Sussex holds Nurse Pinning Ceremony

Sussex County Community College (SCCC), in partnership with Passaic County Community College (PCCC), recognized 12 students at a Nurse Pinning Ceremony on January 22nd in the Performing Arts Center.

The partnership between SCCC and PCCC enables students to obtain an outstanding nursing education here in Sussex County. This collaboration is a concerted effort to prepare qualified nurses for this community.

Pinning the Nurse graduates this year was Catherine Nelms, Assistant Professor, PCCC Nurse Education and Jodi Hirsch Instructor, SCCC Nurse Education. The evening included an awards ceremony, candlelight ceremony, and the recitation of the International Council of Nurses Pledge. Congratulatory speeches were done by Dr. Jon Connolly, SCCC President, Dr. Steven Rose, PCCC President and administrators from both Sussex County Community College and Passaic County Community College.

After the graduation ceremony, the students now have one more comprehensive exam, the National Council Licensing Exam (NCLEX), to complete before they can become licensed as a Registered Nurse.

The Nursing graduates were:

• Bianca Benincasa
• Kathleen Curtis
• Katy Czapnik
• Kayla Dean
• Kelley Edison
• Sorina Fernandez
• Samantha Lovelady
• Heather McKelvie
• Keri Parrella
• Sarah Rocha
• Carly VanSkiver
• Alicja Wesloske

The following awards were presented:

• ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Katy Czapnik
  This award is presented to the student with the highest GPA throughout the nursing program.
• PROFESSIONAL NURSING AWARD: Bianca Benincasa
  This award is presented to the student who demonstrates clinical excellence throughout the Nurse Education Program as Provider of Care, Manager of Care, and Member of the Nursing Profession.
• NURSE EDUCATION SERVICE AWARD: Carly VanSkiver
  This award is presented to the student who demonstrates both the quality and quantity of contributions to the program, College, community and peers.
• SPIRIT OF NURSING AWARD: Katy Czapnik
  This award is present to the student who demonstrates professional involvement, leadership and academic achievement demonstrating commitment and passion in the role of student nurse.

In this innovative program, qualified students who are admitted to the Passaic County Community College Nurse Education Program offered in conjunction with SCCC take the clinical courses with PCCC on the SCCC campus. These clinical courses comprise a four-semester sequence, which begins each January and is designed to include both general education and nursing courses for students who have selected careers as registered nurses. General education courses from the sciences and liberal arts enhance the student's understanding of clients with acute and chronic health problems. The curriculum prepares students to practice in hospitals and health agencies within the framework of the American Nurses Association’s Standards of Practice and the New Jersey Nurse Practice Act.

For more information about SCCC’s Nurse Education Program please contact Sareena Scaiabica, Advisor, at ssciabia@sussex.edu or visit sussex.edu/nursing.

Graduates in the photo: Sitting right to left: Kathleen Curtis, Sorina Fernandez, Heather McKelvie, Sarah Rocha, Bianca Benincasa Standing right to left: Alicja Weslosky, Keri Parrella, Katy Czapnik, Kayla Dean, Kelley Edison, Carly VanSkiver