Thirty-three local adults are graduating from the Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Adult Practical Nursing Program thanks to the program continuing virtually following school closures in response to the coronavirus public health crisis.
The nursing program, which gives graduates the opportunity to become employed as licensed practical nurses and/or further their education, was back up and running 24 hours after the school closures by setting up Zoom conference calls for instruction and clinical experiences.
“We were able to teach and complete our classes using a distance-learning format,” Herkimer BOES Adult Practical Nursing Program Coordinator Sara Nicolette said. “Everybody that was scheduled to graduate has graduated or will be graduating this week, and our first-year part-time students were able to complete their curriculum as well.”
Herkimer BOCES offers three adult LPN programs: a full-time program that takes 12 months to complete and part-time day and part-time evening programs that take 20 months to complete. The part-time day program is two days per week the first year and three days per week the second year. The part-time evening program is three nights per week with clinical experiences on Saturdays.
Students in the part-time evening course were able to complete their requirements early during the distance learning and graduated early – some on Wednesday, April 15, and some on Friday, May 15. The full-time students and part-time day students will graduate on Wednesday, June 17.
Nicolette is looking into having an in-person, outdoor ceremony for all graduates sometime in July.
In addition to conducting classes and clinical experiences virtually, the Herkimer BOCES LPN program has been recruiting by using virtual open houses.
The virtual open houses for upcoming classes will continue at 7 p.m. every Wednesday through Aug. 12, and anyone interested can email Nicolette at snicolette@herkimer-boces.org for an invite to a virtual open house. More information can also be found at www.herkimer-boces.org/LPN, www.facebook.com/HerkimerBOCESLPN or on Instagram using @LPNHerkimerBOCES.
The next full-time program that starts on Monday, June 29, is full.
“Many people have taken advantage of this time to further their nursing education,” Nicolette said.
Herkimer BOCES continues to actively recruit for the part-time day and part-time evening programs, which start in September, Nicolette said.
“Those are two-year programs – they run two secondary-school calendar years – and they allow you to meet your financial obligations, your family obligations, and I have to say, the bulk and majority of our students go through part-time,” Nicolette said. “We have a good reputation with those part-time programs. We’ve been doing part-time days for 20-plus years, and we’ve been over 10 years doing our evening program, and it’s a true evening program – classes run three nights a week from 5:30-9:30, and then clinicals are open on Saturdays.”
The following is a list of the 2020 Adult Practical Nursing Program graduates, where they’re from and the dates the part-time evening students graduated:
Full-time graduates:
- Sara Annutto, of Little Falls
- Emilia Cabibbo, of Port Chester
- Emily Champagne, of Utica
- Kayla Clifford, of Utica
- Emily Edwards, of Herkimer
- Katherin Frye, of Little Falls
- Alysha Henrickson, of Herkimer
- Jennifer Delnero, of Ilion
- Ashley Hunt, of Utica
- Tyler McLean, of Little Falls
- Danielle Spencer, of Ilion
Part-time day graduates:
- Jazmine Blue, of Cassville
- Rachel Brooks, of Richfield Springs
- Christina Colón-Retamar, of Utica
- Danica Estey, of Little Falls
- Christina Gurley, of Richfield Springs
- Rebecca Munoz, of Port Leyden
- David Nesbitt, of Mohawk
- Tyae Roland, of Utica
- Marie Stephens, of Fort Plain
- Jaylan Witherspoon, of Herkimer
Part-time evening graduates:
- Megan Baker, of Ilion (May 15)
- Michelle Comstock, of Dolgeville (May 15)
- Brittany Edwards, of Ilion (April 15)
- Stacy Kobler, of West Winfield (April 15)
- Lillion Meyers, of Barneveld (May 15)
- Catania Murabito, of Marcy (May 15)
- Katherine Nicolette, of Ilion (April 15)
- Anne Petriski, of Richfield Springs (May 15)
- Karen Randall, of Little Falls (May 15)
- Kali Rocker, of Frankfort (April 15)
- Dana Sweet, of Syracuse (April 15)
- Ashley VanCourt, of Mohawk (May 15)
Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Adult Practical Nursing Program full-time students participate in a Zoom call for class. From left, top row: Katherin Frye, of Little Falls; Tyler McLean, of Little Falls; Jennifer Delnero, of Ilion, and Kayla Clifford, of Utica. Second row: Alysha Henrickson, of Herkimer; Sara Annutto, of Little Falls; Emily Champagne, of Utica, and Emily Edwards, of Herkimer. Bottom row: Emilia Cabibbo, of Port Chester, and Danielle Spencer, of Ilion. Absent from photo: Ashley Hunt, of Utica. For more information about the licensed practical nursing program, visit www.herkimer-boces.org/LPN or email Coordinator Sara Nicolette at snicolette@herkimer-boces.org for an invite to one of the virtual open houses being held at 7 p.m. every Wednesday through Aug. 12.
Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Adult Practical Nursing Program part-time day students participate in a Zoom call for class. From left, top row: David Nesbitt, of Mohawk; Christina Colón-Retamar, of Utica, and Jaylan Witherspoon, of Herkimer. Second row: Rebecca Munoz, of Port Leyden; Jazmine Blue, of Cassville, and Rachel Brooks, of Richfield Springs. Bottom row: Marie Stephens, of Fort Plain, and Danica Estey, of Little Falls. Absent from photo: Christina Gurley, of Richfield Springs, and Tyae Roland, of Utica. For more information about the licensed practical nursing program, visit www.herkimer-boces.org/LPN or email Coordinator Sara Nicolette at snicolette@herkimer-boces.org for an invite to one of the virtual open houses being held at 7 p.m. every Wednesday through Aug. 12.
Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Adult Practical Nursing Program part-time day students participate in a Zoom call for class. From left, top row: Brittany Edwards, of Ilion; Dana Sweet, of Syracuse; Lillion Meyers, of Barneveld, and Ashley VanCourt, of Mohawk. Second row: Karen Randall, of Little Falls; Megan Baker, of Ilion; Anne Petriski, of Richfield Springs, and Stacy Kobler, of West Winfield. Bottom row: Kali Rocker, of Frankfort; Michelle Comstock, of Dolgeville; Katherine Nicolette, of Ilion, and Catania Murabito, of Marcy. For more information about the licensed practical nursing program, visit www.herkimer-boces.org/LPN or email Coordinator Sara Nicolette at snicolette@herkimer-boces.org for an invite to one of the virtual open houses being held at 7 p.m. every Wednesday through Aug. 12.