Wayne Community College recognized the 15 members of its 2019 Practical Nursing in a formal pinning ceremony on July 24.
The annual service included presentation of nursing pins specific to the college, nurse’s creed scrolls and roses by the faculty of the program; lighting of lamps (symbolic of Florence Nightingale going onto the battlefield with a lantern); and recitation of the “Practical Nurses Pledge.” The ceremony denotes the graduates’ passage from students to professionals in the practice of nursing.
This year’s graduates are
Jerrica Cole, Krystal Cummings, Regan Kasulis Adolfo Leon, Ricco Raynor, Ariana Safford, and Dasha Sutton of Goldsboro,
Nathalie Cortes of Dudley,
Carlee Stevens and Kelsie Zeagler of Pikeville;
Lori Lassiter-Pounds of Princeton,
Maria Patino of Selma;
Keasha Weeks of Clayton;
Cierra George of Snow Hill, and
Chermika Jones of La Grange.
As he prepared to lead the presentation of pins to the graduates, Nursing Department Chair Billy Tart said, “A nurse is the first to open the eyes of a newborn baby and the last to close the eyes of a dying man.”
“Many have graduated from the Practical Nursing program at Wayne Community since 1957 and have paved the way for you. Now it is up to you to continue to move the future of nursing forward,” Tart charged the graduates. The Practical Nursing Class of 2019 brings the number of alumni from WCC nursing programs to 2,151.
Tart pointed out that the female graduates were wearing traditional nurses’ caps with designs specific to WCC. The pin that all of the graduates received also had the power of history, having been designed by some of the first graduates of the WCC Practical Nursing program.
“Always wear your pin with pride, remembering the strong nursing foundation you have received as graduates of this program,” Tart said.
Patino, who had served as class president, spoke to her classmates about the anxiety, fear, and excitement they had experienced, but “we also knew this is what we were meant to do.”
“They have given us everything we need to be successful in our careers,” she said. “This is the end of our program but the beginning of something wonderful.”
Leon was given the 2019 Practical Nursing Outstanding Student Award for achieving high standards in both the theoretical and clinical components of the program as well as actively participating in class and professional activities.
In presenting the award, Tart said that Leon “always has a positive attitude and a welcoming smile” and that “wherever a need existed, [he] was quick to step up to meet that need.”
The Theoretical Excellence Award went to Zeagler. That award recognizes the student who has achieved the highest academic standard while in the program.
“Since the beginning of her nursing program, [Zeagler] has shown a dedication to learning all she could. She has gone the extra mile to achieve and maintain high scores to ensure her success,” Tart said.
The award recipients were given plaques and monetary gifts provided by the Foundation of Wayne Community College.
It is notable that both of the award winners and Cummings had previously completed WCC’s Nurse Aide I program. Zeagler also trained as a phlebotomy technician at the college.
The graduates can begin work as licensed practical nurses once they pass the National Council Licensure Examination.
Wayne Community College’s Practical Nursing Program is a limited-admission, three-semester program that is accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission.
Wayne Community College is a public, learning-centered institution with an open-door admission policy located in Goldsboro, N.C. As it works to develop a highly skilled and competitive workforce, the college serves 12,000 individuals annually as well as businesses, industry, and community organizations with high quality, affordable, accessible learning opportunities, including more than 70 college credit programs. WCC’s mission is to meet the educational, training, and cultural needs of the communities it serves. Learn more at www.waynecc.edu.
Follow WCC on Facebook (also @WayneCCNewsandViews), Twitter, and Instagram.