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On Tuesday, July 28, Southern Regional Technical College (SRTC) held their first ever drive-through pinning ceremony during which twenty-four Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) students from the LPN to RN Bridge program received their nursing pins. The ceremony commemorates the students’ successful completion of their nursing coursework and clinical rotations. This class of nursing students are also invited to participate in SRTC’s formal graduation ceremony on December 1, and will officially be Registered Nurses (RN) pending the passage of their board exams. These prospective nurses represent the nursing bridge program of the Moultrie campus of Southern Regional Technical College. 

The students receiving pins were: Rachel Haynes of Berlin, Ashley Merritt of Lake Park, Jennifer Campos-Alvarado, Taylor Cook, Judy Folsom, Shelly Hagin, Lora Holifield, Ruby Martinez, Savannah Morgan, Jessica Newsome, Brandi Nunes, Kristal Sheffield, Lori Sherling, and Qusanna Sharp of Moultrie,  Nestor Nunez Vazquez of Omega, Chandler Bearden of Sylvester, Kalonty Chaney, Maritza Delgado, Queen Rouse, Dixie Turner, and Kristen Coker of Tifton, Elizabeth Brunot, Keosha Jackson, and Yesha Patel of Valdosta.

During the pinning ceremony, which symbolizes the rite of passage into the nursing profession, students received a pin and a small lamp from the safety of their vehicle. 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.

“I am proud of the drive and determination these students have shown, having to transition from face-to-face instruction to a completely online learning environment in the middle of their program. They have persevered and demonstrated those qualities that good students and good nurses possess. Most of these students have not only excelled academically, but have also been full-time frontline workers; many working on COVID dedicated units. This truly speaks to their love for and dedication to nursing and their patients,” commented Melissia Bennett, MSN, Associate of Science Nursing Instructor.

At the ceremony, faculty members recognized several students for exceptional achievement during their time in the nursing program. Those awards and their recipients are as follows: Yesha Patel earned the Highest Exit Exam Award with an amazing 1172 – conversion score of 99.31. The Clinical Excellence Award was given to Ruby Martinez. The Colquitt Regional Medical Center Leadership Award was presented to Kristal Sheffield. Finally, the Nightingale Award recognized the accomplishments of Taylor Cook. 

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).

Nursing students in Thomasville and Tifton will be celebrated in similar drive-through ceremonies in the coming weeks. 

SRTC offers over 155 degree, diploma, and certificate programs that are designed to get students quickly into a desired career, and 28 general education courses that transfer to the University System of Georgia institutions and 19 private colleges and universities in Georgia. SRTC has instructional sites located in Colquitt, Decatur, Early, Grady, Miller, Mitchell, Seminole, Thomas, Tift, Turner and Worth counties for the convenience of its students. The College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). SACSCOC is the regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the Southern states. For the most up-to-date information on registration, class dates, and program offerings, log on to www.southernregional.edu.