MCGEHEE, Ark. — The University of Arkansas at Monticello College of Technology-McGehee (UAM-CTM) held its Practical Nursing pinning ceremony and semi-annual Allied Health commencement ceremony at the Fine Arts Center on the Monticello campus on Friday, December 8, 2023. A total of six students were conferred a Practical Nursing Technical Certificate, and a total of thirty-six students were conferred a Certificate of Proficiency in Emergency Medical Technician, Phlebotomy or Nursing Assistant.
A Technical Certificate in Practical Nursing is awarded after completion of forty-two credits excluding prerequisites and over 800 hours of clinical in 12 months. Certificates of proficiency in Allied Health programs, which include emergency medical technician, phlebotomy and nursing assistant, are awarded to students who complete the required coursework and clinicals for the program within six to sixteen weeks.
Students completing the Practical Nursing Technical Certificate are prepared to sit for the Practical Nursing National Council Licensure Exam (PN-NCLEX) to become a licensed practical nurse. Once licensed, they will enter the workforce as entry-level LPNs, providing care for patients in a variety of healthcare settings such as long-term care facilities, hospitals, clinics, home health, hospice and/or rehabilitation facilities.
Six students earned a Certificate of Proficiency in Emergency Medical Technician. Graduates of these programs are prepared to sit for the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technician certification exam. After certification, they will enter the workforce to provide pre-hospital emergency care.
Five students earned a Certificate of Proficiency in Phlebotomy. Graduates are prepared to take the National Healthcare Association certification exam. To complete this program, students participated in sixteen weeks of theory and eight weeks of clinical, where they performed a minimum of 50 venipunctures and ten capillary blood sticks.
Twenty-five students earned a Certificate of Proficiency in Nursing Assistant. Upon completion of the training program approved by the Arkansas Department of Human Services Office of Long Term Care, graduates can take the certified nursing assistant exam in Arkansas. These graduates enter the workforce with the ability to provide basic patient care under the supervision of licensed nurses and providers.
For more information about UAM-CTM and its Allied Health programs, please visit www.uamont.edu or contact Jason Henry, director of Student Services, at henryj@uamont.edu or (870) 460-2130 or Paisley Owyoung, director of Allied Health, at owyoungp@uamont.edu or (870) 460-2124.
