Ozarka College continues to expand its health care offerings because of the need for professionals in the allied health field. The Arkansas Rural Nursing Education Consortium ARNEC program at Ozarka has recently expanded to accept 40 students per year, and the LPN programs continue to flourish. Ozarka also continues to offer credit and non-credit Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) courses to the public as well as participating high schools and local nursing and rehab facilities as needed.
Many success stories exist from students and graduates within these programs. A particular local graduate, Roy Guiltner is one such success. Roy actually began his nursing career over 10 years ago when he was accepted into Ozarka’s LPN program; he then dropped out the first semester. He says, “At that time I lacked the confidence that I needed to get through the program. I became discouraged and when the opportunity to go back to work fulltime came up, I quit nursing school and went back to my comfort zone of working in a factory.”
After several different factory jobs and working off and on at Boeing, where he was in 2006 when the plant officially closed its Melbourne operation, Roy took another opportunity to go to college. He credits several faculty and staff at Ozarka for helping him graduate the LPN program in May of 2008, then complete the RN program in December of 2009. “I had to work very hard to make my grades and with the help of many caring faculty, staff and administration who continued to be my encouragers and believe in me, I began to believe in myself and completed my goals of becoming a nurse.”
Roy now works in the second floor Recuperative Unit of White River Medical Center (WRMC) in Batesville. His passion for the mostly elderly patients in the unit is evident. In fact, his most recent evaluation from WRMC states that Roy displays the caring qualities of a nurse that cannot be taught in school. His advice to others who might think they cannot go back to school and begin a new career as a non-traditional student is to not give up. “If I can do it, anyone can! The faculty and staff at Ozarka truly care about their students and will be there to help you through when you get discouraged.”
Roy is a lifelong resident of Izard County. He and his wife live in Melbourne with their three teenage sons. Roy’s other passion is music. He has been the pianist at Midwest Baptist Church for 30 years and he enjoys shape note singing, which is a type of congregational note reading used mainly in gospel music. He admits that the piano is one place he exhibits high confidence and he is known in the local area for his musical talent.
Ozarka is currently accepting applications for the next LPN classes beginning in the fall semester. For information on the allied health programs offered at Ozarka College, contact the Admissions Department at 870-368-2024 or admissions@ozarka.edu; or the Allied Health Department at 870-368-2077.
