PIQUA — Edison State Community College honored 26 recent nursing graduates on December 14, 2023, with a pinning ceremony held in a gymnasium filled with family and friends.

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.

“I often have opportunities to interact with employers in our community, and we hear wonderful things about our nursing graduates,” said Chris Spradlin, Edison State President. “They often say Edison State’s graduates are some of their best employees. We know the reason employers are so impressed is because of the dedication of our faculty and staff and the ability and hard work of our students.”

Guest speaker Nate Copen, RN, BSN, Major, USAF, serves full-time with the Wright-Patterson 445th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron (AES). He earned an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing from Edison State and later completed the RN to BSN program through Ohio University.

He encouraged the graduates to take care of themselves and take the time to build strong relationships. “Effective communication is key,” Copen said. “Be clear, be respectable, and don’t hesitate to ask questions.”

Copen also urged graduates to be adaptive, embrace flexibility, adapt to policies and procedures, be prepared to be empathetic in sensitive situations, advocate for themselves, and celebrate their wins.

“Congratulations, nursing graduates,” he finished. “I wish you all great success.”

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 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 being accepted until Jan. 31 for the fall 2024 semester. For more information about the program, visit www.edisonohio.edu/programs.

Edison State is proud to recognize the following local nursing graduates: Levi Cain, Greenville; August Evans, Rossburg; Taylor Fletcher, Arcanum; Catherine Gibson, Greenville; Sasha Gwin, Greenville; Meghan Holman, Greenville; Faith Huddle, Versailles; and Kristen Petitjean, Versailles.