A Lincoln County woman was among 14 students in the Wisdom Family Foundation Doctoral Program for Rural Nursing Practice at Northwestern Oklahoma State University to complete residency week at theAlva campus, according to a press release from the university.
Bayley Adams of Stroud completed the week. It’s a hybrid program with many of the classes completely online. Students can carry out clinical work in their hometowns while NWOSU faculty supervise remotely. Adams and the other students then did a week of hands-on training at the Alva campus to show they are competent in physically assisting patients, the press release said.
The other students are Kalie Choate of Hennessey, Kayla Cunningham of Alva, Emily Erwin of Elgin, Terri Hummel of Enid, Deborah Jobes of Oklahoma City, Nissi Jordan of Alva, Kaleigh Kling of Piedmont, Alexis Long of Arcadia, Makayla Miller of Clinton, Bailey Nance of Wichita (Kansas), Philomine Nchanji of Oklahoma City, Andreana Reynolds of Oklahoma City and Brandy Thomas of Elk City.
The students check off their physical assessment skills to prepare for a clinical setting and receive an introductory experience to common procedures in primary care. This includes suturing, eye injuries and biopsies.
Dr. Gwyneth Holderby, assistant professor of nursing and Wisdom Family Foundation Doctoral Program for Rural Nursing Practice program director, was joined by assistant professors of nursing Dr. Angela Skousen, Dr. Hannah Hoppes and Dr. Ryan Sand to provide instruction to the group during the week, the press release said. They supervised physical exams that were completed on community volunteers and taught the students procedures like joint injections, repairing lacerations with sutures and other procedures commonly performed in primary care.
Holderby also met with students to discuss their DNPprojects and clinical placement. After checking off their head-to-toe exams, DNP students are ready to start clinicals in the spring and have learned many of the skills they will need for practice.
Holderby said it was a great week where the faculty and students really bonded with each other. She also thanked the amazing local community volunteers who helped during the week.
The BSN-to-DNP program enrolled its first class in August 2017. The seventh class to have graduated did so this year in May. Members of the graduating class of 2026 presented their respective projects in the J.W. Martin Library on July 16 in an event open to the public.
Northwestern is one of five universities in Oklahoma to offer a Family Nurse Prac - titioner program, was the first public university with a BSN-to-DNP offering and is the only program in the state with an emphasis on nursing in rural communities. As of 2025, the program boasts a 100 percent certification and employment rate.