Arkansas Expedites Licensure for Graduating Nurses As COVID-19 Hospitalizations Climb

To help Arkansas medical systems better manage escalating COVID-19 hospitalizations, Governor Asa Hutchinson issued an executive order in November that speeds up licensure for all graduating nurses and waives application fees. Chief nursing officers with Washington Regional Medical Center and UAMS Health, along with a seasoned COVID-19 ICU nurse and graduating nursing student, say the order is critical especially in the coming months.