EMCC celebrates new graduates of practical nursing program
SCOOBA, Miss. (WCBI) – While many students are heading back to class, others are finishing up their studies.
East Mississippi Community College’s Practical Nursing Program graduated its latest class at the Communiversity.
While some graduates may face challenges in the job market, that shouldn’t be the case for the class that crossed the stage at the Communiversity.
According to reports from the Health Resources and Services Administration, there is a shortage of full-time nurses in the U.S.
EMCC is working to help ease that shortage.
That staffing shortage just got a little help from East Mississippi Community College.
The LPN program just graduated its latest class of 22 students.
Jamonicia Johnson, the Director of the Nursing Program, said easing that shortage is part of their mission.
“Our goal is to get students in. Students that have a heart to serve and then graduate students to help fill that shortage of nursing,” Johnson said. “So, we hope to continue to increase that. Continue to increase enrollment, retention, and graduation, and success, so this would not only help with the shortage in the nursing nationwide but community-wide as well.”
But for many of these new nurses, it’s about fulfilling a longtime goal.
“Since I was like in middle school, I knew that’s what I wanted to do because I grew up around just seeing how other people and how other nurses take care of other people. and I just knew that was my calling,” Taylor Jones said.
“It’s amazing to finally get to be able to become a nurse, work and take care of people because that’s what we want to do,” Morgan Breland said. “Take care of the community, the people, and families to put a smile on people’s faces and to really show our dedication to the passion of nursing.”
They say the program involves a lot of hard work, but the result is worth it.
“It’s been very difficult,” Ashlea Howell said. “It’s a very rigorous program, it takes a lot of time and dedication but I always encourage people if you think that’s something you want to do to go ahead and do it because it’s definitely worth it.”
And most of them are confident in their job prospects.
“I will be at a clinic in Columbus, I’m sure all my classmates will find a nursing job as well around the community and something further out,” Brailey Reed said.
The Practical Nursing program at EMCC takes up to one year to complete.
