NEWTON, N.J. (Sussex County) — Sussex County Community College marked the graduation of 16 nursing students during a formal pinning ceremony this month, highlighting a joint program with Passaic County Community College aimed at expanding access to nurse training in Sussex County as demand for registered nurses grows.
The ceremony was held Tuesday, Jan. 13, at 6 p.m. and included an awards presentation, a candlelight ceremony and the recitation of the International Council of Nurses Pledge, the college said.
Remarks were delivered by Sussex County Community College President Dr. Cory Homer and Passaic County Community College President Dr. Steven Rose, along with administrators from both schools. Guest speaker Kimberly Rochette, MSN, RN, recognized the graduates’ dedication and commitment to patient care, the college said.
Graduates were Donald Case, Angelina Cavallone, Shantay Coates, Alyssa Dionne, Jennifer Drag, Brittany Gillis, Cassidy Guida, Nicole Hengge, Olivia Johnson, Nicole Krasicki, Araceli Mestizo, Heather Meyer, Leeann Olson, Cale Rosso, Eric Struble and Silvana Yurko.
After graduation, students will take the National Council Licensure Examination, or NCLEX, a final requirement for licensure as registered nurses, the college said.
Under the partnership, qualified students admitted to Passaic County Community College’s Nurse Education Program — offered in conjunction with Sussex County Community College — complete clinical courses on the Sussex County campus, the schools said. The clinical courses follow a four-semester sequence that begins each January and combines nursing coursework with general education classes in the sciences and liberal arts, the college said.
The program is designed to prepare students to practice in hospitals and health agencies under the American Nurses Association’s Standards of Practice framework and the New Jersey Nurse Practice Act, the college said.
For information about the program, the college directed prospective students to contact advisor Sareena Sciabica at ssciabica@sussex.edu.
