Story and photo by Darl DeVault, contributing editor
Oklahoma nurses and nursing students gain a powerful platform to understand and influence the dynamic evolution of their profession through membership in the Oklahoma Nurses Association (ONA). The annual convention in the Fall, featuring many informative speakers, and the opportunity to become advocates at Nurses Day at the Capitol in Oklahoma City in March each year, empower them to shape the future of nursing.
This year, over 400 nurses, nurse practitioners, educators, and student nurses came together on March 4 at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. They were part of a community that heard about the crucial legislation and listened to numerous speakers advocating for the positive transformation of their profession. After the ONA hosted the meeting, this community of dedicated professionals traveled to the Oklahoma Capitol that afternoon to lobby for the new legislation, further strengthening their bond.
The organizers offered diverse and inclusive breakout sessions and a dynamic keynote speaker focused on building supportive structures. They emphasized helping nurses to thrive in the new normal since COVID-19, as their challenging work environment evolves.
This year, key topics included protecting nurses from surgical smoke and access to care through the passage of the Advanced Registered Nurse Transition to Practice Bill at the Capitol.
The ONA’s Strategic Goals, which include advancing the profession to improve health through advocacy, philanthropy, practice, and innovation, are not just a roadmap for the future, but also a source of inspiration. They aim to champion nursing’s value and increase its positive impact on health and society, inspiring all nurses to strive for excellence in their practice.
This highlights the progress made in the nursing profession. Since COVID-19, it has become increasingly proud and optimistic about assuming its rightful place as a key component in delivering high-quality medical care.
The meeting was a step toward advancing and belonging to an advocacy group to improve nursing practice and work environments. The sessions addressed the steps in the legislative process.
One of the attendees emphasized how nurses were newly important as world-class healthcare providers during COVID-19 at the clinic she and her team opened in 2018.
“At our Corner Clinic in Holdenville, our staff of six was doing everything we could to help our patients who had mild to moderate COVID-19 infections. They were at grave risk for progressing to severe COVID-19, facing hospitalization and death,” said Stephanie Keesee, MSN, APRN-CNP, Co-Chair of Advanced Practice Nurses Oklahoma – ONA Chapter.
Oklahoma’s nurses and nurse practitioners can take pride in how progressive their nursing association is as a disseminator of important cutting-edge information and therapies. The ONA takes great pride in keeping everyone up to date, which is the hallmark of delivering world-class medical care.
“As soon as it was available, we used Regeneron, an experimental antibody cocktail, to keep our patients out of an emergency room and hospital. We took advantage of those two therapies by infusing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) intended to directly neutralize the COVID-19 virus and prevent disease progression. We were proud we could ease our patients’ discomfort and help alleviate the burden on our health care system.”
Stephanie Keesee-Pipkin has been running The Corner Clinic since 2018, using her 15 years of experience as an MSN, APRN, Board-Certified Nurse Practitioner.
