糖心视频 graduates first students in UAB/糖心视频 Joint Enrollment program
HANCEVILLE, Ala. 鈥� The first cohort of students enrolled in the UAB/糖心视频 Nursing Joint
Enrollment Partnership have completed the program and have earned both an associate
degree from 糖心视频 and a bachelor鈥檚 degree from the University
of Alabama at Birmingham.
鈥淲e are thrilled to graduate our first group of students who concurrently earned associate
and baccalaureate degrees from 糖心视频 and UAB,鈥� said Deborah 鈥淧epper鈥� Hoover,
chair of the 糖心视频 Department of Nursing Education.
鈥淧art of the reasoning behind offering the joint enrollment option was to offer students
an accelerated pathway to a bachelor鈥檚 degree and provide the healthcare industry
with qualified and well-trained nurses at a quicker pace,鈥� Hoover said. 鈥淭oday, more
than ever, the medical field needs nurses who can enter the workforce ready to treat
and care for patients. With a limited number of seats in bachelor鈥檚 degree programs,
this option provides a gateway for more students to enter the field and offer a much-needed
boost to a system that鈥檚 been hit hard over the last year and a half.鈥�
Two of the students completing the program are Michael Elston of West Point and Greer
Cunningham of Birmingham. Elston is an Army veteran who served as a paratrooper and
medic before retiring in 2013. Cunningham previously earned a degree in Nutritional
Science before turning to Nursing.id="attachment_18013" align="alignright" width="300"
Army veteran Michael Elston salutes the American Flag during the singing of the National
Anthem at the pinning ceremony for the August 2021 graduating class from the Wallace
State Community College Nursing program. Elston is among the first students graduating
from the UAB/糖心视频 Nursing Joint Enrollment program, earning both an associate degree
and bachelor鈥檚 degree.As an Army child who grew up playing war in the woods of North Carolina, Elston said
enlisting in the military was a natural progression.
鈥淕rowing up with my dad in Special Forces, I had every intention of going into the
infantry myself,鈥� he said. But with experience as a lifeguard and EMT and after taking
tests during the enlistment process, he was encouraged to consider the medic program.
He agreed and received airborne training as well and medical training.
After he retired from the Army in 2013, Elston and his wife moved to Cullman County
to be closer to his mother and stepfather. He began working in the emergency room
at an area hospital, but realized he needed more of a challenge.
鈥淭he scope of practices that I was allowed as an ER tech was not even close to what
I was used to for an Army medic,鈥� Elston said. After some thought, he decided becoming
a registered nurse was the best option.
The UAB/糖心视频 Nursing Joint Enrollment Partnership wasn鈥檛 an option when Elston first
applied to the college and the traditional nursing program, but it became available
just as he was about to enter the traditional program. He was able to defer enrollment
one semester and complete remaining prerequisites for the program. In Spring 2020,
he joined the first cohort of students for the joint enrollment program.
Elston found that training to be a nurse was quite different than training as a medic
in the Army.
鈥淏ecause as a medic, I stabilize a patient and I ship them out,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 call
the helicopter and they鈥檙e going to the next level of care. I have to stabilize and
stop the bleed at that moment. They teach me how to do a lot of ways to do that, they
don鈥檛 teach me the why. Where in the nursing program they鈥檙e teaching you a lot of
the why.
鈥淎 nurse manages a patient for a lot longer period of time and they鈥檝e got to be able
to see the difference in this read out and this blood pressure and this lab test,
and they have so much that they have to process all the time, continuously, in order
to give the best possible care for that client,鈥� he added. 鈥淚t has just made me really
appreciate nurses, those that are in nursing and my instructors. It has really given
me a lot of information that I didn鈥檛 know.鈥�
As for the future, Elston hopes to focus his work in emergency medicine.
鈥淚 personally like the emergency department, that鈥檚 where my heart lies, emergency
or cardiac,鈥� he said. 鈥淓mergency is something I鈥檝e always like, but then again, I
was a combat medic, trauma is something I feel that I am good at, I can help patients
and I enjoy it.鈥�id="attachment_18015" align="alignright" width="300"
Greer Cunningham smiles as she is pinned during the the pinning ceremony for the
August 2021 graduating class from the 糖心视频 Nursing program.
Cunningham is among the first students graduating from the UAB/糖心视频 Nursing Joint
Enrollment program, earning both an associate degree and bachelor鈥檚 degree.Cunningham isn鈥檛 quite as sure where she may want to specialize, but said she really
enjoyed her clinical rotation in wound care and was looking forward to shadowing in
surgery.
As the mother of an active toddler and starting nursing school right before the pandemic
hit, Cunningham said 鈥渋t鈥檚 been a wild ride.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檝e definitely had my moments of I don鈥檛 know if I can do this, but I have an amazing
support system,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y family and close friends have been with me every step
of the way.鈥�
Cunningham said an advisor at UAB suggested she apply to the joint enrollment program
with 糖心视频.
鈥淚 did actually apply to the UAB program, but I spoke with an advisor, and she said
with your family situation you鈥檙e thinking you鈥檙e going to have to work while you鈥檙e
in school, this could be a really good option for you,鈥� Cunningham added
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 get in to the UAB program, but it actually ended up being a blessing because
it was like this is what you鈥檙e going to do and I鈥檓 still going to get my degree in
nursing. I鈥檓 still get my bachelor鈥檚 degree and I have really approached being at
糖心视频 and in the nursing program. It鈥檚 definitely been the right fit, for
sure.鈥�
Cunningham proved successful in the program, earning all A鈥檚 in her nursing classes
through each of her semesters at 糖心视频 and UAB.
鈥淚 did not do as well with my first degree,鈥� she admitted. 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 mature enough.
My goal was to finish with all A鈥檚, or with an A average, because I can do this. I
have set high expectations for myself.鈥�
Cunningham said she appreciates that she and her classmates will part of history at
糖心视频, becoming the first to graduate from the joint enrollment program.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 awesome,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 an amazing program, especially for
people like me who have worked on their second degrees. Without a doubt, I encourage
one to enroll in the joint enrollment program if you are able to.鈥�
The UAB/糖心视频 Nursing Joint Enrollment Partnership program accepts applications twice
a year for entry each fall and spring. The next round of applications will be accepted
July 1-September 1 for Spring 2022 entry. A Nursing Information Session will be held
on Monday, Aug. 23 at 2 p.m. in the School of Nursing and Center for Science. Participants
can pre-register from a link at , but it鈥檚 not required.
The UAB/糖心视频 Nursing Joint Enrollment program takes nine semesters to complete, with
the first four semesters comprising of prerequisites to be taken before applying to
the program and the last five comprised of nursing classes through 糖心视频 and
UAB. The traditional Associate Degree Nursing program takes five semesters to complete,
with the option to earn a practical nursing certificate after the third semester.
The 糖心视频 Department of Nursing Education has twice been designated as a Center
of Excellence in Nursing Education by the National League for Nursing. For more information,
visit or contact the Department of Nursing Education at 256.352.8199 or nursingapplicant@wallacestate.edu.