On Thursday, August 6 the Monroe College School of Allied Health Professions held its nursing Pinning Ceremony for the just-concluded Spring, 2009 semester. Fourteen students were recognized for successful completion of the program. Two students completed the RN programs for Associate degrees in Applied Science and twelve received their LPN certificates.

“We’re so proud of these students because of their dedication and achievement,” said Nursing Department Chairwoman Jennifer Ort. “We have every confidence that they’ll be shining representatives of Monroe College as they progress in their careers.”

Monroe’s nursing program has a strong record when it comes to the NCLEX exams that these students will now take. Since the program was established in 2007, 96% of Monroe nursing graduates have passed the exam.

The pinning ceremony is a long-standing ritual in the profession of nursing. In fact, Florence Nightingale was known as the “Lady With the Lamp,” signifying the caring and devotion a nurse administers on a daily basis. As a result, the emotional Monroe ceremony featured the students lighting lamps and receiving nursing pins bestowed upon them by family members.

The Monroe College School of Allied Health Professions offers Bachelor’s degree programs in health services administration and public health and Associate degree programs in medical administration, medical assisting, nursing, and pharmacy technician. There is also a continuing education program and a certificate program for practical nursing. Many Allied Health Professions classes are held in state-of-the-art facilities, including microbiology and anatomy and physiology labs. A new pharmacology lab is scheduled to open in the fall, 2009. Medical assisting classes are taught in simulated clinical environments designed for students to develop their skills in hospital room settings.