ALVA, Okla. — Students in the Wisdom Family Foundation Doctoral Program for Rural Nursing Practice ninth annual summer residency program will be on the Northwestern Oklahoma State University Alva campus July 12-16, 2026.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of nurse practitioners is projected to grow by 45% through 2032. This event puts a spotlight on Northwestern’s DNP program, which was ranked the No. 1 Online Nurse Practitioner Program in the U.S. in 2021 and was rated No. 4 by EduMed.org for Online Higher Education in Healthcare in 2023.
During residency week, students check off on their physical assessment skills to get ready to learn in a clinical setting. They also have an introductory experience to common procedures they will encounter in primary care such as suturing, eye injuries and biopsies.
Local businesses Kiowa Meat Locker and Moore’s Venture Foods help make this experience possible by donating pig feet to practice suturing skills and overripe produce for biopsy simulation.
The 2026 DNP graduates’ poster presentation will be open to the public on the first floor of the J.W. Martin Library on Thursday, July 16, from 3:30 to 4:40 p.m.
The program is currently seeking volunteers for children and well-woman exams conducted by the family nurse practitioner students. Children exams will be conducted Monday, July 13, from 1 to 3 p.m. The well-woman exams will be conducted on Tuesday, July 14, from 1 to 5 p.m. All volunteer events will take place on the Northwestern-Alva campus.
To volunteer for an exam or for more information, contact Brenna Smith, Charles Morton Share Trust Division of Nursing assistant, at brsmith@nwosu.edu or 580-327-8442.
Applications for entry into Northwestern’s BSN-to-DNP and traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing are accepted Oct. 1 through Feb. 1 for the next fall’s class. The online RN-to-BSN program applications are accepted year-round for coursework in fall, spring and summer. Applications for the new hybrid LPN-to-BSN program are open now until Sept. 1.
For more information on the Wisdom Family Foundation Doctoral Program for Rural Nursing Practice, contact Dr. Gwyneth Holderby, DNP program director and assistant professor of nursing, at glholderby@nwosu.edu or 580-327-8497.
Visit the Charles Morton Share Trust Division of Nursing webpage for additional information.
-NW-
Media Contact:
Sean J. Doherty, University Relations Specialist
Email: sjdoherty@nwosu.edu
Phone: 580-327-8480