Seminole State College held a pinning ceremony at the Enoch Kelly Haney Center on Dec. 13 for 12 nursing students expected to meet degree requirements this semester. The pinning ceremony also included candle lighting, signifying the transition from student to one of service.
Continue reading “SSC Nursing Students Celebrate Achievement at Fall Pinning Ceremony”
Seminole State College has announced the reinstatement of admissions to its nursing program following the Oklahoma Board of Nursing’s approval of an appeal on Nov. 14. The decision comes after the program was placed on conditional status in November 2023 due to three consecutive years of low student pass rates on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) in 2020, 2021 and 2022. This restriction prohibited the college from admitting new students but did not impact those already enrolled.
The college’s successful appeal reflects a year-long effort to address the program’s challenges, including significant curriculum updates, the construction of a new state-of-the-art simulation lab and enhanced benchmarking for students. The program had a successful site visit by the Oklahoma Board of Nursing (OBN) in September of 2024, which confirmed the program’s improvements. SSC’s cumulative NCLEX pass rate for 2024 has risen to 88 percent, compared to the state average of 87 percent..
Continue reading “Oklahoma Board of Nursing Approves SSC’s Appeal, Lifting Admission Restrictions”
Seminole State College nursing students got a hands-on experience in disaster response on Feb. 28 at the softball field parking lot on campus. Nursing students worked alongside local agencies to respond to a simulated school bus wreck.
The scenario was designed to test the students’ ability to assess the situation and work alongside other first responders to triage and treat patients. The students acted as nurses, while volunteers played the roles of injured bus passengers.
Continue reading “SSC Nursing Partners with Local Agencies for Disaster Training Event”
December 2023 graduates of the Seminole State College nursing program recently achieved a 100 percent pass rate on their National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX).
The NCLEX is an exam used to determine if recently graduated nursing students are safe to practice. Nurses are required to pass the NCLEX to earn licensure and legally practice nursing. In 2022, the Oklahoma Board of Nursing reported that the average pass rate of the NCLEX in the state was 78.67 percent, while the national average was 79.93 percent.
“We are so proud of the hard work and determination of these students,” SSC President Lana Reynolds said. “Our nursing faculty equip our graduates with the knowledge, skills and values they need to provide high-quality care to their patients.”
Continue reading “SSC Nursing Grads Achieve Perfect Pass Rate”
Seminole State College held a pinning ceremony at the Enoch Kelly Haney Center on Dec. 7 for 15 nursing students expected to meet degree requirements this semester. The pinning ceremony also included candle lighting, signifying the transition from student to one of service. Since the nursing program began in 1972, nearly 1,100 nurses have launched their careers at SSC.
Nursing graduates and nursing faculty and staff pictured (left to right): Assistant Professor of Nursing Shelby Parsons, Nursing Program Office Manager Julie Mathews, Former Nursing Director Crystal Bray, Assistant Nursing Professor Ann Benson, Jami Hammond, Connor Martin, Assistant Professor of Nursing Damaila Lester, Assistant Professor of Nursing Miranda Stewart and Assistant Professor of Nursing Jessica Shelburne. Middle Row: Cheyanne Lee, Rebecca Smith, Shelly Teape, Kerra Pack, Presleigh Casteel, Serrenity Rezentes and Jada Hill. Front Row: Tina Buckmaster, Abigail Gilliam, Tara Gaines-Manship, Hayley Dale, Tosha Johnson, Casey Visnieski and Stephanie Newburn.
Presleigh Casteel (right) poses with her daughter Isabel (left) prior to the pinning ceremony. Casteel was the recipient of this semester’s Spirit of Nursing Award. The award is given to a student demonstrates academic excellence and embodies the values of SSC’s nursing program.
Seminole State College has named Dr. Misty Gray to the position of Acting Nursing Director. Gray replaces Crystal Bray who is leaving the college to accept a position as the Nursing Education Consultant with the Oklahoma Board of Nursing.
Gray has 16 years of experience in home health and hospice, orthopedics, surgery, NICU, nursery, post-partum and emergency nursing. She has also spent seven years as a nursing instructor.
She graduated with her associate degree in nursing from SSC and holds a bachelor’s, a master’s and her doctorate from St. Gregory’s University, Oklahoma Baptist University and Grand Canyon University, respectively.
She also has extensive experience working with state and national accrediting bodies.
