College of Nursing Welcomes New Faculty

August 20, 2014

OBU is pleased to announce the addition of new College of Nursing faculty. Megan Smith, Natalie Tapley and Rita Williams all join the faculty as assistant professors of nursing for the fall 2014 semester.

Megan Smith	Natalie Tapley	Rita Williams

Megan Smith served as pediatric education specialist for the University of Oklahoma Medical System in Oklahoma City from 2012-14. Prior to that, she served as an inpatient pediatric care nurse at The Children's Hospital at OU Medical Center from 2009-12 and as an inpatient pediatric surgical nurse from 2008-09. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina, and her Master of Science in Nursing from OBU. She is a certified pediatric nurse; certified by the American Heart Association in Pediatric Advanced Life Support, Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support; and by the Emergency Nurses Association in the Emergency Nursing Pediatric Course.

Natalie Tapley served as an adjunct at the University of Oklahoma from 2009-12 as well as full time faculty from 2012-14 as a Clinical Instructor. She also served as the campus nurse for Shawnee High School in 2011. She taught at Rose State College from 2007-12, as a professor of nursing and a clinical instructor. She also worked as a staff nurse at The Children's Hospital at OU Medical Center from 2001-06, and then as a PRN until 2013. She earned both her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. She is certified by the American Heart Association in Pediatric Advanced Life Support, Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support.

Rita Williams served as a registered nurse for Integris-Baptist Mental Health in Spencer, Oklahoma, from 2009-14. She also served as an RN at St. Anthony Behavioral Medical Center in Oklahoma City from 2008-14. She taught at Langston University from 2005-14 and served as an RN at Griffin Memorial Hospital in Norman from 2005-08. She earned both a Bachelor of Science in Education and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Langston University, and then earned her Master of Science in Nursing from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. She holds certifications and licensure from the American Public Health Association, Association of Community Health Nursing Educators, National League for Nurses, and the Oncology Nursing Society Cancer Chemotherapy certification as well as being a certified case manager.