Practical Nurses provide direct client care in hospitals, home health agencies, physicians' offices, health clinics, and many other health care settings. The work environment is typically fast-paced and ever-changing, requiring the ability to be flexible, to adapt quickly to change, and to maintain composure while working under pressure with a high degree of initiative, creativity, motivation, and flexibility. The demand for highly qualified nurses continues to grow as the need to replace healthcare workers who retire or leave their jobs for other reasons continues, the population ages, and healthcare spending escalates. This demand means excellent employment opportunities for qualified nurses! Be one of them!
Practical Nursing Professional Licensure Disclosure
Employment Opportunities
Hospitals, Home Health Agencies, Physicians' Offices, Long-Term Care Facilities, Community Health Agencies, Health Clinics
About this Occupation
Practical nurses provide direct client care in a variety of health care settings. They work primarily indoors and sometimes in close spaces. The work environment is fast-paced and ever changing and requires the ability to be flexible, to adapt quickly to change, and to maintain composure while working under pressure. In this occupation there is occasional to frequent exposure to communicable disease. Direct contact with blood or other bodily fluids requires that personal protective equipment be worn in some circumstances. Tasks may require short term physical effort and/or prolonged exertion such as standing or walking. For success in this career, students should have a high degree of initiative, commitment, motivation, and flexibility; self-direction and the ability to work both independently and as part of a team; willingness to adapt to new technologies and methods for performing work; excellent oral and written communication skills; a high degree of professionalism; time management skills; and basic computer skills.
Learn from Experienced Instructors
Tyler Bell
Practical Nursing Instructor – Rockwell
Tyler Bell teaches Practical Nursing in the Health Sciences Center at the Rockwell Campus. He earned an Associate degree in Nursing at Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Oklahoma State University-Stillwater. Tyler previously worked as both a Licensed Practical Nurse and a Registered Nurse in Neuro Stepdown and ICU at Mercy Health Center and St. Anthony Hospital, both in Oklahoma City, Good Samaritan Medical Center in Lafayette, Colorado, and the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Oklahoma City, as well as a Clinical Nurse Educator at Integris Health.
Krystal Gleese
Practical Nursing instructor
Krystal Gleese teaches Practical Nursing in the Health Sciences Center at the Rockwell campus. She earned both Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Nursing from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Krystal previously worked as a night shift relief charge nurse at Lakeside Woman's Hospital in Oklahoma City, and as a clinical instructor at the University of Oklahoma College of Nursing.
Kassie Medgaarden
Practical Nursing instructor
Kassie Madgaarden teaches Practical Nursing in the Health Sciences Center at the Rockwell campus. She earned an Associate degree in Allied Health from Carl Albert State College in Poteau, Oklahoma, and a Bachelor degree in Science of Nursing from Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, Oklahoma. Kassie previously worked as a register nurse at both Alliance Health in Midwest City, Oklahoma, and at OU Children’s Physicians in Oklahoma City.
Camber Musgrave
Practical Nursing Instuctor
Camber Musgrave teaches Practical Nursing in the Health Sciences Center at the Rockwell Campus. She completed the LPN program at Francis Tuttle Technology Center, an Associate in Diversified Sciences degree at Oklahoma City University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center College of Nursing in Oklahoma City, Okla. Camber previously worked as Director of Education and Wound Care at Inspire Specialty Hospital, and as an Emergency Room Supervisor at OU Medical Center in Edmond, Okla.
LaDonna Selvidge
Practical Nursing instructor and program director
LaDonna Selvidge teaches and serves as program director in Practical Nursing.
Cari Vasfaret
Practical Nursing instructor
Cari Vasfaret teaches Practical Nursing in the Health Sciences Center at the Rockwell campus. She earned an Associate in Applied Science degree in Practical Nursing and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, both from North Dakota State University. Cari previously worked as a Registered Nurse Case Manager and Palliative Care at SSM Health at Home in Oklahoma City, and as a Registered Nurse Case Manager for Carter Home Health in Oklahoma City.
Randi Wilson
Practical Nursing Instuctor
Randi Wilson teaches Practical Nursing in the Health Sciences Center at the Rockwell Campus. She completed the LPN program at Francis Tuttle Technology Center, earned an Associate of Science degree in Nursing from Rose State College in Midwest City, Okla., and a Bachelor degree in Nursing from Oklahoma City University in Oklahoma City, Okla. Randi previously worked as a Registered Nurse at Integris Baptist Medical Center, and as a Charge Nurse at SSM Health Saint Anthony’s Hospital, both in Oklahoma City, Okla.
