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The Wyandotte Nation donated $100,000 to the Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College Nursing program to update technology and equipment.
NEO President Dr. Kyle J. Stafford said, “I truly appreciate this donation to support our nursing program. The Wyandotte Nation’s investment demonstrates their commitment to NEO and our ability to produce quality nurses that serve our community and the region.”
The college will use the funding to modernize the simulation labs, which will provide cutting-edge experiences for students in low-risk, safe clinical labs that mirror high-stake, real-world scenarios.
“We feel very fortunate to have such a quality educational facility as Northeastern Oklahoma A&M in our community,” said Wyandotte Nation Chief Billy Friend. “The NEO Nursing Program is one of the top programs in the state and has produced many of the nurses for our community hospitals, clinics, and tribal health facilities. When we were made aware of the current needs of the program, our Board of Directors were unanimous in their support of making this donation to assist the program.”
According to the grant, the Oklahoma Board of Nursing allows students to obtain up to 30 percent of their clinical hours in a simulated environment, and predictions indicate it will increase to 50 percent in the future.
“NEO Nursing is blessed to receive this generous donation from the Wyandotte Nation,” said NEO Allied Health department chair Kathleen Norman. “We are excited to apply these funds towards upgrading equipment in our nursing program.”
Funding opportunities from partners such as the Wyandotte Nation help make it possible for NEO to continue training associate degree registered nurses for jobs in critical need of immediate staffing. In Oklahoma, 60 percent of all registered nurses are associate degree nurses.
Photo: (left to right) Wyandotte Nation Second Chief Norman Hildebrand Jr., Wyandotte Nation Chief Billy Friend, NEO President Dr. Kyle J. Stafford, Ashley Crawford, Kayla Sharbutt, and Kathleen Norman.
For more information, please contact the NEO Allied Health department chair, Kathleen Norman, at kathleen.norman@neo.edu or 918-540-6312.
