Oklahoma Nurses Association (ONA) recognized one of Northwestern Oklahoma State University’s division chairs recently.
Dr. Shelly Wells, associate professor of nursing and chair of the Division of Nursing, was awarded the Nightingale Award of Excellence. This award is presented to an ONA member, who during their career has provided service and dedication to the association, exemplified the characteristics of the professional nurse, implemented unique strategies to fulfill professional and community role responsibilities, as well as being engaged in a variety of roles that enhance the image of the nursing profession.
“My initial response was one of surprise—it is quite humbling to be recognized for one’s work by peers and mentors,” Wells said. “Looking out at that crowd and seeing nurses who are recognized around the state for the work they have accomplished and knowing that they are standing up in response to me winning the award was thrilling.
“While this award is given to one nurse annually, it actually belongs to more than me. It is because of great nurses throughout the state that I am able to do what I do. I am only one nurse, but I want to see all nurses succeed, and whatever I can do to assist another nurse to be successful actually steers me towards meeting my goals of touching the lives of many patients and helping them to be the best that they can be and live the best lives possible.”
ONA is the professional association for all registered nurses in Oklahoma. It is a community of nurses across all specialties and practice settings working to promote the profession of nursing. This community of nurses is working to address the issues that face nursing on a daily basis, as well as other issues of importance – nurse-force numbers, workplace safety, standards of care, scope of practice and patient safety. ONA focuses on practice, educational, political and professional issues that impact registered nurses in Oklahoma.
Dr. Bo Hannaford, vice president for academic affairs, is grateful to have such a dedicated division chair to be helping Northwestern’s students.
“We are very excited about Dr. Wells receiving the Nightingale Award of Excellence,” Hannaford said. “She is very deserving of this award. Her dedication to Northwestern and the profession of nursing has been nothing but outstanding. Under her leadership and the hard work of our faculty, our Division of Nursing continues to excel.”
Wells looks forward to more progress in Northwestern’s new Doctorate of Nursing Program (DNP).
“Winning this award only makes me want to work harder at Northwestern as nursing pursues opportunities to improve the health of the citizens in our region,” Wells said. “Rural healthcare has many deficits, but nursing has a real chance to make a difference in the lives of our people. The graduates of our BSN program provide a good foundation to improve the health care situation in northwestern Oklahoma. The new BSN-to-DNP Family Nurse Practitioner program with its emphasis on the health needs of the rural communities will only lead to healthier improvements for our area.”
For more information on Northwestern’s nursing program, contact Wells at (580) 327-8489 or scwells@nwosu.edu.