Over 400 nurses and nursing students, including six RNs from Rogers State University participated in the Oklahoma Nurses Association’s Annual Nurses Day on February 25th at the Oklahoma State Capitol. (Photo credit: Tiffani Richardson/Oklahoma Nurses Association)
Six Registered Nurses that are students in Rogers State University’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing RN-toBSN program were selected to participate in the Nurse of the Day program at the Oklahoma State Capitol.
The Nurse of the Day program, run by the Oklahoma Nurses Association, serves as an effective advocacy tool for nurses across the state to talk one on one with legislators.
Each nurse has the opportunity to visit with legislators, attend various committee meetings and assist in the First Aid station at the Capitol. The program allows nurses to voice their thoughts and opinions on current legislation that affects nurses and healthcare.
“It is important for the BS/N students to gain the skills required to advocate politically for patients, changes in healthcare and our profession,” RSU Associate Professor Dr. Teri Bycroft said. “The Nurse of the Day program is an example of how this learning process occurs.”
Caren Coday, who earned her RN from RSU in 2013, is currently working as a nurse at Hillcrest Medical Center in Tulsa while completing her BS/N degree at RSU.
“A huge thing right now for nurses in Oklahoma is safe staffing. Nurses are routinely responsible for six, seven or even eight patients,” Coday said. “We’d like to see that number limited by law to five so patients can get the care they need.”
Six out of the 32 nurses invited to be a Nurse of the Day are part of RSU’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. “Our nurses are well-known throughout the state for their excellence,” said Dr. Nancy Diede, RSU Department Head and Associate Professor of Nursing. “These nurses have what it takes to make a difference in the lives of others.”
RSU’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree provides an opportunity for RNs who have completed an associate or diploma program to continue their studies and advance their careers. “We provide opportunities for our students which facilitate their understanding of social, economic, cultural and political issues that impact their nursing practice and the care they provide their patients” Diede said.
The Bachelor’s program is designed to prepare registered nurses to assume leadership positions in medical centers, home health and community health centers. The degree has a special emphasis on rural health care and federally-operated facilities.
The following RNs in RSU’s RN to BS/N program, listed by hometown, were part of the ONA’s Annual Nurses Day:
- Bixby: Jackie Williams
- Glenpool: Autumn Bates
- Kellyville: Lindsay Bash
- Oologah: Amy Estes
- Tulsa: Caren Coday, V. Katherine Holloway
For more information, call 918-343-7631.