Kramer School of Nursing
News/Student Success

Another Alumna Achieves Entry into CRNA Program

Lara Lempke, BSN, RN, ('03 BSN) has been accepted into the Master of Science in Nurse Anesthesia/Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist program at the Gooding Institute of Nurse Anesthesia at Bay Medical Center in Panama City, Florida.

RN-to-BSN Student Publishes Research

Cindy Spaniol, RN (’08 BSN), is co-author on “Comparison of Glyburide and Insulin in the Management of Gestational Diabetes” published in the April 3008 issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 111(4 Supplement), p. 50S.

KSN Graduate Student Selected to Speak at May 2008 Commencement

Marla Peixotto-Smith, RN, BSN, MSN (cand.), has been invited to speak at the May 2008 Commencement at Oklahoma City University.

Faculty Have Research Study Accepted for Paper Presentation

One of KSN's faculty research teams, Prof. Denise Burton and Drs. Linda Cook, Lois Salmeron, and Marvel Williamson, have been notified that their proposal “Retaining Nursing Faculty in the Workforce Past Retirement Age” has been accepted for presentation in June 2008 at the 7th Summer Institute of the Chicago Institute for Nursing Education, “Nursing Education in the 21st Century: Implications of an Aging Population.”

MSN Student Has Paper Accepted at International Conference

Michelle E. McEver, BSN, MSN (cand.), has had a proposal accepted for presentation at the Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Research Congress in Singapore July 7-11, 2008. She and three of her colleagues from Mercy Health Center (Oklahoma City) will speak on their research study "It's Gotta Be the Shoes: A Study of What Works Best for Nurses’ Feet in the NICU."

Faculty Member Wins Award

Amanda Pape, Center Manager for Kaplan Test Preparation, has announced that Lynn Korvick has been named the Kaplan Teacher of the Year for Oklahoma City and Norman.

BSN Student Accepted Straight into FNP Program

Leslie Ketcher, Traditional BSN 2008 graduate, received her acceptance letter from the University of Tennessee at Memphis to enter the Family Nurse Practitioner program beginning in July 2008. Congratulations, Leslie, on this rare opportunity for a new graduate!

Alumna Leads Hospital to Awards

Karla Branch Martin (BSN ‘83), Clinical Operations Officer at the McBride Clinic Orthopedic Hospital in Oklahoma City, proudly announces that her facility was awarded the 2008 Orthopedic Surgery Excellence Award by HealthGrades. HealthGrades is the leading independent healthcare ratings company, providing ratings and profiles of hospitals, nursing homes and physicians. Additionally, the hospital ranked #1 in Oklahoma for Overall Orthopedic Services and was the only hospital in Oklahoma to rank within the top 5% in the nation for Overall Orthopedic Services. Congratulations!

Student Elected to State Position

Sarah Gilbertson, Traditional BSN Senior, was elected to be the 2008 Breakthrough Director and Chairperson of the Oklahoma Student Nurses Association. KSN sent the largest delegation (9) to the state convention in October and had the largest number of member applications (141). A total of 24 faculty and students attended.

Another Professor Passes Certification Exam

Congratulations to Dianna Bottoms, MS, CCRN, CNE, for passing the Certified Nurse Educator examination! She is to be commended for accomplishing this distinction as further evidence of the quality of KSN’s faculty.

Professor Has Paper Accepted

Lynn Korvick, MSN, RN, CNE, Assistant Professor, has had a proposal accepted to speak at the Crowne Plaza Island Resort, Hilton Head, South Carolina, on March 25-26, 2008, at the Technology Innovations in Nursing conference on “Ready, Set, Click: Implementation of Clickers in the Classroom.”

Student Wins Scholarship

Congratulations to Kelly Patterson (Traditional BSN senior) who was awarded a Sigma Theta Tau Beta Delta Chapter-at-Large 2007 Scholarship on November 1, 2007.

New Faculty Join K.S.N.

Sherry Schleider, RN, MS, FNP-C, Instructor, earned her BSN from West Texas State University, her MS in nursing from OU, and her Family Nurse Practitioner Certificate from Midwestern State University (TX). She has been employed by Variety Health Center as an FNP since 2001. Prior to that she was an FNP in the Emergency Department for United Regional Health Center in Wichita Falls. Her specialties are maternal and child health. Sherry has been an adjunct for KSN this fall, has two daughters, and is a member of STTI.

