Arkansas Code of 1987 (2023) › Title 6 - EDUCATION (§§ 6-1-101 — 6-87-104) › Subtitle 6 - POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION - FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS (§§ 6-80-101 — 6-85-604) › Chapter 81 - STUDENT LOANS (§§ 6-81-101 — 6-81-2008) › Subchapter 12 - GRADUATE NURSING PRACTICE AND NURSE EDUCATOR STUDENT LOANS AND SCHOLARSHIPS (§§ 6-81-1201 — 6-81-1209) › Section 6-81-1201 - Definitions

As used in this subchapter:
(1)
(A)
"Advanced nursing practice" means advanced nursing care provided in one (1) of the following areas of practice:
(i)
Family practice nursing;
(ii)
Pediatric nursing;
(iii)
Women's health nursing;
(iv)
Nurse midwifery;
(v)
Gerontology nursing;
(vi)
Adult nursing;
(vii)
Nurse anesthesia;
(viii)
Nursing administration;
(ix)
Psychiatric or mental health nursing;
(x)
Acute care nursing;
(xi)
Community or public health nursing; or
(xii)
Nursing education.
(B)
(i)
"Advanced nursing practice" occurs in the context of practice by a registered nurse who has:
(a)
Completed a master's or doctoral nursing education program; and
(b)
Met the requirements for:
(1)
National certification;
(2)
Teaching in an Arkansas-accredited school of nursing; and
(3)
Serving as a nurse administrator in an Arkansas complex healthcare agency.
(ii)
"Advanced practice nursing" includes the roles of:
(a)
Clinical nurse specialist;
(b)
Nurse practitioner;
(c)
Nurse administrator;
(d)
Nurse educator;
(e)
Nurse midwife; and
(f)
Nurse anesthetist;
(2)
"Arkansas school of nursing" means any school or school's department of nursing located in Arkansas;
(3)
"Board" means the Graduate Nurse Educator Loan and Scholarship Board;
(4)
"Complex Arkansas healthcare agency" means any hospital, long-term-care facility, large hospital-based clinic, large medical practice, or the Department of Health;
(5)
"Department of Health" means the Department of Health and any of Arkansas's public health units;
(6)
"Master's or doctoral nursing education program" means an Arkansas nursing education program located in an Arkansas public or private institution of higher education that has a master's or doctoral nursing program accredited by a recognized national nursing accreditation organization or a doctor of philosophy in nursing program accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools;
(7)
"Nurse administrator" means a student enrolled in an Arkansas master's nursing education program or doctoral program who will serve as a nurse administrator in an Arkansas healthcare agency, including, but not limited to:
(A)
A hospital;
(B)
A long-term-care facility;
(C)
A large hospital-owned clinic; or
(D)
A large medical clinic;
(8)
"Nurse educator" means a student enrolled in an Arkansas master's nursing education program or doctoral nursing education program who will prepare to teach nursing in an Arkansas school of nursing; and
(9)
"Rural community" means a community within a health professions shortage area, as determined by the board, or a community having a population of no more than fifteen thousand (15,000) persons according to the most recent federal census taken prior to the execution of the loan contract or the most recent federal census taken prior to the time the recipient of the loan or loans shall be required to practice full time in such a community as provided in §
6-81-1204
and §
6-81-1206
[repealed].
Amended by Act 2017, No. 753,§ 1, eff. 8/1/2017.
Acts 1995, No. 911, § 1; 1999, No. 1311, § 1; 2001, No. 787, § 1; 2005, No. 1468, § 1.