Tiffany Trotter knows her ABCs. She went from CNA to LPN to RN to BSN and is on her way to CRNA The education behind all those letters meaning certifications and degrees drove her success as a registered nurse living in McGehee in the south corner. east of Arkansas.

Most recently, Trotter earned the Bachelor of Science in Nursing — aka a BSN degree — from the U of A Eleanor Mann School of Nursing online.

“I believe it’s important to continue my education to continue to have this knowledge of what’s going on because medicine keeps changing,” Trotter said.

Patty Milner, associate vice provost for student outreach and innovation at the U of A’s Global Campus, presented Trotter with a framed diploma for her bachelor’s degree on Aug. 4 during the week-long RazorBug Graduation Tour. in eastern Arkansas. Global Campus staff also presented Trotter with a framed photograph of nursing school faculty and staff congratulating her.

U of A faculty and staff also traveled with the RazorBug to western and southern Arkansas in June and July to present framed degrees to graduates of online degree programs. More than 440 students graduated from online programs in May. The RazorBug is a converted red Volkswagen Beetle that sports a Razorback muzzle, tail, and sharp spine. It has been used for recruitment and special events since 2005.

Back to those letters. CNA stands for Certified Nursing Assistant, LPN for Licensed Practical Nurse, and RN for Registered Nurse. Next on Trotter’s agenda, CRNA stands for Certified Nurse Anesthetist and will require Trotter to obtain her license as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, an APRN, and then she can administer anesthesia for surgery and other medical procedures. .

Trotter’s face lit up when asked what it meant to her that her daughter, Raina, had decided to be a nurse as well.

“That says it all,” exclaimed Trotter. “I encouraged her to do it. It’s a great career. You have different specialties to take care of people, and it’s all about good customer service. We have the best customer service in nursing because that you interact with the patients. You want to see them improve, progress. … I’m happy for her.

Earning a degree online was tough, but the convenience made it possible to combine her responsibilities to her daughter and her job, Trotter said. She did not attend the opening of the U of A in Fayetteville, about 4 1/2 hours away, because Raina graduated from high school the same weekend in May. Then the family celebrated with a trip to Hawaii the next day.

“It’s a task,” Trotter said of the online degree program. “It’s not easy, but it’s at your own pace. You have a week to do your work, time to study. The teachers, they work with you and everything. It was excellent.

“It’s time management,” she continued. “It’s not like getting up to go to class and listening. You still have to study and be able to sit down and do it on your own, but you’re still not alone; you have the teachers who help you. will help along the way.”

She contacted faculty members several times and usually got a response within 24 hours, usually listed as the expected wait time, Trotter said.

“I can text the teacher,” she said. “I can email them. I can call them, and they’ll answer a question right away.”

She cited a health assessment course as probably the most useful for her as a practicing nurse due to the higher level of detail she learned in previous courses.

“Even if you spend a short time with this patient, you can still get the big picture of what’s going on with their health,” she said.

The RazorBug Diploma Tour was hosted by U of A’s Global Campus. Global Campus supports academic colleges that offer more than 75 online degree, certificate, micro-certificate, and bachelor’s degree programs. These programs are featured on the U of A ONLINE website at online.uark.edu.