Ouachita Stories

Ouachita Baptist University’s on-campus nursing program is expanding to serve more students as its first graduates celebrate a 92% first-time pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination. The university recently received grants to increase its capacity for students and faculty for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. This summer also included the announcement of full Arkansas State Board of Nursing approval in May.

Dr. Amy Morris joined Ouachita’s faculty this summer as director of nursing, following the retirement of founding director Dr. Brenda Trigg. “Having a first cohort with a 92% pass rate indicates our program is successfully producing graduates who are equipped as safe, entry-level practitioners,” said Morris. “This program was established to help meet the critical nursing shortage in the state, and the expansion provided through the grants will enable us to produce more nurses.”

Ouachita received grants to expand the state-of-the-art Whisenhunt Nursing Education Center for more classroom space, a 6-bed skills laboratory and a telehealth simulation space. Funds provided through the American Rescue Plan Act will support growing enrollment and ultimately produce more nursing graduates for Arkansas.

The fully on-campus nursing program began after a dual-enrollment partnership with Baptist Health College Little Rock in 2020. Initial approval for the on-campus BSN came in January 2022 with students arriving the following fall. The process for full ASBN approval included a campus visit in March and was confirmed during the state board meeting on May 16, 2024. There are 110 students enrolled for Fall 2024; the program graduated 25 in May.

Brooklyn Laney, a 2024 BSN graduate from Rogers, Ark., works as a high-risk perinatal nurse at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock.

“I chose Ouachita for nursing because they view it as a calling, not just a profession,” said Laney. “My professors taught me how to integrate my faith into my career and how to care for patients wholistically – to be the hands and feet of Jesus as I serve them.”

“Ouachita’s liberal arts foundation and Christ-centered approach allow students to experience a nursing education that is robust academically and spiritually,” said Morris. “With a significant number of students coming to us from rural areas and performing hands-on clinicals for rural residents, we’re also meeting a significant need for Arkansas and surrounding states.”

Morris leads Ouachita’s nursing program after working at BHCLR as coordinator of nursing and interim dean of nursing. She previously worked in the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock. Morris earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Henderson State University and completed Master of Science in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees from UAMS. She maintains credentials as an Advanced Practice Nurse, Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and Certified Nurse Educator. She is an active member of Geyer Springs First Baptist Church in Little Rock, and she and her husband have three children.

“Dr. Morris brings a wealth of experience and a love of Ouachita to the table. I could not be more excited about the future of our nursing program,” said Dr. Tim Knight, dean of Ouachita’s Patterson School of Natural Sciences.

Ouachita has received more than $2.5 million in the past year through Arkansas’ allocation of the American Rescue Plan Act and the Arkansas Linking Industry to Growing Nurses program.

For more information about Ouachita’s nursing program, contact Dr. Amy Morris at [email protected] or at (870) 245-5384. Learn more about Ouachita’s more than 70 majors at obu.edu/academics.

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