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Jaye Saunders, a University of Arkansas at Monticello senior nursing student from New Edinburg, Arkansas, was selected as one of five students across the state for the 2022 BSN Young Leaders program.

The Arkansas Center for Nursing sponsors the BSN Young Leaders program each year, selecting a limited number of nursing student applicants from across the state to explore opportunities in nurse leadership. Nurses bring a unique, important perspective to health care, and the program aims to prepare more nurses for important leadership positions to address Arkansas’ significant health care challenges.

The BSN Young Leaders program pairs nursing students with nurse researchers, educators, clinicians and other health care leaders in various settings. Selected students are guided through the process of leading a quality improvement or research project. At the completion of the three-month program, students receive a $1,000 stipend to assist with educational costs.

Saunders wants to focus her project on bringing awareness to pediatric mental health screenings in primary care clinics.

Dr. Brandy Haley, dean of the UAM School of Nursing, offered congratulations to Saunders for her selection, stating, “The School of Nursing is proud to have a student selected for this leadership program. This program mentors future nurses in leadership roles that strengthen the delivery of safe, effective and high-quality care. Jaye is an excellent nursing student, and her participation in this program will reinforce the theoretical beliefs we teach in our BSN program regarding leadership and its impact on patient outcomes.” 

For more information, contact the UAM School of Nursing at (870) 460-1069.