THOMASVILLE —  On Tuesday, Southern Regional Technical College held a pinning ceremony at SRTC-Thomasville during which 49 Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) and ASN-Bridge students from the SRTC-Thomasville cohort received their nursing pins. The ceremony commemorates the students’ successful completion of their nursing coursework and clinical rotations. This class of nursing students is eligible to participate in SRTC’s formal graduation ceremony on Dec.4 and will officially be Registered Nurses (RN) pending the passage of their board exams.

The ASN students receiving pins include Asian Downs and Carrie Engram, both of Tifton.

During the pinning ceremony, which symbolizes the rite of passage into the nursing profession, students received a pin and a small lamp. The pin reminds students of their purpose to serve the sick and infirmed. The lamp serves as a tribute to Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern-day nursing. In the nineteenth century, Nightingale was known as the “Lady with the Lamp,” tending to the sick while carrying a lamp to light the way.

“This is the largest cohort of ASN graduates in our program to date, and their journey has been nothing short of inspiring. They have worked tirelessly to master the skills and knowledge required to deliver exceptional care to our community,” said SRTC’s ASN Faculty Sadie Burke, DNP, APRN, FNP-C. “As they prepare to enter the workforce, I am confident that each of them will continue to overcome challenges with the same passion, responsibility, and dedication that has defined their time in our program. They are ready to make meaningful contributions to nursing and to the lives of the patients and communities they will serve.”

The Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) program is designed to prepare students as entry-level practitioners to provide safe, effective nursing care and promote healthy transitions for diverse clients in a variety of settings. This program develops critical thinking, integrates accumulated knowledge from nursing, the sciences and humanities, and emphasizes the values of caring, accountability, responsibility and professional ethics. The SRTC ASN program has been granted approval by the Georgia Board of Nursing and is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).