Looking Out For Each Other: ADN Students’ Secret To Success

Anantomy and Physiology; Expository Writing; Psychology; Pharmacology; and Nursing I, II, II, IV, and V. Just a few of the courses an Associate Degree Nursing student at Vance-Granville must take.

Though the VGCC ADN program is tough, those enrolled in the program have found a way, year after year, to successfully acquire the skills necessary to provide nursing care to clients in a variety of settings.

One of the keys to completing the ADN program is the camaraderie and support the students receive from each other. To that end, the VGCC ADN students have set up a “Big Brother/Big Sister” mentoring program for themselves. The second-year ADN students serve as guides and role models for the first-year students.

“This is a tremendous help not only to the first-year students, but to the second-year students as well,” said Beth Phillips, director of nursing. As she explained, the first year students get the benefit of the second year students’ expertise and “college savvy.” The second-year students gain confidence in their knowledge and realize how much they have learned and how far they have progressed in just a year.

Additionally, it enables the ADN students to become better acquainted with their peers in the program. Since they spend so much time together in classes, working together outside of the classroom allows for the students to relax with each other and in many cases build lasting friendships.

In October, the second-year students hosted a cookout for the first-year students. Brunswick stew, hot dogs, buffaloe wings and desserts were served. Second-year student Annie Richardson and her husband, Robert, provided the stew and wings as well as their cooking services. Approximately 50 people attended, including students, faculty and their families. All left over food was donated to the Outreach Homeless Shelter of Henderson.

“As a group we work long, hard hours in the nursing program,” said Phillips. “We also like to play hard – when we have the time” she added.