Staff report

PIQUA — Edison State Community College honored 25 recent nursing graduates on Dec. 9, 2021, with a pinning ceremony held in a gymnasium filled with family and friends. This class faced unique challenges placed on them by being the first group to finish all four semesters of the nursing program during the COVID-19 pandemic, making this ceremony and these graduates’ accomplishments even more special.

The pinning ceremony is a time-honored tradition in which the graduate nurse is presented to family and friends as a professional who is about to practice nursing. The graduate is usually pinned by the faculty members who have worked with them throughout their studies. Each school has a unique pin, which serves as a symbol of the successful completion of a rigorous curriculum that prepares graduates to administer to the sick and injured and promote health through the practice of nursing.

“As Dr. Larson and I are out in the community, it is without fail that we hear amazing things about our nursing program graduates,” said Chris Spradlin, Edison State Provost. “The health care organizations in our region love our students. They often tell us they are among the best employees they have.”

Guest speaker Dr. Holly Dripps, Director of Clinical Services at Mercy Health – Urbana Hospital and Edison State nursing alumna, offered 10 tips to nursing graduates, ranging from staying positive and embracing change to knowing how to find their hospital’s policies and procedures.

Dr. Dripps also stressed the importance of self-care. “The nursing shortage across the country is real. The offer of those extra shifts is very enticing. Please take care of yourselves. Burnout is real,” she said. “Many organizations have resources to help employees. Please take advantage of those.”

“If being a nurse is something you’re not passionate about, your patients will feel that. The most rewarding thing about being a nurse is the human connection you have with your patients. Some things I’ve talked about — burnout, fear, change, and anxiety — can eat away at your passion. Please don’t lose sight of why you became a nurse.”

The ceremony also included remarks from class representatives Rayna Brownlee and Dane Rice.

“Being a nurse isn’t about the grades. It’s about being who we are,” said Brownlee. “No book can teach you how to cry with your patient; no class can teach you how to tell a family that their parents have died or are dying; no professor can teach you how to find dignity in giving someone a bed bath. A nurse is not about the pills, the charting — it’s about being able to help people when they’re at their weakest moments.”

Rice added, “Remember what nursing is. It’s patient care. We’re here to treat the patient. To give a soft touch, the right words, a kind gesture. Remember, one day, you might be in their place. Treat them the way you would like to be treated.”

Following the successful completion of the nursing program, graduates will prepare to take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) to become Registered Nurses (RNs).

Edison State’s nursing program has maintained full accreditation and approval throughout its history. In 2018, the Ohio Board of Nursing granted Edison State’s Associate of Nursing degree program a full five-year approval. In 2019, the program earned an eight-year continued accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), the highest level a program can receive.

Applications for Edison State’s Registered Nursing program are currently being accepted for the fall 2022 semester. For more information about the program, visit www.edisonohio.edu/programs.

Edison State is proud to recognize the following nursing graduates: Lindsey Albers, Yorkshire; Erika Bohman, Versailles; Rayna Brownlee, Piqua; Caitlin Donnelly, Englewood; Chizo Emeaghara, Columbus; Heather Fornshil, New Madison; Victoria Hanselman, Troy; Kirsten Jorgensen, Troy; Faith Kahlig, Fort Recovery; Brooke Keagy, Greenville; Shannon Masters, Vandalia; Ginny McGowan, Fort Loramie; Alexandria Merle, Troy; Daisy Meyer, Covington; Allie Millhouse, Troy; Kyle Ramey, Greenville; Dane Rice, Tipp City; Kayla Saintignon, Greenville; Krista Schulze, Fort Loramie; Destiny Solomon, Sidney; Hannah Unser, Greenville; Angelena Walker, Jackson Center; Cheyenne Weatherhead, St. Paris; Jennifer Whitenack, Covington; and Josie Winner, Osgood.