Sixteen local students graduate T-CAT LPN program
Published 11:44 am Friday, April 24, 2020
The 2020 nursing graduating class at TCAT Elizabethton has demonstrated where there is a willingness to change there is a way to succeed.
Although the coronavirus pandemic prompted distance learning to temporarily replace the usual classroom instruction, 47 practical nursing students are scheduled to graduate this trimester.
The April graduates, by county of residence, are:
Carter: Pamela Adams, Tonya Arnett, Kaitlyn Bowling, Rachel Brumfield, Haley Cretsinger, Chloe Eastep, Zack Guinn, Danielle Miller, Brandi Oliver, Sophia Peterson, Sarah Potter, Amber Reece, Judith Reece, Chelsea Roark, April Smith, Bethany Stonebreaker.
Greene: Sue Whiting.
Hawkins: Erin Davis.
Johnson: Cynthia Zuercher.
Sullivan: Brittani Arnett, Jaimie Deel, Taylor Eades, Timothy Fields, Zieleyanne Fong, Sabrina Poore, Carolyn Rush, Ariele Saint Elin, Rebecca Turner.
Unicoi: Tammy Adcock, Madison Higgins, Anne-Malone Thomas, Christopher Veilleux.
Washington: Philip Blevins, Ashley Chambers, Marie DeJiacomo-Geist, Jaime Duncan, Edith Hill, Karen Lara-Montejano, Kevin Lowe, Melissa Montgomery, Ossama Riaz, Nacole Wilhelm.
North Carolina: Ashe County —Lakota Blevins, Terry Blevins, Lesley Hattey, Erica Wise; Watauga County—Samantha Miller.
Despite the April pinning ceremony being cancelled, LPN graduates at TCAT Elizabethton are eligible to apply to the Tennessee Board of Nursing to test for licensure through the usual process, according to Kathy Bullen, program director.
Practical nursing is one of the largest programs at TCAT Elizabethton. There are approximately 300 students total in classes in Kingsport and Elizabethton. As part of their instruction, students also have supervised clinical experiences in health care facilities in the region.
“The decision to discontinue clinicals for the remainder of this semester only affected one class and a four-day rotation. We made what we thought was a conservative decision in light of the current environment. We are in close contact with our facilities and communicate frequently with them,” said Bullen.
