The Nursing program at Mercer County Community College continues to deliver on its commitment to educate and train members of the health care system who have never been needed more: registered nurses.
Elizabeth Mizerek, MCCC’s director of nursing education, reports that program graduates scored a 92.3% pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination, or NCLEX-RN, during 2021, a rate that is well above the national average.
“In spite of the many challenges of a global pandemic, our students continue to outperform the rest of the country,” Mizerek noted, adding that 65 program alumni are ready to serve in health care settings throughout Mercer County.
In January, the college recognized the 41 graduates from the Class of Winter 2022 at a Nursing Education Pinning Ceremony at MCCC’s Kelsey Theatre. More than 20 of these students recently passed the NCLEX-RN, adding to last year’s total. (The rest of the class will take the exam in the near future.)
This was the first in-person pinning ceremony at the college in two years.
Mizerek presided over the milestone event, with President Jianping Wang and Vice President for Academic Affairs Robert Schreyer sharing congratulatory remarks.
Speaking on behalf of the graduates was valedictorian Samira Sadqi.
“We started nursing school thinking it was going to be hard, but we could handle it. But then came the pandemic,” she recalled. “I’m so proud to graduate among the most resourceful, dedicated and resilient nurses MCCC will ever have.”
Six graduates received special recognition for a job well done: Amyjaelle Belot (Perseverance Award); Alexa Cottrell (Clinical Excellence Award); Carrie Hixson (Teamwork Award); Jean Raymond Louis Jacques (Professionalism Award); Chantelle Mason-Randall (Caring Award); and Sadqi (Academic Excellence Award).
