MAYS LANDING – Twenty Atlantic Cape Community College Practical Nursing (PN) Program students received their ceremonial pins for officially completing the three-semester certificate program at the 3rd Annual Practical Nursing Completion Ceremony on Wednesday, August 5 in the Walter E. Edge Theater on the Mays Landing campus before proud family and friends.
The PN Program allows nursing students to acquire the necessary skills and knowledge that are needed to help them jumpstart their medical careers. With the completion of the program, each of the new graduates now may sit for the NCLEX-PN exam to enter the workforce while others may wish to continue their studies by applying for an LPN-to-RN program at Atlantic Cape.
“Today is a celebration of accomplishment, perseverance, and service. Our graduates have completed a demanding course of study that required not only academic ability and clinical skill, but also patience, compassion, resilience, and teamwork. A nursing pin may be small, but what it represents is enormous. It symbolizes the knowledge these graduates have gained, the responsibilities they are preparing to accept, and the trust and patience that families place in them,” said Senior Vice President, Academic Affairs, Dr. Josette Katz.
Throughout the course of his PN program studies, graduate and Egg Harbor Township resident Jordan Camper overcame the loss of a close family member and is thankful for the bond he formed with his classmates.
“This has been a long year. I started this year with the passing of my aunt in the first semester, but I was very thankful that this program worked with me and helped me get through it. I'm also very thankful for all my classmates. I've been able to grow close with all of them, and we have all been able to depend and rely on each other,” said Camper. “I also want to thank my mom, dad, and my late–grandmother, who also couldn't be here. She always encouraged me to keep going and she always knew that I would be able to achieve my dreams.”
Once he completes and passes his NCLEX exam, Camper will be working for AtlantiCare's Seven Harmony, which is an acute care and post-surgical nursing unit located in the Harmony Pavilion at the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City. Camper plans to continue his education by pursuing an RN degree.
Graduate and Somers Point resident Kayleigh Transue, who currently works at Shore Memorial Hospital in registration, is appreciative for the relationships and support she had along this journey.
“I made some great friends here and I had family support me the whole way. I didn't think it would be possible to be here graduating today. Now it’s time to start studying for my NCLEX and then going for my RN,” said Transue.
The pinning ceremony dates back to the 12th century when The Knights of the Order of St. John the Baptist were given a badge of the Maltese cross in recognition of their vow to care for the sick and wounded soldiers of the Crusades. The ceremony was then updated in the 1860s when Queen Victoria honored Florence Nightingale with the Red Cross of St. George for providing care to the soldiers of the Crimean war. Nightingale then shared the honor by presenting medals to her nursing students. This ceremony honors the arduous education completed by the nursing students and serves as an induction and commitment to the nursing profession and the safe and competent care of others.
Atlantic Cape President Dr. Jason Abreu offered his congratulations to the program’s newly–pinned graduates.
“Today's an exciting day for our students after several months of studies, dedicating a lot of time, attention, and detail to your profession, to your passion and to your future patients. For the families that are here today, this day is equally as important to you because of the sacrifices that you also made along this journey. So, to our graduates, congratulations and completing this incredible program, that you have strived and committed to achieving, but also remember the compassion, the professionalism and the resilience that define you as a student as you begin your journey,” said Dr. Abreu.
This year’s graduating class included: Judith Barka, Jordan Camper, Marie Celestin, Morgan Coulter, Kimberly Franck, Alexandra Gibbons, Erin Higgins, Sade Kirton, Paige Lacy, Ariel Lute, Mili Patel, Tionna Powell, Elizabeth Ruiz, Melissa Saravia, Elizabeth Sharpe, Riya Somaiya, Kayleigh Transue, Allison Van Vorst, Ashley Winkler and Miranda Ziegler.
Atlantic Cape’s PN Program began in 2023 with 13 students in the graduating class. Today, the Program is fully-accredited by the New Jersey State Board (SBON), and boasts an impressive state-of-the-art simulation and skills laboratory. The PN Program offers students a direct pathway to the LPN-RN Program, allowing them to obtain their RN. More than 3,000 nurses have graduated from both the PN and Nursing programs since their inception. Atlantic Cape’s PN program is accredited by the New Jersey State Board through 2033.
View a Flickr photo gallery of this event at flic.kr/s/aHBqjD1Rqx.
Visit atlanticcape.edu/practical-nursing for more information on Atlantic Cape’s Practical Nursing certificate program.
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About Atlantic Cape Community College
Established in 1964, Atlantic Cape Community College is a Middle States-accredited, Hispanic-serving institution proudly serving the residents of Atlantic and Cape May counties. As a comprehensive, two-year community college, Atlantic Cape offers more than 50 undergraduate degree programs and 34 certificate and workforce development professional series programs at its Mays Landing, Atlantic City, and Cape May campuses. Atlantic Cape is home to the renowned Academy of Culinary Arts, rated the top culinary school in New Jersey, and to its highly acclaimed Nursing program for more than 60 years. Atlantic Cape also partners with more than 30 colleges and four-year universities to offer students the opportunity to seamlessly earn a bachelor’s degree upon graduation.
