Eight Juneau Nursing Students Graduate, Dec 13

The eight Juneau based graduates are part of a group of 50 AAS in Nursing students state wide who have completed their studies. The other sites promoting students along with Juneau are Fairbanks, Homer, Mat-Su, Valdez, Kotzebue and Ketchikan.

Juneau, AK

Date of Press Release: December 15, 2009

The University of Alaska Southeast and the University of Alaska, Anchorage School of Nursing held a pinning ceremony for graduates of the Associate Degree Nursing Program at 1 p.m., Sunday, December 13, 2009 at the UAS Egan Lecture Hall on the Auke Lake campus.  Jean Ballantyne RN, Ph.D from University of Alaska Anchorage will be attending.

Over the past two years, the Juneau students learned to start IVs, urinary catheters, take blood pressure and dress wounds at a lab set-up at the Bill Ray Center. They attended weekly video conferences and got hands-on experience at Bartlett Regional Hospital, Wildflower Court, SEARHC, Valley Medical Care, Reifenstein Dialysis Center, Hospice and Home Care of Juneau, Juneau Public Schools and in Anchorage hospitals.  Many of the students also worked as interns during summers at Bartlett Hospital while completing their degrees.

Student Hannah Mendelsohn shadowed registered nurses in the Bartlett Operating Room as part of her training. “There are a lot of things that go into nursing that people don’t realize,” said Mendelsohn. “This program helps you communicate better, learn interpersonal skills, planning ahead and time management.”

Mendelsohn is one of eight Juneau based graduates who are part of a group of 50 AAS in Nursing students state wide who have completed their studies.  The other sites promoting students along with Juneau are Fairbanks, Homer, Mat-Su, Valdez, Kotzebue and Ketchikan.

"It has been a great pleasure to work with these students for 4 semesters. I am proud to present these nursing graduates to the Juneau community," said Juneau faculty Chris Urata. At least half of the graduates are applying for local employment.

The graduate nurses can take their National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) as early as January 2010.

The graduates in the 2009 cohort are: Maegan Clifton, Rigel Falvey, Keith Goering, Patrick Grieser, Kirsten Kincaid, Hannah Mendelsohn, MeLissa Rose and Rachael Sturrock.