The Berkeley College School of Health Studies will hold a pinning ceremony on Friday, Dec. 15 to honor the recent graduates of their Licensed Practical Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (LPN to BSN) program, as well as its Practical Nurse programs.
The ceremony holds special significance as a third of nurses have left the bedside in the past three years, according to a study by the Health Professionals and Allied Employees union, the largest union of registered nurses in New Jersey. The same study found the average age of the nurses that remain to be 52, leaving many nurses close to retirement, and leaving the skills of the new graduates at Berkeley College very much in demand.
The ceremony, to be held at the college’s Renaissance Hall, will feature remarks from student speakers planning to make an impact on the field. The Practical Nurse ceremony will begin at 9 a.m., and the LPN to BSN ceremony at 11:30 a.m.