Forty-one School of Nursing students received prestigious pins to represent their transition from students to nurses during the ceremony. It was the first hybrid of online and on-campus nursing courses focused on working individuals.

Each of the hybrid accelerated students had clinical rotations within the Hartford HealthCare system.

Vice President of Nursing Education and Professional Development for Hartford HealthCare Warly Remegio urged the new nurses to support each other — and themselves.

“As we continue to heal, we need the support of each other; we need to inspire, uplift and advocate for each other,” said Remegio. “Together, let us find solutions to alleviate the amount of job stress, the fears and anxiety and the psychological toll that succumbed to us in the last two and a half years. Year after year, we see an increasing number of new graduates leaving the profession. I urge you to keep igniting that passion for caring.”

Remegio reminded the health care providers that nursing is a gift and a blessing when shared.

“One thing I want to leave you with today is to listen to your inner voice and to what matters to you,” said Remegio. “What is your life’s purpose? At this time, in this world of vulnerability, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity, your purpose and values will keep you grounded. No matter how rough and winding the road is, your north star will keep you to your ultimate destination.”

Director of the Accelerated Nursing Program Phil Martinez emphasized the impact of nurses in the lives of a patient’s loved ones.

“Nursing is a beautiful dance between the science and prevention of disease with the ability to care for others,” said Martinez. “It is up to you, the new nurse, to spend time with your patients and to force us to remember the history that has made us who we are, that the cushioning of the burdens of our patients is vitally important as we support them and their loved ones during their times of need, and that support comes not only from knowledge and intellect, but also with a smile, a therapeutic touch or a compassionate ear.”

Among the group of talented and hard-working individuals was Jarlath “Jar” Flanagan BSN ‘23, a registered psychiatric nurse from Ireland who has practiced internationally. He’s currently preparing to take the NCLEX exam following his graduation in January.

Flanagan said he described many reasons why he chose Quinnipiac’s nursing program over others.

“The nursing program focuses heavily on providing the necessary skills during lab time to make the clinical experience as rewarding for us once we arrive at site,” he said. “I felt prepared at times and other times I reached out to faculty for more support which was always available. I was also very attracted to the holistic approach to nursing care that was included in the curriculum and Quinnipiac already had a great reputation for nursing in Connecticut. The flexibility of the hybrid program, although still academically very challenging, allowed for fulfillment of other commitments.”

Flanagan said he found all clinical rotations to be challenging experiences as he had to transfer the academic understanding of a skill, technique or assessment into a real-life scenario, he explained.

“All of the clinical rotations have been layers of knowledge and experience gradually developing strengths and confidence over the entire program,” he said. “This layering happens very slowly at the beginning, but I found my stride about halfway through the program and now I am ready for the next challenge of layering more knowledge and skills after graduation.”