GEP Pinning Ceremony marks milestone for nursing students with nontraditional backgrounds
In the presence of family, friends and UMass Chan leaders, the 29 members of the Graduate School of Nursing’s Graduate Entry Pathway (GEP) Class of 2012 took a break from their hectic study- and work-filled schedules to mark a milestone on their journey toward becoming advanced practice nurse practitioners and nurse educators. The sixth annual Graduate Entry Pathway Pinning Ceremony took place on Monday, Sept. 20.
The GEP class, which includes seven men, is a diverse group of adult learners, all with bachelor’s degrees in fields other than nursing. They range in age from their 20s to 50s, and represent many different educational and professional experiences.
Launched by the GSN in 2003 to address the nursing workforce shortage in Central Massachusetts, the GEP is an alternative path into the school’s traditional Master of Science in Nursing Program, specifically designed for adult students who have a baccalaureate degree in a field other than nursing. In the first year, students fulfill the pre-master’s coursework required for licensure as a registered nurse in Massachusetts. They then work part-time in the field while they complete the graduate program of study leading to their ultimate goal, the master’s degree that will qualify them to become nurse practitioners and nurse educators.
Lauren L. Abrantes
Nicholas M. Bergeron
Michael J. Carr
Ashley K. Carraher
Jessie M. Christensen
Tiffiny-Jen Cohen
Brian Greenberg
Alison M. Helmuth
Caitlin A. Jolda
Toy A. Lim
Elizabeth A. Menefee
Phylis W. Muthee
Adriane E. Muzzy
Caroline C. O’Donnell
Kristen A. O’Malley
Margaret M. O’Mara
Johanna E. Payne
Pedro Portes
Dorothy H. Shanahan-Roberge
Laura A. Shook-Blandin
Rachel M. Singer
Olaitan B. Sonuga
Alison M. Spar
Robert O. Svensson, Jr.
Douglas M. Urquhart
Jessin Varghese
Meredith M. Walsh
Duncan P. Wellan
Krista A. Wheeler
“The accelerated GEP is a new model for nursing education that meets patient and health care needs with an approach that is exciting, innovative and effective,” said Eileen Terrill, PhD, assistant professor of nursing and director of the GEP program. “Students bring their diverse experience, varied educational backgrounds and maturity to the table.”
A rite of passage into the profession and a reminder of the profession’s promise to serve others, the pinning ceremony is a time-honored tradition of nursing programs throughout the world. For GEP students in particular, it marks the completion of the program’s first year of int
