Nursing Conference Continues Education

January 4, 2001

Registered nurses interested in updating their knowledge of contemporary nursing practice trends and issues now have the opportunity for continuing education through Oklahoma Baptist University's school of nursing first annual "Nursing Now" conference, Jan. 15-18.

The workshop, led by OBU school of nursing faculty and selected guest speakers, will be held on the university's campus. The participants will identify current trends in the delivery of nursing care in the United States and discuss contemporary issues related to nursing practice in the U.S.

Dean of the school of nursing Dr. Lana Bolhouse had missionaries in mind when she came up with the idea of a conference to update nurses.

"Missionary nurses who are home on furlough don't always have a place to plug back into nursing when they come back," she said. "We thought it would be a good idea for them because healthcare changes so fast."

The idea for the conference originated when Bolhouse traveled to Africa and spoke at a women's conference in Kenya and Johannesburg. "When I've been on the missionary field," she said, "new nursing information seems to be the need."

The conference will survey recent advances in the general areas of nursing and healthcare. Seminar topics include medical-surgical nursing, acute care nursing, maternal child nursing, community nursing, health care delivery system, gerontologic nursing, and psychiatric-mental health nursing.

The workshop also allows time for research related to missionary families, a tour of Oklahoma City's Renaissance Birth Center, and individualized experiences such as observations, computer-assisted instruction, or watching videos. Recreational activities are scheduled for each evening.

Bolhouse hopes that the conference encourages continuing education for OBU graduates and others. "I think that one of my goals is for the school of nursing here to become a good resource center for missionary nurses. We are committed to help our students get started on the pathway of nursing and we want to be committed to help them after they graduate too. We want this to be a service to those folks."

OBU's school of nursing graduated their first class of nurses in 1956, making it the first baccalaureate nursing program in Oklahoma. The school enjoys a reputation for continued excellence in the Oklahoma nursing community.

For cost or reservation information, contact the OBU school of nursing, 405-878-2081.