Reinhardt Student Nurses Graduate 100 Percent Employed

Reinhardt University’s 133rd Commencement Ceremony included an additional set of students in its graduating class, as the Cauble School of Nursing & Health Sciences graduates its first nursing cohort. Not only are these graduates the first of their kind—their cohort is 100 percent employed.

“I am so thankful and humbled that cohort one trusted me and took the risk with us to build this school,” said Dr. Glynis Blackard, the Cauble School of Nursing & Health Sciences’ founding dean. “I am so proud of their accomplishments and how they have already impacted and saved lives in this community and will exponentially increase their influence as Registered Nurses. I am so thankful that they will be able to attain their goal and dream of becoming an RN. I am beyond grateful to all our clinical partners and the clinical facilities that have chosen to partner with us and recruited and hired our graduates. I am so comforted to know that these graduates will be in the community providing care.”

Blackard believes that when nursing students put their hard-earned skills into practice, it fulfills their dreams of helping people. Once in the field, graduates will see their impact in the community.

Reinhardt University offers all its students, including nursing students, a unique experience as a liberal arts university. Blackard attributes the success of the first nursing graduates to the holistic education Reinhardt’s faculty offers across all disciplines.

“Well-rounded professional nurses are made with curriculum that is rich in the liberal arts because well-rounded professional nurses are both artists and scientists,” said Blackard. “The amazing thing about learning in a liberal arts environment is the ability to utilize knowledge and skill taught in one area across multiple areas of life.”

Of the 22 nurses, Rick Atkinson Jr., Melanie Gerdes, Hannah Fuller, Heather Fox, Alina Ramirez, Lucy Bailey, Erin Piper and Peyton Holbrook are working in the Northside Health System; George Seddon III, Summer Gaskill and Joanna Calhoun have secured jobs at Cartersville Medical Center; Clayton Cowart is working for Sacred Journey Hospice; Jocelyn Satterfield is working for Redmond Regional Medical Center; Rachel Price is employed with South Alabama University Medical Center; Sarah Jayne Burgess is assisting patients at Emory Healthcare; Kerry Riordan and Erin Temples are at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta; Aubrie Harding and Adrianna Herrera are working in the Piedmont Health System; and Sierra Armstrong, Blair Holbert and Emily Rolader have chosen Wellstar Health System.