A full class of 32 practical nursing students will graduate Friday at College of New Caledonia.
The annual convocation ceremony, featuring 28 women and four men, is at 2 p.m. in the Atrium and follows 49 weeks of training to earn certificates that will take them into a variety of health care settings.
This year's graduates ranging in age from 18 to 57 "are single and married parents raising children, single and married men and women who have put their lives on hold to successfully achieve a dream of becoming exceptional nurses," said Jacquie Scobie, practical nurse co-ordinator and faculty member.
Class valedictorian Angela Garrison said she went into nursing so she could connect with people who need help.
"This has been a very trying and truly exhausting year for me, but so extremely rewarding now that I am done," said Garrison, who succeeded in the program while raising two children.
"It was definitely one of the hardest and toughest things that I have gone through in my life. I'm happy I could show my children that with my determination and goals, that dreams can happen if you work hard and believe in yourself."
The 32 classmates all share a special bond after spending the last 12 months together.
"We truly came together as a team and worked hard at everything that we accomplished as we supported each other to achieve our best," said Garrison.
The students are just completing practicums at Northern Health sites like Kitimat, Mackenzie, Burns Lake, Vanderhoof and Fort St. James. They'll write their national licensing exams Sept. 15 and then will be eligible to work in settings from acute care to complex care.
Scobie is confident they will all find jobs.
"These students are dedicated and passionate about nursing. Depending on the site, there are still great employment opportunities as well as a lot of casual employment in all sites and facilities."
This is CNC's ninth practical nursing graduation which totals more than 280 nurses being added to the system. It's a competitive program with often hundreds of applicants vying for the 32 available seats
The faculty includes three full-time instructors with a pool of sessional instructors of LPNs and RNs, providing clinical instruction.
Community partners providing off-campus clinical and practical experience include Northern Health, Simon Fraser Lodge, AIMHI, Brain Injured Group, Child Development Centre, Hospice and Home Care.
During the ceremony, three student awards for leadership, bedside caring and excellence will be awarded. The next class begins Tuesday.
