This year, during the Legislative Session, we saw the Power of Nurses with the passage of HB 2298! While APRNs in Oklahoma have long advocated working at the top of their license, it was finally achieved this year. This is a huge step forward for nurses and patients. We are truly appreciative of the vision, support and guidance from Legislative leaders such as Speaker Kyle Hilbert, Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, Senators Brenda Stanley and Paul Rosino and Representatives Scott Fetgatter and Cindy Roe, along with the many others that supported this effort. Congratulations! This is a cause for celebration.

The success of HB2298 is also due to the many voices of nurses and the state legislators who heard and understood the stories told by Nurse Practitioners, Nurse Midwives, and Clinical Nurse Specialists. These stories were about their practice, their patients, and the issues they faced with the supervision of prescriptive authority. And most importantly, these legislators understood the impact this would have on Oklahoma’s health care access and outcomes. Passage of HB2298 is a great demonstration of the power Oklahoma Nurses have in advocating for patients and the profession.

APRN Transition to Practice will become law effective November 1, 2025. To apply for independent prescriptive authority, an APRN must have completed 6,240 clinical practice hours with supervised prescriptive authority by a physician, along with other requirements. Until the Board of Nursing has granted independent prescriptive authority to an APRN, they must continue under the supervision of a physician.

The Power of Nurses extends beyond the bedside and the success of HB 2298 is just one example of nurses’ ability to advocate beyond the bedside. Another way includes the work we do in partnership with ANA and other states at the ANA Membership Assembly. This year, ONA President, Cassy Abbott Eng, President-Elect, Kerri Bayer and Representative Kim Thurman represented ONA at ANA’s Membership Assembly. They engaged in dynamic discussions and voted on a series of proposed bylaws and nursing issues that will play a pivotal role in growing the ANA and ultimately the ONA. Removing barriers to nurse workforce well-being, improving care for veterans, the use of AI, and the inclusion of LPNs in ANA were some of the biggest issues discussed. The inclusion of LPN was tabled for further discussion and will be brought back at next year’s ANA Membership Assembly. These leaders represented you well as they understand the issues and are passionate about ensuring that Oklahoma’s voice is heard.

Many of the issues discussed at ANA will also be discussed at this year’s ONA Convention, Moving Nursing Forward, September 24 and 25 in Norman at the Embassy Suites. This year’s conference will explore the innovations, advocacy, and leadership that are propelling the nursing profession into a bold and dynamic future. Attendees will gain valuable insights from thought-provoking keynote speakers, breakout sessions, and peer networking. All of this is designed to equip nurses to lead change and drive improvement in healthcare. We hope that you will join us at the ONA Convention.

There is always work to be done as ONA advocates for nurses, the nursing profession, and the citizens of Oklahoma. We invite you to share your flame with us and ignite your Power.

The heartbeat of healthcare

In nursing, the time for transformation is always. Every day we are leading a quiet revolution to create impactful, meaningful change within our profession. And we invite you to carry the flame – to shape the future of nursing, to set new standards of excellence, and to empower our profession now and for years to come.