Brandy Rushing, of Cheraw, has her first professional photo taken in her nursing uniform.  Rushing, along with 18 other students are in the first class of students completing Northeastern Technical College’s Associate Degree in Nursing (AND) program.  A pinning ceremony is planned for May 15, but ADN students will be completing course work and preparing to take the State Board of Nursing exam in the meantime. .

April 30, 2009
First ADN Students at NETC Prepare for Graduation

Nearly two years after its inception, the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) program at Northeastern Technical College (NETC) will soon graduate the first class of nurses; a milestone for both the College and the students. As the students reach the end of their studies at NETC and prepare for careers in health care, they brim with elation, relief, exhaustion and eager anticipation.|

“This is realizing a dream,” said Loretta Harpestad, of Cheraw, who returned to nursing after postponing her initial training 30 years ago. “And I’m ready because I feel well-prepared by the ADN program at NETC.”

Harpestad and her classmates are completing the final weeks of their program, looking forward to their pinning ceremony scheduled for May 15, and preparing to take the exam that licenses them as nurses. 

“I really feel like they are ready,” said Nancy White, a nursing instructor at the college. “They are eager to start their careers and we am proud of them.”

While the rigorous ADN program prepares students to take the NCLEX-RN exam, a licensure examination sponsored by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, the main focus of the program is on creating well-trained nurses who are ready for the demands of the healthcare field.

“The students go into the hospital and they get to work with people,” said White. “Those virtual scenarios and clinical experience help give students an idea of what their world as nurses will be like.”

ADN student Stephanie Bryant, of Chesterfield, who has a nursing position waiting for her at Marlboro Park Hospital in Bennettsville, thinks the most useful aspects of the program were these types of hands-on experiences and demonstrations provided by clinical study.

“You can read things in a book, but to see it in real life really helps you learn,” said Bryant.

On a recent April morning, students felt confident after taking a practice state board exam that they were ready for the exam. They also expressed anticipation as they looked forward to starting their careers and achieving a significant goal in their lives. 

“We provide the nursing students a quality education that prepares them to enter the workforce as professionals and fill the need of the community and begin a rewarding career,” said Terry Wright, NETC Coordinator. “The knowledge and skills gained from the nursing program enables graduates to work locally or take their nursing career anywhere within the United States, Canada and beyond.”

For some, completing the program and becoming a nurse may mean more than just the pathway to a career.

“Many of the Nursing students that are preparing to graduate are first generation high school and college graduates,” said Wright. “This is significant to the student, their family and the community so we are proud to be a part of this achievement for them.”

The relationships between the students and the instructors are especially important in the NETC ADN program.

“Meeting this group of people has been the best part of the program,” said Harpestad. “There are some extraordinary instructors that here and I know I will stay in touch with them for professional guidance and to keep them updated on what I’m doing as a nurse.”