Buckeye Hills Career Center’s LPN to RN Diploma program held its inaugural Pinning Ceremony on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, celebrating the achievements of its first class of twenty students who have successfully completed the program. Enrollment for this new LPN to RN Diploma program opened 50 years after BHCC’s first Practical Nursing cohort graduated.
The LPN to RN Diploma program is a one-year program designed to help licensed practical nurses transition to registered nurses. This program includes a total of 1,298 hours of training, structured as two days of classroom instruction and one day of clinical practice each week. This schedule enables students to maintain their roles as LPNs while pursuing their studies.
“Our career center faced the challenge of creating this pathway for working LPNs in the industry,” Mr. Jamie Nash, BHCC Superintendent shared. “This type of program aligns perfectly with what our Ohio Technical Center aims to accomplish for our community and business partners.”
During their clinical experience, students exercise the skills they learn in a variety of hospital settings including medical-surgical, intensive care, emergency medicine, pediatrics, and obstetrics units. Clinicals are completed at various locations throughout the region including Rivers Health, Adena Regional Medical Center, Southern Ohio Medical Center, and Holzer Health System.
The ceremony opened with the student processional. Jamie Bartee, BHCC Dean of Postsecondary Instruction, welcomed everyone in attendance and recognized program staff and special guests. Jordan Bonecutter and Kelsey Booth led their fellow students in reciting the Nurse’s Prayer, and Dr. Amber Nowlin, DNP, RN, BHCC Program Lead Instructor & Coordinator, shared details about the inaugural LPN to RN Diploma class.
Scholarships were awarded by Holzer Health System, Rivers Health, and the Nurse Honor Guard of the Ohio Valley. The Best in Classroom Performance Scholarship was awarded to Jordan Bonecutter by Holzer Health System and presented by Lisa Detty, MSN, RN, Executive Vice President – Chief Nursing Officer. The Best in Clinical Performance Scholarship was awarded to Jessica Jeffers by Rivers Health and presented by Lori McFarland, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, CLSSGB, Chief Nursing Officer, and Jarod Zelaska, Executive Director of Human Resources. The Florence Nightingale Scholarship was awarded to Nina Blessing and presented by the Nurse Honor Guard of the Ohio Valley.
Bridget Nance, the Class President, delivered a speech to her fellow classmates and all in attendance. “Nursing is more than just a career,” she shared, “It is a calling. It is a commitment to advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves, to heal those who are suffering, and to uplift patients and families.”
Diplomas were then presented by program instructors, and students were pinned by their friends and family. Students that received pins included Nina Lucrechia Blessing, Jordan Kelsi Bonecutter, Kelsey Amanda Booth, Leslie Renea Gay, Kara Michelle Haislop, Ashtin Sherry Bryann Hatten, Amy Renee Jago, Jessica Dawn Jeffers, Paige Allison Jones, April Leighanne Knopp, Kara Beth McCormick, Bridget Valerie Nance, Jason Charles Northup, Julie Anne Northup, Marianne Elizabeth Parsons, Chelsea Lynn Perry, Milinda Sue Say, Sandra Susanne Stanley, Emily Marie Walker, and Nichole Dawn Webb.
Program instructors included Dr. Amber Nowlin, DNP, RN; Tresera Rhoton, BSN, RN; Cara Gibson, BSN, RN; and Jennifer Nance, BSN, RN.
“It was an honor to attend Buckeye Hills Career Center’s first LPN to RN Diploma Program Pinning Ceremony. I couldn’t be more proud of our students, Dr. Nowlin, and the entire team of instructors,” Superintendent Jamie Nash shared.
Dr. Amber Nowlin, DNP, RN, shared, “I am incredibly proud of the graduates and the staff. It’s truly inspiring to see the graduates’ successes and accomplishments, especially after observing the challenges and trials they’ve faced throughout their journey.”
“The first graduating class of the Buckeye Hills Career Center LPN to RN Diploma Program stands as a powerful reminder that success is not given—it is earned,” Jamie Bartee, BHCC Dean of Postsecondary Instructor shared. “These students have turned our mission of Creating Successful Lives into a living, breathing reality, and their impact will echo far beyond these walls.”
The students are now eligible to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN). Upon passing the NCLEX-RN, students earn their license and their RN credential.
Additionally, Buckeye Hills Career Center recently partnered with Muskingum University in New Concord, Ohio, to offer students a pathway to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in the Science of Nursing (BSN) 100% online and at a discounted rate. Muskingum’s RN to BSN program is ranked the #1 RN to BSN Nursing Program in Ohio by RN Careers and provides Buckeye Hills graduates with the option to take classes in five 8-week terms – allowing students to complete the program in one year.
The LPN to RN Diploma program at Buckeye Hills Career Center is offered once a year, featuring 49-week cohorts that kick off each spring. Enrollment for the Spring 2025 LPN to RN Diploma class is now closed, as 20 students are set to start the upcoming cohort on May 12, 2025.
Photos from the ceremony are available here.