Academics
Nursing Graduates to Enter Workforce as Pandemic Lingers
College Hosts Curbside Pinning Ceremony
RALEIGH, N.C. (December 10, 2021) – Wake Tech Nursing graduates who entered the program at the beginning of the global pandemic will now join local healthcare workers on the frontlines.
Fifty-seven graduates of Wake Tech’s Martha Mann Smith School of Nursing received their pins today. Thanks to the new “Graduate Registered Nurse” status approved by the NC Board of Nursing in 2020, they’ll be able go to work immediately, while they await an opportunity to take their licensure exam.
A special curbside ceremony signifying the completion of clinicals was held at the Perry Health Sciences Campus in Raleigh, one day before the college’s commencement exercises. In addition to the pins, graduates took home a lamp, red rose, and a copy of the Florence Nightingale pledge - symbols of their commitment to the nursing profession.
Dr. Ann Marie Milner, department head of the Martha Mann School of Nursing at Wake Tech and a member of the NC Board of Nursing, said the new nurses are armed with the skills they need to head into the healthcare workforce.
“The pandemic has highlighted the critical role that nurses play in healthcare,” said Dr. Milner. “We are so proud of our graduates and know they are extremely prepared to care for patients.”
Wake Tech President Dr. Scott Ralls was on hand to help hand out the pins and congratulate graduates.
“You all began your educational journey here at Wake Tech during a challenging time,” said Dr. Ralls. “Thank you for choosing this profession and your commitment to caring for all of us.”
With approximately 300 students and about 150 graduates each year, Wake Tech has one of the region’s largest nursing programs. At the beginning of the pandemic, the NC Board of Nursing instituted “Graduate Registered Nurse” status, which enables nursing graduates to go straight to work while waiting to take the NCLEX. Testing during the pandemic has been taking longer than usual due to a significant reduction in the number of testing sites open across the state and the number of students they are able to accommodate at one time. Graduates will need to apply for licensure through the Board of Nursing, apply to take the NCLEX, and complete a criminal background check before they can work as Graduate Registered Nurses.
Wake Tech’s Associate in Applied Science (AAS) Nursing program prepares well-qualified nurses who can practice in a variety of settings. Ninety-eight percent of Wake Tech’s nursing graduates typically pass the NCLEX licensure exam on their first attempt and 98 percent of graduates are employed within six months. Wake Tech’s AAS degree in Nursing is approved by the North Carolina Board of Nursing and accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.
