Students in Cohort 8 of the Second Degree Accelerated Program (SDAP) at Mount Carmel College of Nursing (MCCN) had reason to celebrate on Friday, February 6 after completing a rigorous 13-month program in pursuit of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. The 66 students were joined by friends, families, staff and faculty in the Medical Staff Building (MSB) Auditorium for a graduation ceremony to recognize their entry into the nursing profession. The graduates are the eighth SDAP class to graduate from MCCN.
SDAP is designed for individuals who previously acquired a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing field and want to pursue a career in nursing. SDAP students obtain the same education as a conventional BSN program student, but in a condensed time frame. Students in the program regularly experience 40 hours of rigorous and time intensive work each week. The program prepares graduates for the anticipated Ohio Board of Nursing administered National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN.)
The eighth cohort represented a diverse range of backgrounds, including a retiree from a leading central Ohio insurance company, a student who worked in sales in Japan and an artist with graphic design experience.
“My favorite part of the program is the amazing way that students from all backgrounds seem to band together, no matter what their story is. Whether they have just graduated with undergraduate degrees or they have been in the working world for years, they all graduate with the same path ahead of them,” said Tanika Cherry-Montgomery, PhD, RN-BC, coordinator of the SDAP program, “I have never seen a closer group of students than those who graduate together from SDAP.”
