Student Story
Crystal Johnson
Fayetteville, AR
LPN to BSN
"This degree will also allow me to be eligible for leadership roles such as preceptor (training nurse) and charge nurse. In my opinion, this program is the best program for LPNs who want to get to that next level."
Crystal Johnson wants to forward her career and help other nurses advance, which has led her to pursue an LPN to BSN degree at the University of Arkansas.
“This degree will allow me to advance in my career,” Johnson said. “I will elevate from a LPN to a registered nurse upon passing the licensure exam. I will have a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. This degree will also allow me to be eligible for leadership roles such as preceptor (training nurse) and charge nurse. In my opinion, this program is the best program for LPNs who want to get to that next level.”
Earning this degree will help her stay competitive in the job market with magnet-status hospitals across the country, she said. Magnet status, awarded to hospitals by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, signifies a facility with high standards of nursing service and patient care.
Johnson chose to study online because it gave her the flexibility to work full-time and attend school. The program lets her study at her own pace and plan clinicals around her work schedule yet easily communicate with the program faculty, she said.
“I can attend class when I get off from work and do homework on my off days,” Johnson said. “I can log on and see what assignments I must do, as well as discuss problems with instructors. Online education isn't easy, and you definitely must be disciplined to do well in your courses, but with some organization and self‐discipline you can soar.”
Johnson is one of 23 people to receive the W.E. Manning Memorial Scholarship for online U of A students for the 2020-2021 academic year. Her immediate plan is to obtain a nurse residency position in Arkansas as a maternal/infant nurse. Long term, she would like to become a preceptor and help train other nurses on the floor.
“This scholarship means the world to me,” Johnson said. “It is a struggle paying for school. It is an even bigger struggle going to school online and working. This scholarship will cover a portion of my tuition that I don't have to worry about, and for that, I thank God. I am so blessed and so thankful to receive this scholarship.”