Beaufort CCC Practical Nursing Graduates Honored at Pinning Ceremony | Eastern NC Now

Press Release:

(Back, left to right) LaRita Tysor, Asha Paschal, Ke’Niya Peterson, Destiny Russell, America Lamadrid Cano, Rispah Mwangi, and Tyra Galloway. (Front, left to right) Suzy Carbone, Kaelee Alleman, Ja’Shawna Clemmons-Jones, Teja Holley, Gabby Singleton, Rita Williams, and Jamie Wilder.

    Washington, N.C.     Fifteen graduates of Beaufort County Community College's Practical Nursing (PN) program celebrated the completion of their studies with a pinning ceremony on July 10. The event featured a traditional lantern-lighting, a recitation of the Practical Nursing Pledge, and pinning by friends or family members.

    Graduates include Kaelee Alleman, Haleigh Barker, Suzy Carbone, Ja'Shawna Clemmons-Jones, Tyra Galloway, Teja Holley, America Lamadrid Cano, Rispah Mwangi, Asha Paschal, Ke'Niya Peterson, Destiny Russell, Gabby Singleton, LaRita Tysor, Jamie Wilder, and Rita Williams.

    This cohort experienced significantly lower attrition rates due to a collaborative learning model that paired practical nursing students with associate degree nursing (ADN) students for 90 percent of their training. According to Dr. Kent Dickerson, dean of nursing and allied health, this model reduced attrition from 70 percent to 40 percent.

    "There were times that you really didn't like it, and yet you persevered. You kept going," said Dickerson. "We are the only college in the state that has this model, and you're a success because of that model."

    He continued, "The overt curriculum is what most people hear about: skills check-offs, medication math, clinical judgment. But the covert curriculum is what you learned from life happening around you. That's what really shapes you. You learned along the way to gain confidence in your abilities. We didn't have a lecture on how to be confident in yourself. You figured that out. You're going to be part of a group of people that you don't want to work with, but you're going to get the job done. Just like you already have."


    During the ceremony, Beaufort County Association of Nursing Students (BCANS) historian McKenna Taylor recognized BCANS members, including Suzy Carbone, Ja'Shawna Clemmons-Jones (who serves as the PN representative for BCANS), America Lamadrid Cano, Ke'Niya Peterson, Gabby Singleton, LaRita Tysor, and Rita Williams.

    Taylor also presented America Lamadrid Cano with the Academic Excellence Award.

    Coursework in the PN program covers the domains of health care, nursing practice, and holistic care of the individual. It emphasizes safe, individualized nursing care and teamwork using evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and informatics. Students complete nursing narratives, concept maps, and clinical rotations at local health care facilities.

    Graduates must pass the NCLEX-PN before beginning employment at physicians' offices, clinics, hospitals, or in rehabilitation, long-term care, or home health settings. The Class of 2024 achieved a 100 percent pass rate. The Class of 2025 is scheduled to test within the next month. The ADN Class of 2025, which tested earlier this summer, earned a 95 percent pass rate.

    Both the ADN and PN programs are competitive and require students to apply for admission and pass the TEAS or HESI entrance exams. Beaufort CCC now accepts TEAS scores from within the past three years.

    Tuition and fees for the PN program are covered for qualifying residents of Beaufort, Hyde, Tyrrell, and Washington counties through the Beaufort Promise Scholarship. Students may also apply for additional scholarships to cover textbooks. North Carolina residents from households earning less than $80,000 may be eligible for the Next NC Scholarship, regardless of county. Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) before applying for scholarships.


    For more information about the Practical Nursing program, contact Nicole Smith-Poulin, allied health admissions coordinator, at 252-940-6431 or nicole.smith-poulin@beaufortccc.edu.

• Attila Nemecz
• Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator
• Beaufort County Community College
• 5337 U.S. Highway 264 East
• Washington, N.C. 27889
• Ph: 252-940-6387
• Cell: 252-940-8672
• attila.nemecz@beaufortccc.edu