Sixty-one (61) graduates from Monroe Community College's Nursing program were honored at a traditional pinning ceremony held on Saturday, Jan. 8. The Nursing Class of December 2004 is the first cohort of graduates to benefit from an expanded nursing program made possible by the generosity of local health care providers and insurers. The event was hosted by the MCC Student Nurses Association and the MCC Department of Nursing.
In November 2002, Strong Health, ViaHealth, Unity Health System, Excellus Health Plan, Inc., and Preferred Care each contributed $40,000 per year for five years toward staffing and infrastructure support at MCC. The $1 million gift responds directly to the continuing shortage of nurses locally and nationwide. As a result, the number of associate degree graduates from MCC’s Nursing program will ultimately increase by about 30 percent—preparing more nurses for future employment.
MCC nursing graduates are qualified to serve in area health care facilities as registered nurses upon passing the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). In the last reporting period (April1 – June 30, 2004), 100 percent of MCC nursing program graduates passed the NCLEX-RN, a rate exceeding both state and national averages of 88.45 and 85.62 respectively.
Rosanna Condello
Public Affairs
01/10/2005 |