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The 2026 graduates of the Practical Nursing program at the University of Arkansas at Monticello College of Technology-Crossett (UAM-CTC) recently achieved a 100% first-attempt pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN).

This achievement marks the 17th time since 1998 that all students who completed the PN program sat for the NCLEX-PN and passed it on their first attempt. It is also the second consecutive year that the program has achieved a 100% first-attempt pass rate.

The NCLEX-PN is a standardized licensure exam required by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing that evaluates whether nursing graduates have the knowledge and skills to practice safely and effectively. The perfect pass rate reflects the program’s commitment to excellence and demonstrates that UAM-CTC graduates are well prepared to provide quality care in today’s health care environments.

Dr. Tracy Tucker, vice chancellor of UAM-CTC, stated, “We are exceptionally proud of our recent PN graduates. These students have completed a strong program that does an exceptional job of preparing students to be nurses with an abundance of knowledge, excellent communication and personal skills and a desire to serve others through this career. They showed dedication to complete this rigorous program in just 10 1/2 months, but their greatest accomplishment is that every single one of them passed the NCLEX-PN on the first attempt!”

The graduating cohort includes Shirlann Allison, from Hamburg; Alysa Brucks, from Hamburg; Crystal Carter, from Hamburg; Railey Greenwood, from Jersey; Reemonda Ingram, from Crossett; Addison McDougald, from Warren; Hannah Pennington, from Crossett; Mileigh Tillman, from Warren; Allison Vargas, from Montrose; and Jordyn Whisler, from Crossett.

The Practical Nursing program at UAM-CTC is a 10 1/2-month course of study requiring 42 credit hours to graduate, in addition to prerequisites. Students complete over 800 hours of clinical work in various health care settings. Nursing clinicals are supervised sessions in which students apply their classroom knowledge in real-world environments.

“This class of PN graduates at UAM-CTC also includes three high school students who completed the program through start-up grant funding provided by the state of Arkansas, the Department of Commerce and the Office of Skills Development, with blessings from the Arkansas State Board of Nursing,” said Dr. Tucker. “These students graduated high school in May and earned their technical certificate in practical nursing in June. They completed the same program, including all courses and clinical hours, that our college students complete. We are proud of the dedication that these students showed in learning the content and skills required and excelling in their efforts.”

High school students include Greenwood, from Hermitage High School, and McDougald and Tillman, from Warren High School.

This is the first time UAM-CTC has awarded Technical Certificates in Practical Nursing to high school students.

“I’m proud of the students for working so hard. We're also pleased that three of the graduates were the first high school students to complete the UAM-CTC PN program,” said Shela Upshaw, practical nursing instructor at UAM-CTC.

At the 2026 UAM-CTC commencement ceremony in June, Carter, Greenwood, McDougald, Tillman and Vargas were recognized as members of the National Technical Honor Society, the highest honor achieved at Career and Technical Education institutions.

For more information about the Practical Nursing program at UAM-CTC, contact 870-460-2016.

 

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Academics, UAM College of Technology-Crossett