News Journal Archives

A Legacy of Service and Vision for ONA’s Future

Jane Nelson, CAE, Chief Executive Officer For the past 25 years, I have had the privilege of working alongside the Oklahoma Nurses Association Board and our dedicated members to advance nursing across our state. It has been an extraordinary journey—one…

Faith Community Nursing

A Faith Community Nurse (FCN), is a registered nurse who intentionally integrates professional nursing practice with spiritual care to promote holistic health of the body, mind, and spirit within a faith-based community. This definition is provided by the Westberg Institute,…

Maximizing Impact: How Nurse Educators Are Shaping the Future of Care

Nursing has always been grounded in presence. At the bedside, in the community, and alongside patients during critical moments, nurses deliver skilled and compassionate care. Yet, the influence of nursing extends far beyond direct patient interactions. Increasingly, nurses are shaping…

Publish or Perish? Why Not Disseminate—and Protect Our Nursing Workforce

In nursing, the phrase “publish or perish” is often used to describe the pressure to produce scholarly work, secure funding, publish manuscripts, and demonstrate productivity. While scholarship remains essential to advancing nursing education and practice, this narrow framing can unintentionally…

Role of School Nurses in Improving Childhood Vaccination Rates

Identification of Problem:  Childhood vaccination rates have declined in recent years due to increasing vaccine hesitancy and limited access to reliable health education. As coverage decreases, outbreaks of preventable diseases have reemerged, increasing pediatric morbidity (Kiang et al, 2025). School…

Small but Mighty: Maggot Debridement Therapy in Modern Wound Care

Introduction Chronic wounds affect millions of patients, yet it is possible the healthcare community may be overlooking an outcome-changing intervention. Often, in those with chronic wounds, we expect the standard course of treatment, conventional debridement, wound vacs, advanced dressings and…

Strengthening Professional Identity in Nursing

Nursing has evolved significantly over the years, adapting to advances in healthcare, technology, and patient needs. Yet despite these changes, the profession remains rooted in a commitment to caring for others. As nursing leaders, we have an important responsibility not…

The Nurse Who Pioneered Criminal Profiling

Imagine starting out as a nurse and seeing your career extend beyond the hospital to help catch serial killers. Nurses do incredible work caring for patients and improving health outcomes. With their skills and training, nurses can make a difference…

The Role of the Cardiology Clinical Nurse Specialist

A clinical nurse specialist is 1 of the 4 types of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs): clinical nurse specialists, nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, and nurse anesthetists. CNSs in Oklahoma can diagnose, treat, and provide ongoing patient management focusing on…

What I Wish Someone Told Me My First Year as a Nurse

My first code as a new graduate nurse brought on so many different emotions. Everything around me felt overwhelming, and in that moment, I remember feeling underqualified. At the same time, I also felt prepared because I had recognized that…