NATCHITOCHES – Dr. Katrina O’Con, an assistant professor in Northwestern State University’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program, assistant director of the Nurse Anesthesia program and director of Clinical Education for the College of Nursing, is earning a second doctoral degree this semester and will graduate Dec. 16.

O’Con will be awarded a Ph.D. in Nursing Science from Texas Woman’s University. Her dissertation topic is “The Impact of Mandatory Substance Use Disorder Education on Peer Perception of Impairment in Nurse Anesthesia Care Providers.”  Her research on substance use disorders among anesthesia providers demonstrates the benefits of educating professionals about SUD to increase the likelihood of individuals seeking help.

“As with most other topics, I believe that increasing the knowledge and understanding of any subject, especially health-related conditions, leads to a greater amount of empathy when faced with people suffering from that condition,” O’Con said. “Empathy and non-judgmental attitudes and actions toward people with SUD can increase the likelihood of that person asking for help to overcome the problem rather than dealing with it by themselves, which rarely is successful.”

O’Con earned a Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice at Texas Wesleyan University in 2016 where her research focused on “Pharmacologic Methods for Preventing Pruritus in Patients Receiving Intrathecal Opioids for Cesarean Delivery.” Findings from that research have been applied to anesthesia practice nationwide, leading to decreased unwanted side effects of anesthesia and increased patient satisfaction.

A two-time graduate of Northwestern State, O’Con earned an Associate of Science in Nursing in 1993 and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1998. Her Master of Science in Nursing Anesthesia was awarded in 2002 from Texas Wesleyan University. She has been a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist since 2002.   She also served in the U.S. Naval Reserve Nurse Corps from 2001-09, achieving Rank 0-3, Lieutenant.

“I am a first-generation college student and have a firm belief in mentorship and giving back to the younger generation,” she said. “My focus includes maintaining the NSU College of Nursing’s long history of educating and producing the highest quality providers in the state, region and nation.”

O’Con has been involved with NSU’s Nurse Anesthesia program since its inception. She joined the NSU faculty in 2020 and played an important role in navigating accreditation for the program during the COVID-19 pandemic.  She co-authored the self-study for the program’s initial accreditation and coordinated the virtual accreditation tour that occurred in 2020. She has been responsible for initiating and maintaining clinical sites, managing clinical schedule rotations for clinical students and assisting in clinical credentialing for all sites.

In addition to faculty duties, O’Con’s career has provided opportunities for vast experience in clinical practice and in supervising and mentoring student nurse anesthetists. As a member of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, the Louisiana Association of Nurse Anesthetists and several other professional organizations, she has served as an officer and on numerous committees that advance best practices for nurses and nurse anesthetists and has authored several grants to support nursing education and nurse educator workforce development.

O’Con has served on several academic committees at Northwestern State and continues to pursue professional development opportunities at state and national conferences. She regularly publishes and frequently presents research to colleagues at the state and national level.

O’Con was recently honored with NSU’s Outstanding Alumna Distinguished Service Award, presented to an NSU graduate who has exhibited dedication and loyalty to Northwestern’s programs and mission. Award winners demonstrate a record of distinguished service to NSU and continued interested in serving the university as a volunteer, donor or advocate.

After the holiday break, O’Con will begin preparation to become a Certified Nurse Educator, a certificate that demonstrates excellence in academic nurse education.

Information on degree programs in NSU’s College of Nursing is available at  https://www.nsula.edu/nursing/nursing-programs/.