The NRI Institute of Health Sciences in Royal Palm Beach graduated 28 associate of science in nursing (registered nurse) students and five students who earned associate degrees in diagnostic medical sonography on Saturday, Feb. 24 at a ceremony held at the original Wellington Mall.
All of the nursing graduates are now eligible to take the NCLEX examination for licensure as registered nurses in the United States.
The commencement speaker was Royal Palm Beach Mayor Fred Pinto, who congratulated the graduates and commended them for their perseverance and tenacity in completing the program.
The invocation and benediction were pronounced by Dr. Joseph Kloba, retired provost of Palm Beach Atlantic University. Dan Splain, chief administrator of the school, welcomed the 200 people in attendance.
The newly minted nurses received their pins from nursing professor Natalie Ponce de Leon. Degrees were conferred by Elizabeth Stolkowski, who is president of the school and also serves as nursing program director.
The NRI Institute was founded in Royal Palm Beach in 2013 and merged with Ultrasound Medical Institute in 2015 to increase educational opportunities for Palm Beach County residents.
Nursing is one of the fastest-growing occupations in the country. The United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook projects a 16 percent growth rate for nurses in the next five years.
Significant job growth in the healthcare arena is attributable to a combination of increased life expectancy, increased access to healthcare and the number of baby boomers retiring from their healthcare jobs.
The NRI Institute of Health Sciences is licensed by the Commission on Independent Education of the State of Florida, the Florida Board of Nursing and is accredited by the Council on Occupational Education.
For more information, call (561) 282-6800.
