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The graduates recite the Practical Nurse’s Pledge.
AVON PARK, Fla. – July 31, 2023 – South Florida State College (SFSC) graduated 20 Practical Nursing (PN) program students in a traditional pinning ceremony on Thursday, July 27 in the Alan Jay Wildstein Center for the Performing Arts on the Highlands Campus at SFSC in Avon Park.
The graduates are Kimberly Banegas-Escobar, Irish Bercerra, Rachel Caruso, Carrie Grenier, Melissa Hernandez, Brandon Hoopingarner, Cynthia Howard, Keila Irizarry, Anabelle Jacobo, Myra Jeffers, Flor Leon, Jessica Mendoza, Alekzsandra Nader, Katise Polite, Cadee Richardson, Betty Sanchez, Alexis Sboto, Otaysha Smith, Brandi Westberry, and Honestee Wynn.
Each year, PN graduates award the Golden D.U.C.K. to someone who has served as a mentor to the students in the program. The D.U.C.K. acronym represents the foundational elements of the mentoring arrangement: Developing, Understanding, Compassion, and Knowledge. Presenting the award to George Livingston, Tutoring and Learning Center specialist, was Class Leader Kimberly Banegas-Escobar, who said, “The individual we, collectively, chose to receive this award has effortlessly served as a tutor to our class. He spent many early mornings and late afternoons helping teach us the structure and function of the human body. We owe much of our academic success to his teachings.”
Kimberly Benegas-Escobar (right) presents the Golden D.U.C.K. Award to George Livingston.
The practice of pinning new graduates has been a nursing school tradition in the United States since 1916 and, symbolically, welcomes each graduate into the nursing profession. The pin is worn prominently on a nurse’s uniform throughout their career. One story of the ceremony’s beginning goes back to 1883, when Queen Victoria awarded Florence Nightingale the Royal Red Cross on St. George’s Day for her service to the sick and injured during the Crimean War. In turn, Nightingale later extended the honor to her outstanding nursing students by presenting them with a medal of excellence.
Graduates of the 11-month Career Certificate PN program become licensed practical nurses (LPN) by passing the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN) exam. SFSC Nursing graduates are usually fully employed in nursing within a few months of graduation.
SFSC offers an Associate in Science degree in Nursing (ADN) program for students interested in becoming registered nurses in three formats: a two-year Generic-RN program, a two-year Evening/Weekend RN program, and a one-year Transition-LPN to RN program. The College also offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program.
For information about SFSC’s Nursing programs, contact Danielle Ochoa, Health Sciences advisor at 863-784-7027 or by email at healthsciences@southflorida.edu.