Betty Gorrell, EdD, RN, Visiting Professor, had retired as a full professor from Oklahoma Baptist University in 1997 after 24 years there, and has served as an adjunct for the Kramer School of Nursing since 2004. She was also a professor at the University of Oklahoma for 12 years. Betty’s doctorate is from the University of Oklahoma. Her master’s in nursing education was earned from Indiana University, and her bachelor’s in nursing was from Oklahoma Baptist University. Betty is a strong leader in Sigma Theta Tau International, and served as President of the Beta Delta Chapter-at-Large from 2002-2004. She has also been the President of District 1 of the Oklahoma Nurses Association.

Alumna Achieves Admission to Prestigious CRNA School

Eva McDonald (BSN '06) has been accepted to the University of Maryland nurse anesthetist school where she will become a CRNA. Ms. McDonald was a Bachelor's-to-BSN student at KSN who has been working as a staff nurse in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Johns Hopkins Medical Center since graduation.

KSN Students Win Pageants

Kramer School of Nursing students are showing their talents beyond nursing. Makenna Smith is Miss Oklahoma 2007, competing for the title of Miss America in January 2008. Molly Colvard, a freshman who held the title of Miss Teen Oklahoma two years ago, has won the Miss OCU pageant and is on her way to the Miss Oklahoma pageant.

Professor Receives Landmark Awards

Congratulations to Prof. David Lane, ARNP/CNS, DNP-PhD (cand.) on receiving the first ever Graduate Student Scholarship Award offered by the International Society of Psychiatric Nurses (ISPN) Foundation! He was one of three who received the award at the annual foundation gala in Montreal. He also received the American Psychiatric Nurses Association's Janssen Student Scholarship Program award given in Florida in October. Prof. Lane is finishing two doctoral degrees in nursing from at the University of Tennessee at Memphis.

Annual Caring across Cultures Conference Breaks Record

The September 28, 2007, KSN conference "Caring across Cultures: Celebrating a Century of Oklahoma's Cultures" attracted so much interest that after the first 250 registered, over 75 more people had to be turned away. This annual conference featured speakers on various cultural influences that helped shaped Oklahoma health care into its current form, as well as a display of 40 antique Oklahoma quilts and a dramatic presentation of women from Oklahoma's history. Save the date for next year: September 26, 2008!

Dr. Cook Has Article Accepted

Dr. Linda Cook, Associate Professor, has had a manuscript accepted for publication by the Journal of Addictions Nursing, titled "Perceived Conflict, Sibling Position, Cut-off, and Multigenerational Transmission in the Family of Origin of Chemically Dependent Persons: An Application of Bowen Family Systems Theory."

New Staff Join KSN

Odalie Wildes is joining Kramer School of Nursing as our new Educational Mobility Specialist. Odalie comes to us from the University of Oklahoma with seven years of experience in Office of Financial Aid. She is described as very caring, reliable, and detail-oriented. She will be a great asset to our team as we build the RN-to-BSN program in Oklahoma City and through the state in the rural areas as we take the program on the road.

Christopher Black, BA, has accepted the position of Graduate and Continuing Education Specialist with the Kramer School of Nursing. He has a BA from Oklahoma City University’s music school. Chris is bringing many important skills to the position including previous high, middle, and elementary school teaching experience and program management. He possesses the interpersonal skills to help the graduate program grow and has the computer skills to help with many of the issues we encounter with students on a daily basis. Chris is married, has three children, and is a bassist in a jazz band.

Susannah Livingood, BA, MSI, has been hired as the new Financial and Data Specialist for the Kramer School of Nursing. She has worked for the last 10 years as the Institutional Research Analyst for the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor in the Office of Budget and Planning. She has recently moved to Oklahoma for her husband to take a position as a professor at OU. Her bachelor’s degree is in Anthropology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Phi Beta Kappa) and her master’s degree is in Archives and Records Management from the University of Michigan. Susannah has two children, a preschooler and a new baby born in January.

New Faculty Join K.S.N.

Linda Cook, PhD, APRN, BC, has been Assistant/Associate Professor of Nursing at Texas A&M University in Corpus Christi since 2000. Prior to that she was on the faculty at the University of Maryland, Temple University, Episcopal Hospital School of Nursing (Pennsylvania), University of Pennsylvania, and Thomas Jefferson University. Dr. Cook’s certifications include Adult Mental Health Nursing, CCRN, and others. She has also been maintaining a therapy practice, publishing in a variety of professional journals, and staying actively involved in the Texas Nurses Association. Her PhD in Nursing is from the University of Pennsylvania with an emphasis in addictions and women’s issues. Her MS in Nursing was earned at the University of Maryland in Adult Mental Health Nursing. She has bachelor’s degrees in nursing and psychology also from the University of Maryland, as well as a diploma in nursing from St. Anthony Hospital School of Nursing.

