COLUMBIA — Columbia State Community College celebrated 40 nursing graduates at a pinning ceremony in the Webster Athletic Center, formally welcoming them into the nursing profession as they recited the Nightingale Pledge and accepted their responsibility to patient care.
The graduates completed a rigorous four-semester program involving 540 hours of clinical instruction to earn an Associate of Applied Science degree in nursing. Their success on the National Council Licensure Examination demonstrates the program's excellence: Columbia State nursing graduates in 2024 achieved a 98 percent first-attempt pass rate, significantly outpacing the national average of 90.8 percent for associate degree nursing graduates. Dr. Loretta Bond, nursing program director, called the pinning ceremony a memorable occasion honoring the students' hard work and dedication.
These new nurses will work in hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics, schools, and home health settings across Middle Tennessee and beyond. The college's 2023 in-field placement rate within six to twelve months of program completion reached 99 percent. Columbia State's nursing program is fully approved by the Tennessee Board of Nursing and accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. For information about applying, visit www.ColumbiaState.edu/Nursing.