Long before her sisters joined the ranks of Arkansas’s nurses, Sharon Brandt  Andersson dreamed of being a nurse. 

“I knew I wanted to be a nurse since the first grade,” she says. As a child, she had been impressed by the school nurse, who she describes as “a professional, kind lady.”

Today’s hospitals attempt to reach out and acknowledge their outstanding nurses through various awards and programs. Most nurses agree that it’s nice to have your hard work appreciated, nationally or locally. 

It isn’t enough for a hospital to grow by simply adding more walls and beds; administrators around the state are realizing that education, patient care and a knowledgeable staff are essential components of a successful health care system. 

For many nurses in central Arkansas, a 40-hour work week simply isn’t enough.  Nurses volunteer their talents and time to a variety of causes - whether lending a helping hand when it comes to administering mass flu vaccines, lending a hand to the Red Cross, running a race for charity or collecting boxes of cereal. 

Nursing is still a good, stable career choice. People are coming into the profession from other careers and some are returning to nursing after a hiatus. 

While everyone knows the economy took a down-turn last year, it seems things are, at least for the moment, turning around. Like other industries, nursing felt the effects of the recession, but Arkansas’s health care professionals predict a brighter future. 

While relatively unknown in Arkansas, hospital and medical centers across the nation are reaching new heights through the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program. 

With today’s easy Internet access, smarter healthcare practices and a better-trained nurse population, it’s not surprising that the very nature of nursing – and what’s expected of today’s professional staff – is changing.

Where you go to college and how far you go in the world of nursing is completely up to you.

Both private and public two and four-year colleges and universities offer registered nursing programs that are divided into two categories: a two-year associate degree, or a four-year baccalaureate degree. Before going to work, the graduate is required to pass the National Council of State Boards of Nursing Licensure Examination (NCLEX).

No matter what career path you choose, Arkansas’s hospitals and institutions of higher learning will help you get there. While last year hospitals were scrambling to find enough nurses to fill vacancies, that need has cooled in the last 12 months.