On Wednesday, December 11, Southern Regional Technical College (SRTC) held a pinning ceremony during which forty-one Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) students from the LPN to RN Bridge program and the Generic ASN program received their nursing pins. The ceremony commemorates the students’ successful completion of their nursing coursework and clinical rotations. This class of nursing students will also participate in SRTC’s formal graduation ceremony on December 12, and will officially be Registered Nurses (RN) pending the passage of their board exams. These prospective nurses represent the nursing programs of the Thomasville campus of Southern Regional Technical College. 
The students receiving pins were: Sydney Allday-Waldron of Thomasville, Michael Arenas of Moultrie, Veronica Baillargeon-Ramos of Moultrie, Madison Brown of Cairo, Anna Byrd of Moultrie, Sarah Clark of Thomasville, Amber Coats of Norman Park, Alyssa Croft of Valdosta, Justess Davis of Thomasville, Brittany Duncan of Ochlocknee, Bridgett Fuentes Martinez of Moultrie, Ali Hart of Thomasville, Victoria Ives of Quitman, Kellie (Kennedy) Dennis of Thomasville, Shanna Lopez of Tifton, Moesha McGhee of Valdosta, Courtney Newell of Moultrie, Daniel O'Neal of Thomasville, Amanda Parker of Pelham, Brooke Sommerville of Quitman, Joshua Waller of Thomasville, Matthew Whiddon of Thomasville, Terri Henley of Tifton, Kytranna Cole of Valdosta, Melissa Denton of Thomasville, Lronjolyce King of Moultrie, Mary (King) Simpson of Bainbridge, Mauricio Maravilla of Chula, Glenda Moore of Thomasville, Ashley Ortega of Moultrie, Rebecca Snow of Newton, Perchell Sutton of Moultrie, LaShondra Thomas of Ochlocknee, Jenny Ulrich of Tallahassee, Cedricka Williams of Thomasville, Chastity VanDam of Lakeland, Summer Revels of Tifton, Elizabeth McDonald of Adel, Tashamba Davis of Quitman, Shawn Howell of Thomasville, and Dora, Garcia of Enigma.
During the pinning ceremony, which symbolizes the rite of passage into the nursing profession, each student received a pin and lit a small lamp. The pin reminds students of their purpose to serve the sick and infirmed. The lighting portion of the ceremony 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. At the ceremony, students also recite the Nightingale pledge stating their dedication to upholding the standards of being a nurse.
“This was an incredible group of students that will make excellent nurses. It was an honor to have each them in the nursing program. Where ever they go to work, the facility will be blessed with hard-working nurses that love the profession,” commented Tammy Bryant, MSN, Associate of Science Nursing Program Chair.
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: Kellie Dennis and Ashley Ortega earned the Highest Exit Exam Awards. The Clinical Excellence Awards were given to Sydney Allday-Waldron and Ashley Ortega. The Archbold Leadership Awards were given to Joshua Waller and Glenda Moore. Finally, the Nightingale Awards recognized the accomplishments of Michael Arenas and Rebecca Snow.
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).
SRTC offers over 155 degree, diploma, and certificate programs that are designed to get students quickly into a desired career, and 28 general education courses that transfer to the University System of Georgia institutions and 19 private colleges and universities in Georgia. SRTC has instructional sites located in Colquitt, Decatur, Early, Grady, Miller, Mitchell, Seminole, Thomas, Tift, Turner and Worth counties for the convenience of its students. The College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). SACSCOC is the regional body for the accreditation of degree-granting higher education institutions in the Southern states. For the most up-to-date information on registration, class dates, and program offerings, log on to www.southernregional.edu.
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