New graduates to help meet demand for healthcare professionals

The Capital Region BOCES Career & Technical School continued its tradition of educating our region's health care professionals with the June 28 graduation of 118 men and women from the Practical Nursing for Adult Students program. Eighty full-time-study students and 38 part-time-study students were honored at Proctors in Schenectady, including an impressive number of high achievers. The Mohonasen High School Color Guard presented the flag for the Pledge of Allegiance at the start of the ceremony.

The program encompasses 1,100 hours of classroom and clinical instruction, and upon completion,students are eligible to take the National Council Licensure exam and apply for state licensure as a Licensed Practical Nurse. The Practical Nursing program also prepares students to further their nursing education.

The graduated students studied either full-time for 10 months or part-time for 18 months, manywhile holding down jobs and caring for families. They attended class at the Capital Region BOCES Health Careers Center on New Karner Road, across from the Career & Technical School in Colonie, and also learned through hands-on, supervised clinical experiences at local health care facilities.

A number of the students received honors at the ceremony, including several who achieved nearly perfect averages above 96%. Selection of valedictorians, in fact, required carrying out the averages into several decimal points. Students were also honored for clinical excellence, general excellence, perfect attendance and student advisory.

Capital Region BOCES has been teaching health careers for more than 50 years, and the Practical Nursing program is a regional leader in nurse education.

Practical Nursing grads were honored at Proctors	BOCES Board of Education Member Sandra Beloncik was part of the graduation ceremony.