More than 100 friends and relatives filled a large classroom as 17 members of the first Bachelor of Science in Nursing cohort participated in the first Pinning Ceremony held at the GW Virginia Science and Technology Campus by the new School of Nursing. Guest speaker for the event was Susan Hassmiller, Special Advisor on Nursing to the President of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
This January, all 17 graduates are sharing their skills and saving lives in hospitals and institutes across Northern Virginia. Thirty-five students are now working toward graduation and another 80 new students are expected to enroll this fall.
The landmark pinning event was the second official ceremony for the ambitious new school. Earlier in the fall, Virginia Secretary of Education Gerard Robinson was the keynote speaker for the unveiling of the GW Nursing Skills and Simulation Center where students work in simulated real-life situations while nursing faculty members evaluate their work and provide feedback. A gift of $23,000 from the Reston Hospital Center and HCA Virginia Health System provided equipment for the school’s new simulation center.
The School of Nursing was established by the University's Board of Trustees in 2010. The Department of Nursing Education previously resided in the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences. The school has a presence at the Virginia Science and Technology Campus and at the Foggy Bottom Campus. While the new undergraduate program is headquartered at the GW Virginia Science and Technology Campus, the existing Master of Science in Nursing programs, the Doctor of Nursing Practice program, and other post-masters certificate programs, many also available online, will continue to be offered at Foggy Bottom.