Ulster BOCES Nursing Students Say ‘Thank You’ to Community Healthcare Facilities During National Nurses Week

National Nurses Week is nearly upon us, and to celebrate, on May 7 at 8:30 AM Ulster BOCES Nursing students will be showing their appreciation to some of the professionals in local healthcare facilities by bringing them some sweet treats created by the students at the Career & Technical Center.

“For the past three or four years we say ‘thank you’ every Nurses Week for the generosity of area hospitals and other healthcare facilities by delivering platters of cookies,” says Carol Blackwell, Ulster BOCES Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) instructor. “There are a lot of places to go to and people we have to thank for their generosity that have helped our students along the way.”

Among those facilities the Nursing students have the opportunity to work and learn in include: Kingston and Benedictine Hospitals, Golden Hill, Ten Broeck Commons, Pine Street Pediatrics, and the Northeast Center for Special Care. “Our students rotate through all the different healthcare facilities to open them to different experiences,” explains Dianne Sleight, Ulster BOCES Healthcare Coordinator.

During their rotations in the healthcare facilities, students receive first-hand experience on the job that will help them decide where they feel their careers should take them down the road. “That’s our goal,” says Doreen Beebe, a Practical Nursing (PN) instructor with Ulster BOCES. “Any place where they could possibly get a job, we want them to experience it.” At first, Beebe says the students are intimidated, but quickly become exhilarated once in the field. “All the facilities welcome our students.”

Students nearing graduation are encouraged to participate in a mock interview day, during which local healthcare facilities try to complete connections made during the rotation cycle. This past December, all 21 students who participated in the mock interview day were offered positions from many of the facilities. Last June, 88 of the 92 students were offered positions, with three others opting to move on to further their studies as a registered nurse, rather than seek employment.

The experiences while rotating through healthcare facilities are so rewarding that Ulster BOCES Nursing students felt the need to say a heartfelt “thank you” to those who helped train them along the way. In order to do this, they have enlisted the aid of classmates in other Ulster BOCES Career & Technical Center programs to help show their appreciation to the nurses they meet along the way. Students in the Hospitality, Culinary Arts, and Pastry Arts program at the Career and Technical Center whipped up some assistance by making cookies. Blackwell said as many as 50 platters will be delivered to all the different floors at hospitals, X-ray centers, nursing homes, pediatric care facilities, surgical centers, and other healthcare units. In addition, a student in the Graphic Visual Arts program from Saugerties High School, designed a special “thank you” card to accompany each platter of cookies. The Nursing students will wear their uniforms while delivering the cookies, while the Hospitality, Culinary Arts, and Pastry Arts students come along clad in their white jackets.

“It really makes it a special event,” notes Blackwell.

National Nurses Day is celebrated each year on May 6 and kicks off National Nurses Week, which culminates on May 12, the birth date of Florence Nightingale, a pioneer and founder of the modern nursing profession.