< Information for Nurses

Arkansas Children's Hospital Center for Nursing Excellence

The ACH Center for Nursing Excellence consists of various specialties to support nurses and nursing practice:

  1. Academic Nursing
  2. Nursing Professional Development
  3. Nursing Research
  4. Transition to Practice

The Center promotes a culture of competent, safe nursing practice that champions children and their families. The Nursing Excellence team leads programs and initiatives that are imperative to ongoing nursing career development and fostering a culture of excellence. 

Arkansas Children's Hospital - Magnet Recognized

As champions for children, Arkansas Children's Hospital has joined the elite eight percent of hospitals in the world that have Magnet Status. Magnet recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) is the most prestigious distinction a healthcare organization can receive for nursing excellence and quality patient outcomes. 

Learn more about the Magnet Difference

Annual Nursing Reports

The ACH Center for Nursing Excellence publishes a comprehensive Annual Nursing Report (ANR) that highlights nursing's commitment to our core values: Safety, Teamwork, Compassion, and Excellence. The report includes teamwork and collaboration across Arkansas Children's departments. Highlights include quality and safety, community outreach, nursing research, recognition, and awards. The ANR is an outstanding collection of the exceptional work and achievements of our nurses and clinical partners. The report demonstrates interdisciplinary teamwork and collaboration across the organization.

Graphic for shared decision making council.Shared Decision- Making, formerly known as Shared Governance, has been a cornerstone of healthcare since the 1970s. It empowers those closest to the patient and family to actively engage in shaping decisions that impact care delivery and the work environment. This collaborative framework enables healthcare professionals to contribute to decisions involving clinical practice, quality improvement, practice standards, patient care, staff engagement and the overall patient experience.

Our Shared Decision-Making Model encompasses:

  • The hands represent the foundation of support and partnership in our shared decision-making structure. The hands represent all of us: clinical nurses, nurse leaders, and our interprofessional
    Teams.
  • The base of our structure has three main functions: support, bi-directional communication, and overall stability.
  • The filament of a light bulb produces an abundant amount of light. Our patients and families represent our light and power source. Our patients and families are our "why", the reason we do
    what we do.
  • The globe's glass ensures maximum light efficiency and supports other parts of the bulb. One of its key functions is to protect the bulb filament- or patients and families. The glass also emits
    rays of light. The rays of light are the consistent areas of focus for all councils- professional development, clinical practice, quality & safety, and well-being & resilience.

The ACH Center for Nursing Excellence's Nursing Professional Development team facilitates the professional development and growth of nurses and other healthcare personnel along the continuum from novice to expert. The goal is to ensure a standardized approach to onboarding, orientation, education, competency management, role development and continuing nursing professional development.

Professional Nursing Orientation

Professional Nursing Orientation (PNO) introduces nurses and clinical staff to professional nursing and clinical practices at Arkansas Children's Hospital. It also provides the new hire with an introduction to the knowledge and skills necessary to function in their new role.  A variety of teaching methods are used, including but not limited to, structured classroom presentation, computer-based modules and simulation. PNO is held once per month for the following roles that fall under Patient Care Services: Registered Nurses (RNs), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), Paramedics, Patient Care Techs (PCTs), Clinical Support Assistants (CSAs), Care Attendants (CAs), Behavioral Health Techs (BHTs), Surgical Techs, Unit Secretaries and other technical roles as applicable.

RN New Graduate Residency Program

The Arkansas Children's Hospital RN Residency Program is the first and only new graduate residency program in Arkansas to achieve the Practice Transition Accreditation Program® (PTAP) Accreditation with Distinction, awarded by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Our program provides structured education, practice-based learning and organizational enculturation to expand the knowledge, skills and attitudes of newly licensed Registered Nurses with less than 12 months of nursing experience. The program includes didactic classes, clinical rotations, debriefing and mentoring, and professional development. Our cohorts are offered three times a year during the months of February, July and October and are 12 months in length.

> Learn about our Nursing Residency Program

ACH Career Progression

At our Arkansas Children's, we are committed to the growth and success of our nursing professionals. The ACHieve Nursing Career Progression Program is designed to provide clear, structured opportunities for nurses to advance in their careers. This program not only recognizes and rewards your dedication to providing exceptional patient care, but it also supports your ongoing professional development, accountability, and competence.

Through this program, we offer:

  • Recognition for nurses who demonstrate a strong commitment to excellence in patient care and continuous professional growth.
  • Retention and engagement initiatives that encourage long-term career satisfaction and professional accountability.
  • A clear path for career advancement, allowing you to progress from novice to expert levels along the clinical ladder.