THOMASVILLE — On Monday, Nov. 25, Southern Regional Technical College held a pinning ceremony honoring the most recent class of Practical Nursing students representing the SRTC-Bainbridge cohort. 

The ceremony commemorates the students’ successful completion of their nursing coursework and clinical rotations. These graduates are also eligible to participate in the commencement ceremony at SRTC-Bainbridge on Dec. 4.

Among the graduates representing the Bainbridge cohort were Summer Hurst of Ochlocknee, Sha’kayvia Roberts of Moultrie and Michelle Smart of Meigs.

The pinning ceremony is a rite of passage into the nursing profession, during which each student received a pin and a small lamp. The pin is used to remind students of their purpose to serve the sick and infirmed. The lamp portion of the ceremony serves as a tribute to Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern-day nursing. In the 1800s Nightingale was known as the ‘lady with the lamp’ tending to the sick while carrying a lamp to light the way.

The Practical Nursing program is a five-semester diploma program designed to prepare students to write the NCLEX-PN for licensure as practical nurses, SRTC said in a press release. The program prepares graduates to give competent nursing care. This is done through a selected number of academic and occupational courses providing a variety of techniques and materials necessary to assist the student in acquiring the needed knowledge and skills to give competent care. A variety of clinical experiences is planned so that theory and practice are integrated under the guidance of the clinical instructor.