The 16 females were donned with white “cap” on their heads while the 6 males had their  “pins” pinned on their shirt which symbolize their license to apply what they have learned from their clinical instructors at the classrooms.

It was a solemn and symbolic ceremony witnessed by their parents and relatives especially when they received the lighted candle of Florence Nightingale (the British nurse like Mother Theresa) who despite her frail twilight days she remained steadfast in her nursing profession.

Immediately after their capping and pinning rites, the 22 Applied Nursing students would be ready to undergo the On-the-Job training at the Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Hospital where the occasion’s Guest Speaker Helen Arao is the Training Coordinator.

PPTS Pagadian campus President Junjie Fuerte in confirming the 22 students to go on practicum, he cautioned them to be in their most careful deeds because they are dealing with sick people.

PPTS Pagadian campus is barely 5-months in operation which opened last June that offers practical and technical courses patterned by US curriculum.  For the 15-month Applied Nursing students Fuerte challenged them to work hard and pass the NCLEX exam for them to work in the United States.

The occasion’s theme says: “PPTS responding to the shortage of nurses in the US”.  The pioneering students were lucky because Fuerte revealed that PPTS has a partner hospital in America that will readily employ its graduates.  He emphasized that passing the NCLEX needs a religious review which costs for a nursing graduate some P20,000 but at PPTS, they only give to its graduates for free.  They only ask for the internet fee of P20 per hour.

Meanwhile, Nursing Training Coordinator Helen Arao of the Provincial Hospital was the Guest Speaker for the occasion.

Arao had worked as a Royal Nurse in Oman for 10 years.  She shared what would be the real world in nursing profession especially when they work abroad.

She explained the meaning of CAP worn by nurses.  She said: “C” stands for commitment to service and coordination with the team. “A” means advocacy that in serving patients, nurses have to deal with their family as well while “P” is for professionalism.

Arao said that nurses are considered as the light and shining armor for the patients.  They must be competent to handle various characteristics of patients as they are accountable to them.   

She challenged them to be nice at work and determine to learn more as nursing is a continuing process. (rsa/ppb)