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On Tuesday, August 2, Southern Regional Technical College (SRTC) held a pinning ceremony during which fifteen Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) students received their nursing pins. The ceremony commemorates the students’ successful completion of their nursing coursework and clinical rotations. This class of nursing students were eligible to participate in SRTC’s formal graduation ceremony on July 28 and will officially be Registered Nurses (RN) pending the passage of their board exams.

The students receiving pins were: Angela Battle of Adel, Kenesha Stanley of Bainbridge, JaTasha Hines, Keyunna Meeks, and Peggy Whitley of Cairo, Tiffany Breland and Hali Jarrell of Moultrie, Kayla Sauls of Poulan, Crystal Holt of Rochelle, Julie Childers of Sylvester, Tina Alexander, Knamiyah Nether, Moritza Paulhill, and Anna Rueles of Tifton, and Morgan Mayer of Valdosta.

During the pinning ceremony, which symbolizes the rite of passage into the nursing profession, students received a pin and a small lamp. The pin reminds students of their purpose to serve the sick and infirmed. The lamp serves as a tribute to Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern-day nursing. In the nineteenth century, Nightingale was known as the “Lady with the Lamp,” tending to the sick while carrying a lamp to light the way.

At the ceremony, faculty members recognized several students for exceptional achievement during their time in the nursing program. Moritza Paulhill received the Clinical Excellence Award. This is a special award because their classmates vote on the recipient. This person has excellent bedside manner and great nursing skills. The student is a leader and is always willing to assist their classmates.

Crystal Holt earned the Highest Score on the Exit HESI. The exit examination called Health Education Systems Incorporated, better known as the HESI. This exam is a diagnostic test that evaluates general knowledge and critical thinking abilities of the graduate nurse.

SRTC’s ASN faculty recognized Kenesha Stanley with the Nightingale Award. The Nightingale Award was established by the ASN faculty in recognition of an outstanding student who exemplifies the characteristics essential to the caring nature of nursing. The recipient is as a person who always displays a positive attitude, is reflective of the college’s work ethic standard’s, epitomizes the carative nature of our profession, consistently demonstrates gentleness, kindness, professionalism and dedication.

Finally, Colquitt Regional Medical Center presented the Leadership award to Keyunna Meeks. This student is well respected and looked up to by their peers. Throughout the last year, this student has been positive in the classroom, led others by example, and demonstrated excellent clinical skills. This student has done an outstanding job with patient care, never complaining while always learning. This student has spent many hours in the classroom, virtual hospital and the clinical setting to promote the success of fellow classmates.

“This class has worked extremely hard to reach this moment. I am very proud of every single one of them. They have faced an enormous amount of change this year, and they used their strength, determination and skill to adapt and overcome. They have successfully completed the LPN-RN Bridge program, and now it is time for them to celebrate their accomplishments. It has been an honor to be part of their great story,” commented Amy Brock, Associate of Science Nursing faculty.

The Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) program is designed to prepare students as entry-level practitioners to provide safe, effective nursing care and promote healthy transitions for diverse clients in a variety of settings. This program develops critical thinking, integrates accumulated knowledge from nursing, the sciences and humanities, and emphasizes the values of caring, accountability, responsibility and professional ethics. The SRTC ASN program has been granted approval by the Georgia Board of Nursing and is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).