Nurses Annie Swinea, Kelly Gentry, Janice Gales, Donna Prickett, Judy Harris, Carmen Childs and Julie Traylor play different roles at OMRF, but for all of them, people remain at the center of their work.
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When you hear the word nurse, you might imagine someone in scrubs taking a patient’s blood pressure and other vital signs. And while some of OMRF’s registered nurses and licensed practical nurses play the traditional role of healthcare provider in OMRF’s clinics, that only scratches the surface of what nurses do at the foundation.
Although Janice Gales got her start in medicine as a cardiac nurse, she hasn’t been at a bedside in years. At OMRF, she coordinates OMRF’s Institutional Review Board, or IRB, which ensures that every research project involving human participants is conducted ethically, safely and legally.
By overseeing research studies and clinical trials involving hundreds of participants, she cares for more people than ever. Thanks to her experience in acute care, she says she can “look at a protocol and understand what it means about how a participant will be treated.”
She also serves as the clinical research nurse coordinator for the foundation’s studies of Sjögren’s disease, an autoimmune illness in which the body attacks its own moisture-producing glands. After screening and enrolling participants, Janice walks them through the forms, tests and biopsy involved in the study.
And, she says, “I’m not afraid to jump in to help with a blood draw if we’re falling behind.” Thanks to her training as a nurse, “It’s something I can do that not everyone in my position does.”
Kelly Gentry swore she would never be a nurse who sat behind a desk. But, as the program coordinator for the Oklahoma Center for Adult Stem Cell Research, she says, “This is where I can do the most good.” Kelly is the only full-time employee of OCASCR, a program of the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust that’s housed at OMRF, and manages the center’s grant applications, communications and administration.
In OMRF’s Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence, nurses drive nearly every aspect of patients’ experience. Carmen Childs and Donna Prickett provide direct patient care, clinic manager Julie Traylor keeps all parts of the center running smoothly, and Annie Swinea helps patients connect with services and resources they qualify for in her role as a case manager.
“MS is a complicated disease,” Annie says. “We need to explain things fully so that they can navigate their journey with this condition.”
Guiding patients through understanding their disease also motivates Judy Harris, lead clinical research nurse in the Genes & Human Disease Research Program.
After a 30-year teaching career, she became a nurse to support a family member going through a challenging medical situation. Now, she uses her nursing skills to assist people with a rare condition called sarcoidosis, which OMRF scientists study, on their journey to better health through research.
“We listen, we encourage, we help them advocate for themselves,” Judy says.
While their individual roles and responsibilities may vary, OMRF’s nurses have one important thing in common: “When you go home, you know you’ve helped someone,” says Annie. “You’ve made a difference.”
