Pictured are the Northeastern Technical College Practical Nursing program graduates with their instructors. From left to right, in front, are NETC nursing instructor Cheryl Douglass, Christian R. Polson, of Chesterfield; La’Quan T. Richardson, of Pageland; Nellisa E. Williams, of Bennettsville; Heather K. West, of Pageland; Brooke Teal, of Cheraw; Debra C. Winburn, of Patrick; Brittany L. Kerivan, of Cheraw; and NETC nursing instructor Pam King; from left to right, in back, Katrina A. Anderson, of Cheraw; Jessica E. Booth, of Bennettsville; Ashley B. Rogers, of Hartsville; D. Michelle Luck, of Cheraw; Dana D. Streater, of Cheraw; LeSheay Oliver, of Jefferson; Heidi R. Hilton, of Cheraw; and Marcieola Patterson, of Darlington.

January 4, 2012
Students Graduate from NETC Practical Nursing Program

Fifteen strangers from various backgrounds came together last January to begin a rigorous journey to change their lives and start a new career. On Thursday, December 15, the Practical Nursing class of 2011 celebrated, laughed and cried together like a family when they were formally “pinned” during a ceremony at Northeastern Technical College in Cheraw.

The nursing students were recognized before family members, friends and college administrators for successfully completing the rigorous program that prepares them to take the National Council Licensure Examination in order to become licensed practical nurses.

After an invocation delivered by the Rev. Johnnie McLendon of Fisher Hill Community Baptist Church, Dr. Ron Bartley, college president, began the ceremony by commending the students for their hard work and for choosing to enter the nursing profession, which requires a commitment to service of others.

“When you take the Nightingale Pledge tonight, you are making a pledge to yourself, to your family, to your patients, to your profession and to the community,” Bartley said. “Tonight’s ceremony is a significant milestone in the lives of our students as they embark on this pathway to a career in nursing.”

Bartley also took special measures to recognize the students’ families for the support they provided along the way.

Michelle Luck, of Cheraw and president of the graduating class, thanked the two nursing instructors, Pam King and Cheryl Douglass, for their commitment to preparing each student to become dedicated and skilled nurses.

“When we began this journey, you were just our instructors. However, along the way, you became our counselors and friends,” Luck said. “For those of you who do not know these two amazing instructors, they balance each other. They make an amazing team.”

Luck also expressed appreciation to Northeastern Technical College for being “our pathway to success.”

In her closing remarks, Luck took a moment to recognize a special guest at the ceremony, Patti Perry, an NETC alumna of the Practical Nursing program who is battling breast cancer.

It is a tradition for practical nursing students to choose a speaker for their pinning ceremony whom they feel made the greatest contribution to their education. This year, the graduates chose Tracy Jacobs-Miles, a registered nurse from Marlboro Park Hospital, who offered words of wisdom on how to be a good caregiver.

“As a nurse, I have always worked by my own motto, which is ‘to always treat patients as I would want myself or my own family treated,’” Jacobs-Miles said. “You are here for a purpose, to make a difference in someone else’s life, and that is the overall reward in the profession of nursing. So care more than others think is wise, dream more than others think is practical, and expect more than others think is possible. Nursing is a profession that does produce the angels that are here on Earth, and that’s not just a job. It’s an accomplishment.”

Two graduates were honored for their academic achievement and clinical performance.

Luck received the NETC Award for Practical Nursing Academic Excellence for having the highest overall grade-point average in the class.

Marcieola Patterson, of Darlington, received the Jean L. Harris Award for Outstanding Clinical Performance.
The highlight of the pinning ceremony came when each graduate received a specially designed NETC nursing pin, worn as part of the nurse’s uniform, along with a symbolic lamp representing the nursing profession. The pin and lamp are the traditional symbols of completion of a nursing education program. After the presentation, the graduates recited the Nightingale Pledge and were formally presented to the audience by Bartley.