The W. Cary Edwards School of Nursing and Health Professions honored thirteen pre-licensure nursing students from the Accelerated BSN Program’s August 2023 class with a Pinning Ceremony at George A. Pruitt Hall on Aug. 29.

The ceremony commemorates students’ symbolic entry into the nursing profession and recognizes the transition from their academic experience to their professional careers. Those completing the program are now eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN licensure examination.

“The Pinning Ceremony holds special significance for our nursing students and their families, as it marks a transition from the students’ formative studies and clinical experiences to the nursing profession,” said Dr. Ruth Wittmann-Price, dean of the school. “This particular celebration was heightened by the presentation of two nationally recognized awards.”

April Kotwicki of Yardley, Pa., was the recipient of the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Students. Those receiving this award are nominated by their nurse educators and clinical staff at the school’s partnership sites. Kim MacAvoy-Sorochen, MSN, RN, CEN, Clinical Education and Simulation Lab coordinator at the school, received the DAISY Faculty Award demonstrating her commitment to nurse education and the inspirational environment she engendered for students in the program.

According to The DAISY Foundation, the recognition honors the work nurses do for patients and families every day wherever they practice, in whatever role they serve and throughout their careers. Honorees receive a certificate from the foundation, a DAISY Award pin and a sculpture called A Healer’s Touch, hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Zimbabwe, Africa.

“The ceremony is a rite of passage that holds great sentimental value for our students,” noted Dr. Lorraine M. Chewey, associate dean for Undergraduate Programs at the school. “It signifies their successful completion of a rigorous, often fast-paced educational journey and their transition into a profession centered on patient care. It’s a time for reflection, anticipation, commemoration and solidarity.”

Those sentiments will likely soon follow them into successful careers.

The school’s first-time NCLEX-RN exam pass rate for its Accelerated BSN Program graduates ranks in the top 4 percent of all BSN programs in the country. The program is No. 2 among the 57 RN licensing programs in its licensing jurisdiction (includes BSN, associate degree and diploma programs) according to the recent NCLEX-RN Program Report. Also, in its ongoing commitment to RN to BSN students, TESU is providing students in the program with Salute to RNs Scholarships. For more information on these and other programs in the school, visit tesu.edu/nursing.

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