Logan County Health Department celebrates nurses

The Logan County Health Department joins the American Nurses Association, Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH), health care professionals, patients and families, during National Nurses Week, May 6-12, in recognizing the important roles that nurses have in providing direct personal health care for patients and families and providing leadership in forming public health policies to improve the quality of care and quality of life for Oklahomans of all ages.

The public health nurses in Logan County help improve the health for entire populations by providing services like child screenings, immunizations, WIC, maternal and child health services, Family Planning, and Health Education services.

“We want to thank our very own public health nurses at the Logan County Health Department,” said Jay Smith, administrative health director. “Their diligence and efforts in providing Quality care are greatly appreciated.”

This year’s theme is “Creating a Culture of Safety.” The theme is an important part of the American Nurses Association’s 2016 Year of “Safety 360 Taking Responsibility Together,” an effort to promote and advocate a culture of safety for nurses and patients.

The public holds nurses in high regard and trusts them to advocate for patients. For the past 14 years, the public has ranked nursing as the top profession for honesty and ethics in an annual Gallup survey.

There are about 3.1 million registered nurses nationally. Nurses impact all areas of public health from serving as program administrators and consultants to working with individual clients in the clinics of the county health departments.

Nurses practice diverse roles such as clinicians, administrators, researchers, educators, care coordinators, and policymakers. They help patients secure resources, obtain comprehensive care across many service areas, and develop healthy lifestyle practices to prevent sickness and diseases. Increasingly, nurses with advanced degrees, such as nurse practitioners, are providing primary care services, managing chronic illnesses, and experiencing positive outcomes.

The nurses serving the Logan County Health Department, include Aleen Ball, Debbie Blan, Angie Burris, Patti Chamberlain, Gracie Channel, Lawanna Faulkenberry, Candice Hampton, Pam Hoatson, Helen Joyner, Stacey Mauch, Kim Mostrum, Janie Osborne, Diana Rayford, Rita Seal, and Kelly Varner