On Monday, August 17, Southern Regional Technical College (SRTC) held a drive through pinning ceremony during which twenty-two 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 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 generic nursing program of the Tifton campus of Southern Regional Technical College.

The students receiving pins were: Nariah Thomas of Ashburn; Amy Atkins and Mary Thompson of Lenox; Sharee Penix, Isaac Soto, and Beverly Suggs of Moultrie; Erica Morton of Norman Park; Melinda Williams of Ochlocknee; Caitlin Tucker of Poulan; Cristin Langford of Summerfield, FL; Colby Bearden of Sylvester; Kimberly Lovett of Thomasville; Samantha Adamson, Sarah Alfau, Rachael Boney-King, Kayla Brantley, Morgan Carmichael, Maritza Delgado, Casey Jones, and Felicia Richardson of Tifton; Alicia Reid and Stephanie Vinson 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.

“The class is outstanding! They have not only set many records for this campus but have done so in a pandemic. This is our largest graduating class for Tifton with twenty-two graduating nurses, including three males, who are all currently working as registered nurses. These students transitioned to online learning at the beginning of the pandemic and completed virtual clinicals to complete the course. These students have persevered and will go on to accomplish great things,” commented Associate of Science Nursing Instructor Bobbie Hester, MSN, RN.

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: Casey Jones earned the Highest Exit Exam Award with a score of 1241 (99.9%). The Clinical Excellence Award was presented to Casey Jones. The Leadership Award was given to Felicia Richardson. Finally, the Nightingale Award recognized the accomplishments of Alicia Reid.

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).