A UA Little Rock nursing student was recently elected to the Arkansas Nursing Students’ Association (ANSA) state board.

The ANSA organizes, represents, and supports students in Arkansas preparing for initial licensure as registered nurses as well as baccalaureate students. They also promote development of the skills that students will need as responsible and accountable members of the nursing profession, advocate for high quality health care, advocate for and contribute to advances in nursing education, and develop the potential for maximal growth in future professional roles of Arkansas nursing students.

Niki Buckman, a student from Quinlan, Texas, was elected as the District 1 director during the ANSA convention held in Hot Springs. She will represent and advocate for nursing students in Arkadelphia, Conway, Hot Springs, Little Rock, and Magnolia. She will also serve on the annual convention, fundraising, and awards committees.

“I am ecstatic to be able to serve on the ANSA Board of Directors,” Buckman said. “I look forward to working with everyone in District 1.”

Once she graduates in 2023 with an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing degree, Buckman will work for the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System. She is a recipient of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Health Professional Scholarship Program, which provides financial assistance to students in the health care industry. She plans to join the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program in the fall 2023 semester.

It’s been a lifelong goal of Buckman’s to become a nurse, one that got put on hold while she pursued a career in sales and marketing in the natural pet food industry in Colorado and California. She and her husband moved to Arkansas to be closer to family in 2020, and Buckman decided it was time to pursue her nursing degree.

“Nursing was always my plan,” she said. “I have wanted to work in health care ever since I was little. My dad was sick when I was growing up. After seeing his experience in needing a liver transplant, I decided that I wanted to work in health care to help other people through their medical emergencies.”

At UA Little Rock, Buckman, a home health care aide, serves as president of the Student Nurses Association and a volunteer with Kindred Hospice.