National Nurses Week: Integris Nurses Overcome Challenges To Care For Patients

This week is National Nurses Week. Oklahoma lags behind most of the country in its number of nurses. A pair of Oklahoma nurses, like so many of their peers, have overcome those challenges of the nurse shortage to answer the call to serve. 

The time of day doesn’t matter. When a person needs care, nurses like Integris Health’s Shelley Reidy and Jon Oppel are ready to welcome them. 

“This is where I’m meant to be,” Oppel said. 

They provide the healing touch.  

“I have a heart for helping people,” Reidy said. 

People whose scrubs might as well be called their capes, because they save people.   

“You become their advocate, their counselor, their social worker,” Reidy said. 

Oppel’s sister served as his inspiration. 

“My older sister is a nurse,” Oppel said. “I always admired her – looked up to her.”  

Oppel solves problems at the hospital. 

“Talking with nurses just seeing how they’re doing,” he said. 

Oppel helps this symphony of efficiency produce healthy outcomes for everyone.  

“That’s a big part of my job,” Oppel said. 

Oppel and Reidy recognize the state of their profession needs help itself.  

“The burnout is real,” Oppel said. 

Oklahoma needs future nurses to take some of the pressure off the people who already work in healthcare facilities. Oklahoma ranks in the bottom ten in the country for nurses per capita, ranking 46 out of 50 states according to the Oklahoma Nurses Association. 

“The last couple of years have been difficult,” Reidy said. 

Their desire to serve transcends their challenges because they love people. 

“Just helping them,” Oppel said. “There’s just nothing better than getting to help someone.”  

Their passion keeps them where patients need them. 

“Honestly, it’s not hard at all. I love what I do,” Reidy said. 

Anyone can bet they’ll be there to care.  

“Each day I make an impact on someone’s life,” Oppel said.