New Nurses Take the Pledge in Traditional Candlelighting Ceremony
40 graduating Queensborough nursing students devoted themselves to their profession and the welfare of their patients during the College and Student Nurses Association annual Candlelighting Ceremony on Friday, January 3rd.
Derek Seo, President of the Student Nurses Association, congratulated classmates -- which he described as compassionate -- on earning their Associates Degree.
“The individuals here today have made a decision to share in the suffering of others while finding a way to relieve that suffering. These people have not [only] dedicated time to their studies, but to lead, mentor and guide underclassmen as well. They will dedicate all they have to restoring their future patients’ health,” the Navy veteran said.
Students in the fall 2019 class hailed from the United States, Asia, Southeast Asia, Europe, South and Central America and the Caribbean.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Timothy Lynch, President of Queensborough Community College expressed the community’s pride in their individual and collective accomplishments.
“The diversity that I see in this graduating class defines the diversity of the college itself. And diversity in the nursing field in particular is essential because communication with patients is enhanced when healthcare providers such as yourselves bridge the divide between the culture of medicine and the beliefs and principals that make up your patients’ value system.”
“Someone once asked, ‘You’re a nurse; how much do you make?’” Anne Marie Menéndez, Professor and Chairperson, Department of Nursing, said in her address to graduates.
The answer she told them, “Your nursing practice can make a difference in the lives of so many.”
Queensborough Nursing is renowned for its diligence in keeping pace with technology, addressing the needs of veterans and offering Dual/Joint programs with CUNY’s Hunter College, York College and CUNY School of Professional Studies.
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Michael Donahue or Alice Doyle