David Lane, MPH, MSW, DNP (cand.), ARNP, CNS, has master’s degrees in nursing and certifications as a Adult, Family, and Gerontologic Nurse Practitioner and as a CNS in Adult Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing. He also has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s in social work. In December 2007 he will be finishing a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) in Psychiatric/Family Nursing and entering the final phase of a PhD in nursing, both from the University of Tennessee. His other degrees are from UCLA and UC-Berkeley. Prof. Lane has been working as a Nurse Practitioner/Psychiatric Clinical Nurse Specialist for Ardent Health Services in eastern Oklahoma, preceded by a variety of positions in mental health and gerontology.

Kathryn Clark, MS, RN, until April of this year was the Chief Nursing Officer of Harney District Hospital in Burns, Oregon. Prior to that she was the Quality Improvement Specialist for the Oklahoma Foundation for Medical Quality. She was also Vice President for Nursing of Presbyterian Hospital here in Oklahoma City for seven years. In addition to nursing service administration, Prof. Clark’s expertise includes legal nurse consulting and cardiology. She has also taught as an adjunct for UCO, coordinated critical care education at Presbyterian, and held many other nursing positions. Her MS in Nursing Administration was from OU and her BSN was from OBU.

Dean Selected as Fellow of the Academy of Nursing Education

Dr. Marvel Williamson has been named as one of only 41 national nursing leaders to comprise the inaugural group of Fellows of the Academy of Nursing Education. She will be inducted at a ceremony during the NLN Summit in Phoenix on September 29, 2007. This distinction is a rare honor supported by nominations submitted for her from:

Promotions Given

The following faculty were granted promotions at the Spring 2007 Board of Trustees meeting: Prof. Hilda Crane-Smith, from Clinical Instructor to Clinical Assistant Professor; and Prof. Lynn Korvick, from Clinical Instructor to Clinical Assistant Professor. Also promoted, effective July 1, was Dr. Lois Salmeron, from Assistant Dean to Associate Dean.

KSN Receives Federal Grant to Educate Oklahoma's Rural Nurses

The Health Resources and Services Administration of the US Department of Health and Human Services has awarded a $794,721 grant to the Kramer School of Nursing. These funds will allow KSN to take the RN-to-BSN program to Oklahoma's rural areas where nurses have little access to in-person BSN classes. For more information, click here!

Meinders Foundation Awards Grant to KSN

The Meinders Foundation has given the Kramer School of Nursing a matching grant of $150,000 to help provide the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree to Oklahoma's rural nurses through on-site programs starting in August 2007. For more information, click here!

Dr. Linda Cook Invited to Speak at National Conference

Dr. Linda Cook was invited to present on "Pain Management in the Chemically Dependent" and on the "Assaulted Staff Program" at the American Psychiatric Nurses Association and the Emergency Nurses Association meeting in October 2007 in Arizona.

Student Awards

The following awards were given to Kramer School of Nursing students at the May 4, 2007, Pinning and Recognition Ceremony. Congratulations to all!

Freshman Traditional BSN Academic Excellence Award: Sarah Meyer
Sophomore Traditional BSN Academic Excellence Award: Dae Y. Yi
Traditional BSN Junior Marshalls: Kelly Patterson and Eunice Samuel
Traditional BSN Junior Academic Excellence Award: Kelly Patterson
Outstanding Traditional BSN Junior Student: Kelly Patterson
The Dean Bond-Aaron Cain Passing the Torch Award: Amanda Hernandez and Karen Foley
OCU Outstanding Men’s and Women’s Leadership Award: Devin McKenzie and Ekenem Onyechefuna
Traditional BSN Senior Academic Excellence Award: Devin McKenzie
Outstanding Traditional BSN Senior Student: Cassie Underwood
Bachelor’s-to-BSN Academic Excellence Award: Sophie Tan and David Nessel
Outstanding Bachelor’s-BSN Student: Bill Howell
RN-to-BSN Academic Excellence Award: Eppie Bass
Outstanding RN-to-BSN Student: Eppie Bass
MSN Academic Excellence Award: Kim Pointer
Outstanding Graduating MSN Student: Brenda Johnston
Outstanding Sigma Theta Tau International Student Leadership Award: Paula Donovan
Khader Hussein Palliative Care Award: Kennedy Solite
Outstanding Service Award: Stacy Sy
Star Award: Kae White
Heart of Nursing Award: Melissa Vieta

Faculty Member Wins Award

Prof. Hilda Crane-Smith, Director of Gateway Programs, was honored with the 2007 Excellence in Education Award from the Beta Delta Chapter-at-Large of Sigma Theta Tau International.

