Communication Services

A full class of 32 practical nursing students will graduate Friday, Sept. 3 at their annual convocation ceremony.

    With the event set for 2 p.m. in the college’s atrium in Prince George, this year’s class features students ranging in age from 18 to 57, who’ve spent the last 49 weeks learning skills to work in a variety of health care settings.

    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.”

    As for Garrison’s classmates, they share a special connection after spending the last 12 months together. “We were a wonderful group of individuals who each brought our own individual personalities, special abilities and talents to one classroom,” Garrison said. “We truly came together as a team and worked hard at everything that we accomplished and we supported each other to achieve our best.”

    For the faculty, it will be a bittersweet moment when the class, comprised of four men and 28 women, receive their parchment and earn their certificates.

“These 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. “These students were so dedicated and passionate about nursing.”

    The students are just completing practicums at various Northern Health sites, including 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 a wide range of settings, from acute care to complex care. And they’ll find jobs.

    “Depending on the site, there are still great employment opportunities,” said Scobie. “There is a lot of casual employment in all sites and facilities.”

    This is the ninth year CNC has offered the practical nursing program. It’s a competitive program with only 32 seats available each year and often hundreds of applicants. The faculty includes three full-time instructors with a pool of sessional instructors of LPNs and RNs, who provide clinical instruction.

    The college teams with a variety of partners in the community, such as Northern Health, Simon Fraser Lodge, AIMHI, Brain Injured Group, Child Development Centre, Hospice and Home Care to provide students with a variety of clinical and practical experiences off-campus.

    Friday’s convocation includes handing out three student awards for leadership, bedside caring and an award of excellence.

    While the practical nursing class of 2010 will spend the next few weeks celebrating and writing their national exams, students in the 2010-11 class begin the program Tuesday, Sept. 7.


For more information:
Jacqui Scobie                      
Practical Nurse Program Co-ordinator  
College of New Caledonia              
250-562-2131 ext. 5538            
Cell: 250-961-0067