COLUMBIA — Columbia State Community College celebrated 40 nursing graduates in a pinning ceremony held in the Webster Athletic Center, according to the college. The graduates completed four semesters of classroom instruction and 540 hours of clinical training to earn an Associate of Applied Science degree in nursing.
The nursing pinning ceremony concludes with graduates reciting the Nightingale Pledge, the solemn oath that has bound nurses to their profession since Florence Nightingale established the standards of nursing during the Crimean War. The pledge binds the graduate not merely to competence, but to virtue—to hold the lives entrusted to their care as sacred, to do no harm, to be faithful to duty. It is a moment of gravity that acknowledges the weight of what these graduates are accepting.
Columbia State's nursing program has produced graduates with remarkable success rates. The most recent data available show a 98 percent first-attempt pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) for Columbia State graduates in 2024, compared to the national average first-attempt pass rate of 90.8 percent for associate degree nursing graduates. In 2023, Columbia State's in-field placement rate within six to twelve months of program completion was 99 percent. These numbers reflect rigorous training and genuine preparation for the work ahead.
After graduation, these nurses will work in hospitals, long-term care facilities, clinics, schools, and home health care settings across Tennessee. Maury Regional Medical Center, the region's primary hospital, is among the employers who recruit Columbia State graduates. The nursing shortage that has persisted nationally makes these new RNs particularly valuable. They enter the workforce at a moment when healthcare systems are stretched thin and patient demand is high.
According to Dr. Kae Fleming, Columbia State dean of the Health Sciences Division, "These Nursing AAS completers are poised to take on critical patient care roles. In the coming months, these graduates will faithfully care for and about patients, making a difference in the healthcare community." The Columbia State nursing program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing and holds full approval from the Tennessee Board of Nursing—recognitions that matter to employers and to the profession.
Source: Columbia State Community College