KSN Radio Ad

Dr. Barnes Leads the State into Research

Dr. Susan Barnes, KSN's Director of Graduate Education, is chair of Oklahoma's Research Consortium, a joint initiative bringing together clinical practice and academia to promote nursing research. The consortium has been meeting for several months, but launched its public debut on April 3. Dr. Barnes also spoke at the Statewide Nursing Research Day on March 23 on the consortium, as well as her research on "Communication and Cognition" related to Alzheimer's Disease.

Faculty Speak at Nurse Educators Conference

Professors DeAnne Parrott, Lynn Korvick, and Susan Barnes presented sessions at the regional conference on Feb. 23 on "Today's Technology for Tomorrow's Students." Prof. Korvick spoke on use of clicker technology (audience response systems) in the classroom; Prof. Parrott presented how to integrate management strategies into the curriculum; and Dr. Barnes shared how to incorporate use of laptop computers by students into nursing education.

Kramer School of Nursing Ranked in Top 10%

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN), an organization that all state boards of nursing in the USA and the USA territories belong to, has ranked Oklahoma City University's Kramer School of Nursing in the top 10% of nursing schools in the country for 2006. This ranking is based on a comparison of the performance of graduates of all schools providing Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs leading to Registered Nurse licensure. The NCSBN is the organization through which all state boards of nursing act and work together on issues related to nursing practice and licensure. NCSBN also produces the NCLEX-RN, the RN licensure exam.

Guldmann Company Selects KSN as Demonstration Site

A Denmark-based company, Guldmann, has selected the Kramer School of Nursing as the only school in Oklahoma to be a demonstration site for its equipment. The first gift is a $15,000 ceiling-hung patient lift system in the nursing skills lab. As the movement toward safer patient handling spreads across the United States, this equipment will help reduce work related injuries caused by nurses trying to lift heavy loads. Kramer School of Nursing and Guldmann are committed to creating a culture of nurse-protection to help reduce loss of nurses from the workforce. A ribbon-cutting ceremony showcasing the lift will be held on April 17, 2007, at 10:00 AM at the nursing school. All are welcome to attend this media event featuring the presidents of Oklahoma City University and the Guldmann company.

Assistant Dean Wins Award

Dr. Lois Salmeron is a recipient of the OCU Societies Award for Excellence. She received this prestigious award on February 24, 2007, for her service to many nursing and civic endeavors of great importance to the state, the city, and the nursing profession.

Dr. Susan Barnes, Dr. Lois Salmeron, Dr. Marvel Williamson, Prof. Lynn Korvick at the Award Gala

Dean Elected to Institute Board

Dr. Marvel Williamson has been elected to be Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Institute for Oklahoma Nursing Education. This organization addresses the nursing shortage through nursing education, research, and collaborative statewide initiatives.

Package Rate Deals

Package rate deals go into effect starting August 2007 for fulltime students entering the Bachelor's-to-BSN, RN-to-BSN, and MSN Nursing Education track. Click here for more information.

Lynn Korvick Named as NLN Ambassador

Congratulations to Prof. Lynn Korvick for being selected by the National League for Nursing as an NLN Ambassador! Only 126 schools were granted this privilege out of the many hundreds of programs that belong to NLN. "The new NLN Ambassador Program, beginning this fall, will engage NLN members in efforts to keep faculty and educational leaders in all schools of nursing informed about the National League for Nursing's initiatives, grant opportunities, member involvement activities, and member benefits. The inaugural group will serve through 2008. It comprises 126 members teaching in all types of nursing programs - practical nurse, associate degree, diploma, baccalaureate, master's and doctoral - and representing schools of nursing in 36 states." (NLN press release) We look forward to receiving this helpful information from NLN through Lynn!

Faculty Members Achieve National Certification

Congratulations to Prof. Lynn Korvick, Prof. DeAnne Parrott, Dr. Marvel Williamson, Dr. Lois Salmeron, and Prof. Dianna Bottoms for being the first Kramer School of Nursing faculty members to pass the new Certified Nurse Educator examination! This new certification opportunity is offered through the National League for Nursing.

Faculty Publish Research

A research article "Comparing the Academic Performance of Students in a Traditional and Second Degree BSN Program" has been accepted for publication by the Journal of Nursing Education. The authors are Kramer School of Nursing faculty Lynn Korvick, Linda Wisener, Lea Ann Loftis, and Marvel Williamson.

