Two Rogers State University nursing instructors and two alumni were recently named among the Great 100 Nurses of Oklahoma by a foundation that honors exceptional nurses in the region.
The 100 Great Nurses Foundation held its inaugural Oklahoma event in which it recognized Associate Professor Dr. Teri Bycroft and Instructor Amy Richards. RSU was the only state nursing program with multiple faculty recognized during the event.
RSU ADN nursing graduate alumnae Julie Profit and Shannon Arnold, who also is a former RSU paramedic instructor, were also among the honorees during the event held Sept. 30 at the Hard Rock Resort in Catoosa.
The New Orleans-based Great 100 Nurses Foundation was founded 28 years ago to recognize professionals who are making a difference in the profession.
The group has since honored thousands of nurses across Louisiana, North Carolina, Texas and now Oklahoma for their concern for humanity, their contributions to the profession and their mentoring of others. Nurses are nominated by their peers and then selected by a panel of nurses based on their achievements in four area, including clinical/community, administration, research and education.
In the classroom, Dr. Bycroft shares more than 30 years of nursing experience with students in the RSU bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) program. Her primary focus is making sure that students are prepared to advance their career and the profession.
“Our students get to have fun but they are also motivated to make a difference,” said Bycroft. “Our graduates lead the way in community nursing, rural health and wellness. We also emphasize the importance of teamwork.”
Bycroft said that the success of RSU’s BSN program can be seen in the dramatic increase in the number of students who go on to seek a master’s degree. In her six years on faculty, the percentage of BSN graduates pursuing master’s degrees has risen from 10 percent to more than 72 percent last year.
Richards joined the RSU faculty in 2011, bringing with her decades of nursing experience that she readily shares with her students. Richards said her goal for students to be clinically prepared, while also emphasizing the need for compassionate care.
“I want my students to see their care through the eyes of the patient,” said Richards. “I want them to treat every patient like I would want to be treated or how I would want my family to be treated.”
Richards’ fellow nursing faculty say she sets a good example for students, both with her master’s degree in nursing she earned in 2012 and her ongoing pursuit of a doctoral degree.
RSU operates one of the state’s top nursing programs with pass rates that consistently exceed state and national averages. The RSU nursing program gives students the tools they need to be successful healthcare providers. State-of-the art facilities combined with experienced faculty and clinical rotations at hospitals both in urban and rural settings create a top-notch nursing education for students seeking their associate in applied science or a bachelor of science in nursing. RSU nursing faculty come from a variety of disciplines and each brings years of professional practice into the classroom.
For more information, go to www.rsu.edu/nursing.