ELLISVILLE – The demand for nurses was apparent before the coronavirus spread to Mississippi. Now, 36 Jones College students with their Associate in Nursing degrees will be able to assist numerous medical facilities in the Pine Belt to relieve some of the vital demand for health care workers.
“We are so excited to have these 36 graduates from our program ready to move out to complete the licensing exam, NCLEX-RN and do great things in the field of nursing,” said Erin Knight, Jones College Associate Degree Nursing Division Chair. “We are very proud of the way these students have embraced these challenges to finish strong this semester. The Associate Degree Nursing faculty have been instrumental, as they always are, in challenging these students while at the same time helping them to be successful. I cannot praise our students and faculty enough! The resilience and compassion for nursing is truly evident in each student and faculty member.”
Eager to join the ranks of the thousands who are working in the medical field at a critical time in history is Richton’s Mallory Malone, who is feeling the pressure to do her part as a new nurse. Malone said it is also a little stressful because many residents in the Pine Belt are similarly feeling overwhelmed with the pandemic and the recent tornadoes and hailstorms.
“Through it all, I feel very confident in the skills and knowledge that I have been able to obtain through Jones College’s A.D.N. program. I find security in that. I am so eager to bring my skills and knowledge to the medical field, as well as learn from the seasoned nurses and staff around me,” said Malone.
The JC graduate explained the opportunity to learn extensively about the coronavirus while in classes and clinicals gives her some assurance. Yet her concerns for the health care system being overwhelmed are still real.
“We have already been dealing with a shortage of PPE extensively in our area, but we have also done an amazing job at persevering and adapting. While I may feel uneasy at times when I think about the pandemic, I truly believe the field of medicine has always been able to adapt, and we will continue to adjust and rise above this virus along with other situations we might encounter in the future,” said Malone.
The 2020 Associate Degree in Nursing class president said she is planning on furthering her education at the University of Southern Mississippi with the goal of working in a maternity department. For more information about Jones College’s Associate Degree in Nursing program, check out the website, http://www.jcjc.edu/programs/adn/