“We are very fortunate to have Dr. Gray at the college and appreciate her willingness to take on this critical role on campus,” SSC President Lana Reynolds said.
During her first week as Director, Gray hosted area nursing and health care professionals serving as an advisory board for the program for a luncheon on campus. Those in attendance
included: Cathy Broome, Shawnee CNO, SSM Health; Holly Kirkland, Hospice Coordinator, SSM Health; Christa Williams, AHEC/Student Coordinator, McAlester Regional Health Center; Megan Moore, Nurse Educator, McAlester Regional Health Center; Dr. Darcy Duncan, Director/Associate Professor, School of Nursing, East Central University; Ashley Fichtner, Director of Partner School Outreach, Gordon Cooper Technology Center; Molly Delaney, Instructor, Wes Watkins Technology Center; Alma Reagan, Emergency Department Director, SSM Health; Brandi Ray, Director of Nursing, Creek Nation Community Hospital in Okemah; and Leah Burns, Education Manager, Bethany Children’s Health Center.
Reynolds said the College was appreciative of Bray’s long-time service as an instructor and recently as director of the program.
“We want to thank Ms. Bray for her tireless efforts to carry this important program out of the dark days of the COVID pandemic and to lead a great team in producing knowledgeable and caring nurses,” President Reynolds said.
Earlier in the fall semester, SSC’s nursing program was awarded a congressionally directed grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration in the amount of $1,050,000. The grant is set to bring transformative changes to the department, focusing on the development and expansion of simulation labs.
Gray previously served as a Simulation Lab Coordinator at East Central University and is certified in Simulation Instruction and Management from Robert Morris University.
“We believe her expertise will be instrumental in utilizing new technologies in the classroom and preparing the next generation of nurses,” President Reynolds said.
Seminole State College’s nursing program was recently awarded a congressionally directed grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in the amount of $1,050,000. The grant, to be distributed over the next three years, is set to bring transformative changes to SSC’s Nursing Department, particularly focusing on the development and expansion of simulation labs.
Continue reading “SSC Nursing Program Receives Million-Dollar Grant”
Seminole State College nursing students recently visited Wewoka High School to present to students about general wellness and personal care. This was an opportunity for the nursing students to practice the skills involved with educating the public.
“This can be a hard skill to master and teaching in a public setting can be very scary. Being able to teach in a variety of settings, including schools is important for nurses to learn,” Assistant Professor of Health Sciences Ann Benson said. “We are so appreciative of Wewoka Public Schools and School Counselor Randi Bellinger for allowing us to come.”
Each high school student in attendance was provided a goodie bag of wellness items from the nursing students.
Seminole State College held a disaster training event for nursing students on Feb. 22 inside the Enoch Kelly Haney Center on campus.
Students participated in a training module designed to help them understand what qualifies as a disaster, how to triage patients, manage resources and how to work with other agencies to access quick medical care. Before the hands-on training, students attended a lecture about incident command, treating patients and communication techniques in a time of crisis.
Following the lecture, the nursing students were able to put their disaster response skills to the test during a simulation drill, where students responded to the aftermath of a bombing. The loading bay of the Haney Center served as the site of the incident. Students took on different roles. Some students took on the role of victims with various injuries, while other students were asked to perform search and rescue, triage patients and tend to their medical and psychological needs.
“Disaster training is becoming more and more important. We are proud of our nursing students who embrace the philosophy that nursing is an intricate part of any successful disaster response,” Crystal Bray, SSC Nursing Program Director, said. “In the future, we hope to work with area hospitals, Emergency Medical Services and Police to expand the training for our nursing students, as well as area healthcare professionals and response teams.”
Seminole State College nursing students recently joined peers from across the state for a night of food, comradery and preparation for the National Council Licensure Examination at Mercy Hospital of Ada. The NCLEX is an exam all nursing students must take to become a registered nurse. The students learned tips for breaking down questions and passing the exam.
During the events of the night, students were asked questions regarding their knowledge of nursing. SSC students Jolena Hardin of Holdenville, Audra Williams of Tecumseh and Sara Thompson of Allen were named the highest scoring team. Each of the three students won $200 to cover the cost of their NCLEX.
“I’m so proud of these outstanding women. They have put in the hard work it takes to become a register nurse, and it shows.” SSC Nursing Instructor Brenda Hudson said.