AMERICUS — Fifteen South Georgia Technical College (SGTC) practical nursing graduates participated in a special pinning ceremony held recently in the John M. Pope Industrial Technology Center on the Americus campus.
During the program, graduate Arthur Raven gave the invocation and led the pledge of allegiance; graduate Tara Arnold introduced the program’s guest speaker; graduate Jamelle Williams led the Nurse’s Pledge and Lighting of the Lamp; and graduate Brittany Lewis closed with the benediction.
Sharon Stocking, RN, BSN and director of Nursing at Magnolia Manor in Americus, was featured guest speaker for the program. Stocking worked closely with these graduates on their clinicals and thanked them for their dedicated service to Magnolia Manor. She offered words of wisdom from her time as a nurse, and encouraged the graduates to build personal relationships with their patients, because that’s a large part of what nursing is all about — not just medicine.
“Nursing has become such a diverse world — there are many paths you can take to find the perfect career for you,” she said.
The graduates included: Lizeth Arias-Belmontes of Americus, Tara Arnold of Americus, Diniwe Chitiyo of Atlanta, Angelia Garner of Buena Vista, Alisha Harper of Oglethorpe, Amanda Harrah of Covington, Denise Harris of Americus, Shareeka Harris of Marshalville, Samara Devin Hughes of Montezuma, Brittany Lewis of Buena Vista, Krystal McDonald of Americus, Arthur Raven of Americus, Shetria Smith of Buena Vista, Alyssa Thomas of Plains, and Jamelle Williams of Americus.
These students are now eligible to sit for the NCLEX-PN state board exams to become official Licensed Practical Nurses. The exam consists of 85 to 205 questions and tests all areas in the nursing profession to assure practical nurses have obtained the knowledge to practice safely in clinical settings.
SGTC’s practical nursing program was recently ranked among the top five programs in Georgia for the year 2016, according to Accredited Schools online. For more information about admission to the SGTC Practical Nursing program, call 229.931.2299.