South Nassau nurses celebrate earning higher degrees

For more than 70 registered nurses at South Nassau Communities Hospital, May 4, 2017, will go down as a uniquely special day in their careers. That is because on that day, they walked down the aisle to “Pomp & Circumstance No. 1” and threw their caps in the air — some for the first time — to celebrate their achievement of attaining a bachelor’s degree in nursing.

The graduation was commemorative. Most had already received their degrees or were on the verge of receiving them, but because they had gone back to school while working, many never had an opportunity to experience the ceremony that acts as the traditional capstone to years of hard work and expenses.

Citing medical studies, Dr. Sue Penque, the hospital’s chief nursing officer, said additional nursing degrees in higher education translate into better care for patients and more upward mobility for nurses. It is for these reasons, she added, that the hospital encourages its nurses to pursue schooling beyond an associate’s degree, providing up to $5,000 in annual tuition reimbursements and flexible scheduling to allow for class time.

“Obtaining this degree was hard work for all of you, for your families and your friends,” Penque said. “[That work] is going to pay off for you personally and also for South Nassau.”

Nurse Elise LaFemina served as the ceremony’s keynote speaker. She recounted her struggle of moving through multiple careers before finally achieving her childhood dream of becoming a nurse, at 46. She pursued that ambition while raising two children as a single mother. Nine years later, she has received her BSN, and is moving on to obtaining a master’s degree in nursing next fall. Her supervisors have taken note; she was recently promoted to assistant nurse manager of critical care.

“Whenever you put a feather in your cap, you’re going to stand a little taller,” she said of the benefits to pursuing additional education.

Speaking after the ceremony, critical care nurse Conrad McKnight said the graduation served as the “end of an accomplishment.”

“It’s okay to celebrate every once in a while,” he said. For him, the rewards of nursing could be boiled down to a single word: outcomes.

“You see when they come in and they’re so sick,” chimed in Sandra Peralte — also a critical care nurse, “then you see the turn-around. It’s very rewarding.”

Peralte added that “becoming a nurse is about caring.” Originally from Haiti, she said she noticed a lack of caregivers for the sick. Unable to change the situation there, she came to the United States and became a nurse in hopes of making a difference.

After obtaining her BSN, Peralte is now pursuing a master’s in nursing education, with the eventual goal of instructing future caretakers. “We’re trying to bring up the next generation of nurses,” she explained.

McKnight, who is pursuing a similar path, said additional education “is another stepping stone,” and that becoming a nursing instructor serves a purpose far beyond oneself. “As teachers we want to be prepared and pass on credible information,” she said.

“Nursing is forever changing,” said Peralte. “You always want to make sure you’re a step ahead.

“Patients deserve it,” she continued. “They deserve newer, better and knowledge-based care.”