Nursing class gets pinned

Sixty-five proud graduates of LaGuardia Community College’s registered nursing program received the pins symbolizing their professional accomplishment in a ceremony held at the College’s Mainstage Theatre recently.
Dressed in traditional white nursing uniforms, the graduates sat on the stage before an audience of family, friends, faculty and staff at the event on Thursday, December 18.
Before receiving the pins - badges of recognition for becoming a Registered Nurse (RN) - they received praise and congratulations, as well as a charge for the future.
“Change is the word of the day and with change comes choice and responsibility,” observed keynote speaker Anne Bove, a nurse educator from Bellevue Hospital.
She pointed out that nurses represent one out of every four registered voters in New York State and charged the graduate to be active, saying “We must step up our advocacy on behalf of communities at state and local levels.”
Following the presentation of awards, the graduates proceeded across the stage to receive their pins from LaGuardia’s nursing faculty, then took the International Pledge for Nurses.
One of the most popular programs at the college, LaGuardia’s nursing program is highly competitive. Only one of four applicants to the Associate Degree program is accepted, according to the school.
Last year, more than 97 percent of LaGuardia’s nursing graduates passed the national licensure exams - the second highest percentage in the state - well above the state average of just under 76 percent.
The comprehensive, multiple-choice computerized exam, conducted by the National Council of State Boards, tests basic knowledge and skills necessary for safe and effective entry-level registered nursing practice.
Since its founding in 1971, LaGuardia has been innovative in educating students who are under prepared for college work and who may not be primary English speakers.
“Two out of three LaGuardia students are new Americans, and many are the first in their families to attend college,” said the school’s president Gail O. Mellow.
“The college takes great pride in knowing that our graduates are prepared to provide the highest quality health care to their patients when they enter the workforce,” she said.
LaGuardia students also go on to baccalaureate education at over three times the national average, and the college supports such activity through innovative joint programs as “Exploring Transfer,” with Vassar College and Barnard College.
“I will always have fond memories of the journey that has brought us here,” said graduate nurse Michael Eggar, shortly after receiving the coveted nurse’s pin. “We will bring fresh ideas to our profession and continue the innovative legacy of the LaGuardia RN program.”
To learn about LaGuardia Community College, visit their web site, www.laguardia.edu.