Nursing Classes Celebrate at Graduation

A large number of friends and family gathered to celebrate the combined nursing pinning, candle lighting, and graduation ceremony for 38 RNs and 18 PNs Tuesday evening in the Randolph County Development Center.  BRTC Board of Trustees Vice Chair Sue Gibson conferred degrees and certificates on the graduates.

The ceremony also included an inspirational and entertaining presentation by former BRTC nursing student and eventual BRTC nursing instructor Sandra Green.  She traced changes and developments in the field of nursing, but insisted, \”What I hope never changes, is the passion nurses feel for their patients.\”  Green, who currently is a nurse practitioner, spoke of memorable experiences, including a helicopter transport when the family asked that the patient, an elderly, man not be informed he was going to get into that helicopter due to his fear of flying, and the creative solution she found to make it happen.  \”It\’s never been just a job for me.  I love what I do.  Treat your patients as you would want your family to be treated.\”

She spoke also of the opportunities students have received as a result of BRTC and the ARNEC consortium, through which Arkansas’s two-year colleges offer RN degrees.

Nursing Director Ramonda Housh repeated her oft-stated philosophy:  \”Be professional.\”  Among the student achievements Housh acknowledged were the extensive hours in community service given by the students, with special recognition given to Stephanie Lundry and Samantha Brown.

Receiving Florence Nightingale awards were four RN students:  Esther Shelly, Stephanie Converse, Brianna Denham, and Kelley Rogers.  And three PN students: Elisabeth Woodard, Janea Lyons, and Brandy Franke.  These students were selected by the entire nursing faculty for these prestigious awards.

The faculty choice award for the most outstanding RN student was Stephanie Converse; and for PN the student was Tiffany Gugle.

Registered Nursing students receiving additional awards were:  Michelle Mullen, Christina Camp, Shantel Archer, Shelly Webb, Caille Tribble, Sara Woodson, KateLynn Taber, Leigh Rose, Tonya Phillips, Ben Ulibarri, Brandi Burns, Holley Fowler, and Brianna Denham.  Additional PN awards were given to the following students:  Deana Smith, Alyssa Difani, Samantha Watson, Samantha Brown, Elisabeth Woodard, Brandy Franke, Janea Lyons and Aaron Franklin.

Samantha Brown, Samantha Watson, Christina Camp and Kandace Main gave student presentations.

The event also included remarks by Holley Fowler and Blair Howell, Class Representatives of the RN class, and Janea Lyons, President of the Fall 2012 PN class.

At the conclusion of the conferring of degrees, nursing faculty assisted in the pinning and candle-lighting portion of the ceremony, followed by the graduates\’ recitation of the \”Nightingale Pledge.\”  BRTC\’s Kimbrough Singers performed \”A Candle\’s Light,\” and PN Graduate Jake Cooper presented a benediction.