NORTH EAST, MD — Cecil College graduated 20 students from its 13-month Accelerated Nursing Program on Aug. 14 in North East, preparing another group for registered-nurse licensure as Maryland faces a projected shortage of more than 13,800 full-time RNs by 2030.
The Class of 2026 was recognized during a pinning ceremony at the newly renovated Milburn Stone Theatre on Cecil College’s North East Campus. It was the third graduating class from the accelerated program.
The program provides a faster route to an Associate of Science in Nursing for students who already hold an associate or bachelor’s degree in another field or have accumulated substantial college credits.
Students complete nursing theory online through synchronous and asynchronous instruction, while laboratories and clinical training are conducted in person. Their previous education fulfills most of the nursing program’s 34 credits of prerequisite general education.
“Our nursing graduates continue to distinguish our program with their accomplishments as clinicians and educators and through contributions to nursing research,” Nancy Norman-Marzella, dean of health and human sciences, stated.
The graduates are Gabrielle Alexander, Tina Carter, Heather Curry, Cierra Dali, Sueliana Davila, Molly Dillon, Ceara Dougherty, Catherine Eckman, Adam Filer and Jessica Gaul.
The class also includes Autumn Gilley-Greene, Nicole Haines, Kelly Horlacher, Stephanie Hutchinson-Maahs, Samantha Jules, Ryan Myrick, Jennifer Otto, Elizabeth Rosseel, Bleau Ashley Simmons and Darah Tucker.
Graduates are prepared to take the National Council Licensure Examination for registered nurses, which is used to meet licensure requirements in Maryland, Delaware and Pennsylvania.
The program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing and approved by the Maryland Board of Nursing.
Federal workforce projections anticipate a shortage of more than 13,800 full-time registered nurses in Maryland by 2030, according to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. The projections are available at https://data.hrsa.gov/topics/health-workforce/workforce-projections.
More information about Cecil College’s accelerated nursing program is available at cecil.edu/hc.
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