuring basic comfort, according to the release.

Six courses will be offered in the college’s Health Professions Center, and students will be able to work with Mercy Hospital and Northwest Health, the release said.

Students in the Springdale School District’s Tyson School of Innovation can take courses in the program as concurrent courses, according to the college’s news release.

“NWACC worked with the state’s Office of Skills Development to offer this practical nursing program at the high school level,” Wallenmeyer said in the release. “The high school program will initially only be offered at the Don Tyson School of Innovation as part of NWACC’s Secondary Career Center. The goal now is for high school students to graduate ready to enter the workforce. This is an initiative we are proud to be a part of with the state.”

Northwest Arkansas Community College is the state’s largest two-year college. In January, the institution reported that 7,709 students were enrolled for college credit for the spring semester.