The Oklahoma Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board (DVFRB) continues to play a critical role in improving victim safety and preventing domestic violence homicides across the state. Through its multidisciplinary review of domestic violence-related fatalities, the Board identifies systemic gaps, analyzes…

Artificial intelligence (AI) has potential uses in health care and palliative care. It may help clinicians recognize weakening earlier, analyze imaging, identify important information buried in enormous medical records, identify patients who could benefit from palliative care, predict prognosis, and…

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a future concept in healthcare; it is embedded in clinical decision support, predictive analytics, documentation systems, and population health management (Sassi et al., 2025). As these technologies expand, a critical question emerges for the…

Kerri Bayer, DNP, MSN, RN, CCRN: ONA President 2026 – 2028 When we honor leaders who have served before us, I am reminded that nursing is always about something larger than any one individual. We inherit a legacy, we build…

Nurses carry extraordinary responsibility in healthcare. They are expected to recognize deterioration, protect patients from harm, coordinate increasingly complex care, advocate for patients and families, and respond when systems begin to fail. Yet the nurses closest to these problems often…

Kangaroo Care (KC), or routine skin-to-skin contact, is a critical yet often underused intervention in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Nationally, 9–13% of infants are admitted to NICUs, where families frequently experience stress, separation, and disrupted bonding (Yarlagadda et…

Jane Nelson, CAE, Chief Executive Officer Looking back, advice such as Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s is similiar to that of my mentors including my mother that has shaped much of my approach to leadership. It also aligns closely with my own…

Nurse Practitioner Licensure Defense Expenses Case Study with Risk Management Strategies Presented by CNA and NSO A State Board of Nursing (SBON) complaint may be filed against a Nurse Practitioner (NP) by a patient, a patient’s family member, colleague, employer,…

Celebrating NP Week Kimberly A. Allen, DNP, APRN-CNP; Director of Clinical Affairs, Outreach, and Practice Innovation/Family Nurse Practitioner Track Coordinator; Fran and Earl Ziegler College of Nursing University of Oklahoma Health Campus Each November, National Nurse Practitioner Week (NP Week)…

The Oklahoma Nurses Association celebrated nurses, healthcare partners and nursing teams from across the state during as its 2026 Award Recipients, whose work reflects courage, leadership, innovation and a lasting commitment to improving patient care.  This year’s award recipients embody…

Each year, the Oklahoma Nurses Association is strengthened by the leadership, dedication, and service of its Board of Directors. We are pleased to welcome our incoming 2026–2027 board members, whose experience, perspective, and commitment to nursing will help guide ONA’s…

  Sonya Frazier, BSN, RN Writing this article was inspired while watching Dark Winds with my husband. Set in the 1970s Southwest and centered on Diné characters, the television series reminded me of a concerning conversation I once had with…

When a child experiences a medical emergency, every second matters. Clinical expertise is essential, but so are teamwork, communication, leadership, and the ability to respond effectively under pressure. At Oklahoma Children’s Hospital, nursing leaders, providers and educators are using innovative…

Emerging Nurse Column Beginning a nursing career is exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. New-to-practice nurses enter the profession with foundational knowledge, clinical training, and a drive to provide excellent care. However, no nursing program can prepare a new…