WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., Sept. 25, 2017 — West Liberty University nursing students marked their entry into the professional field of nursing with the white coat ceremony, held at 3:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017 in College Hall.
“Our 2017 ceremony welcomes our third year nursing students into the role of professional compassionate care as it has in the past, and also welcomes our newest nursing degree students, the BA/BS to BSN into the program as they earn their second degree,” said Dr. Rose Kutlenios, who is the nursing program director for the College of Science.
There are 25 students in the junior class and 10 students in the new BA/BS to BSN program and the white coat signifies the beginning of their clinical rotations in hospitals and clinics.
Taking part in the ceremony, which included the pledging of the professional oath, were both President Dr. Stephen Greiner and Dean Dr. Robert Kreisberg, who leads the College of Sciences.
The keynote speaker for the ceremony was WLU alumnus Scott Malson who is the director of nursing at Wheeling’s Ohio Valley Medical Center.
Nursing faculty member Dr. Amy Spurrier also provided reflections and shared her thoughts on the step the student nurses were taking.
The new BA/BS to BSN degree Class of 2018 includes a class of 11: Brittany Bender, Hacker Valley, W.Va.; Samantha Byrum, Wheeling; Tiffany Carroll, Washington, Pa.; Heather Gillespie, Frankford, W.Va.; Jessica Helfer, Wheeling; Kendell Hukill, Weirton; Carly Hupp, Bridgeport, Ohio; Melissa McCamic, Wheeling; Kelsey Mangus, Wheeling; Kayla Schultz, Wheeling and Gabriella Smolenak, St. Clairsville, Ohio.
The Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree includes a class of 24 students: Taylor Brink, Wheeling; Bruce Burger, Martins Ferry, Ohio; Bradi Christman, Lewisville, Ohio; Clifford Clark, Cambridge, Ohio; Bryan Congo, Chester, W.Va.; Elizabeth Creeger, Vienna, W.Va.; Marissa Davis, New Cumberland, W.Va.; Coby Eckstein, Tuscarawas, Ohio; Hannah Enos, Burgettstown, Pa.; Anna Gaughenbaugh, Proctor, W.Va.; Kylie Gray, Triadelphia, W.Va.; Joseph Griffith, Wheeling; Cameron Kalinski, Martins Ferry, Ohio; Mackensey Kohout, Follansbee, W.Va.; Rebecca Lambert, Fleming, Ohio; Katina McGhee, Wheeling; Nicholas Miller, East Canton, Ohio; Brooklyn Monroe, Martins Ferry, Ohio; Laura Morales, Sistersville, W.Va.; Kelsey Newman, New Martinsville, W.Va.; Taylor Newman, Wheeling, W.Va.; William Teufel, Wheeling; Jeffrey Yeater, Moundsville, W.Va. and Christina Zoeckler, Wheeling.
WLU’s nursing program is housed in the Campbell Hall of Health Sciences and offers the accredited Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree for high school graduates, the BA/BS to BSN degree and a RN-to-BSN degree program for Registered Nurses with an associate degree or diploma who are currently licensed or eligible for licensure and want to earn a bachelor’s.
For more information, please visit westliberty.edu or call the nursing department at 304.336.8108.