PhD in Nursing to Be Considered

The Board of Trustees of Oklahoma City University approved a resolution at its Nov. 1 meeting to investigate the feasibility of offering a PhD in nursing. This program would be the first PhD at OCU. Its focus would be on producing doctorally educated nurses with expertise in nursing education, to help relieve the bottleneck that is preventing nursing schools from expanding enrollments, due to the severe shortage of nurses with graduate degrees.

Ruth Kramer Seideman Donates $25,000

Ruth Seideman, PhD, RN, notable Oklahoma nurse, educator, and community health expert, donated $25,000 to the Kramer School of Nursing on October 5, 2006, for nursing scholarships.

Dr. Williamson Publishes Again

Dr. Marvel Williamson had an article published in the November 2006 issue of the Western Journal of Nursing Research, an invited commentary on “Emotions Involved in College Students’ Sexual Encounters.”

Prof. DeAnne Parrott Wins Award

Prof. DeAnne Parrott was honored with the 2006 Excellence in Education Award from the Beta Delta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International.

Undergraduate Students Present Research

Two Kramer School of Nursing undergraduate students presented their research utilization projects from Spring 2006. Ekenem Onyechefuna presented at KSN’s annual Caring across Cultures conference during September. Celina Comer presented last spring at the university’s Undergraduate Research Day, winning first place in her category with a project titled “Stress and Preterm Labor.”

Dr. Susan Barnes Presents

Dr. Susan Barnes presented research titled “Communication and Cognitive Stages in Individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease” at the Sigma Theta Tau International Conference in Montreal this summer. Dr. Barnes also gave a presentation at Duncan (Oklahoma) Regional Hospital on “Evidence Based Practice.”

Sherri Christian Honored

Sherri Christian, Student Services Assistant, was honored by the Total Source for Hearing-loss and Access group (TSHA, Inc), the agency that assisted her with finding employment when she graduated from UCO. She received the “Projects with Industry” award as recognition of her accomplishments and success during her partnership with this group.

Silver Salute Award Winners and Sponsors Announced

Six Oklahoma nurses and a Friend of Nursing were honored Oct. 5 at the Silver Salute, an awards ceremony and luncheon celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Kramer School of Nursing. "To commemorate our Silver Anniversary, the Kramer School of Nursing is honoring Oklahomans who exemplify our high standards for outstanding service to the public and promotion of the nursing profession, as well as the alumni of our nursing school,” said Dr. Marvel Williamson, Dean of the Kramer School of Nursing. Award recipients were: Gwen Dailey, associate chief for nursing service specialty services, Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Medical Center; Lisa Griffitts, nurse educator at Valley View Regional Hospital, Ada; Tammy Powell, chief nursing officer and vice president of St. Anthony Hospital; Paula Price, director of health promotion and community for Norman Regional Health System; Stacy Robberson, clinical nurse manager at Integris Baptist Medical Center; David Wilson, staff nurse in the Children’s Hospital Urgent Care Center at Saint Francis Hospital, Tulsa; Stanley Hupfeld, president and CEO of Integris Health. Sponsors for the Silver Salute were Art and Sandy Cotton, the Meinders Foundation, OU Medical Center, and Tom and Brenda McDaniel, Josephine Freede, St. Anthony Hospital, Integris Health, Drs. Lois and John Salmeron, Mercy Health Center, Pam Shdeed, Dr. Paul Williamson (Neighborhood Health Care), the Simmons Charitable Foundation, Coppermark Bank, Norman Regional Hospital, and Shin Cho.

MSN Student Has Proposal Accepted

Jackie Frock, BSN, RN, a Master of Science in Nursing student, has made history by being the first MSN student from our young program to have a proposal accepted for presentation at a national conference. She exhibited a poster of her thesis study on anxiety reduction in nursing students facing mental health clinical practicum experiences, at the American Psychiatric Nurses Association convention in Long Beach, California, in October 2006.

New book released! The BSN for Career Changers: Steps to Launching a Second Bachelor's Program

Prof. Lynda Korvick and Dr. Marvel Williamson have authored a book to guide nursing programs on how to start an accelerated track for people who already bachelor's degrees in other fields wanting to switch careers to nursing. Prof. Linda Wisener and Dr. Susan Barnes also contributed chapters. To order a copy, email pclark@okcu.edu for an order form. All proceeds go to nursing scholarships.

2006 NCLEX-RN Pass Rates

Of our 2006 graduates, 98% passed the NCLEX-RN (RN licensure exam) on their first attempt, well above the national average! According to the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, this places the Kramer School of Nursing in the top 10% of nursing schools in the country.