Students who will graduate from the University of North Georgia (UNG) this May with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) held a celebratory signing day March 4 where they were able to share with fellow nursing students where they will be working in the near future.

In a crowded lobby of the Health Sciences Building at UNG's Gainesville Campus, students stepped up to the glass office window and wrote in bright marker their future employers and their units.

Kiera Harvel, a Bethlehem, Georgia, resident, said the signing day was a great event shared by nursing students from the traditional BSN programs in Dahlonega and Gainesville and the accelerated BSN track students in Gainesville.

"It's fun being able to see everyone come together to see where we're all going to end up since we all started this together," Harvel said.

Harvel's inspiration for nursing came from when a childhood friend was hospitalized. She will work in the general pediatrics unit at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta's (CHOA) Scottish Rite Hospital.

"Being able to see the nurses, how they treated her and her family and her visitors, really inspired me to be able to do that as well. It's always a heart of passion," Harvel said. "I love kids because they are resilient, and they can almost always bounce back."

Loretta Delargy, assistant professor of nursing, collaborated with members of UNG's chapters of the Georgia Association of Nursing Students (GANS) to host the event.

"It gives students an opportunity to celebrate all the work they've put in through school," Delargy said. "It also gives us an opportunity to see the far-reaching impact we have on this community and how we really need to support these nurses as they take care of us."

Juliza Abrego, a Gainesville, Georgia, resident and communications officer for GANS at UNG's Gainesville Campus, plans to work at Northeast Georgia Medical Center (NGMC) Gainesville in the surgical trauma intensive care unit, where some patients may spend months in the unit.

"You see them go from the worst day of their lives to being able to walk again, being able to move again. And it really gives you a different perspective into the world of nursing," Abrego said. "You're able to know that you did help someone. That's all I've ever really wanted to be able to do is make an actual difference."

Katlyn Mayer, a 2024 UNG alumna with a degree in marketing with a concentration in digital marketing, serves as campus recruiter for Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) and attended the signing day.

"It’s incredibly refreshing to see the excitement and passion of these nurses as they embark on their careers. It was inspiring to witness them coming together, offering one another support and encouragement," Mayer said. "That’s exactly the kind of camaraderie and mutual support we value at NGHS. The dedication they bring today lays the foundation for the compassionate care they will provide at NGHS. We're honored that they've chosen NGHS to support them on this journey."

Brandon Pace, a Lawrenceville, Georgia, resident and the GANS vice president at UNG's Gainesville Campus, plans to work in the surgical trauma neuro intensive care unit at Northside Hospital Gwinnett. Pace appreciates both the science and care aspects of nursing.

"Nurses are there at the beginning of life. Nurses are there at the end of life and everywhere in between," Pace said. "They're always there helping you."

Rachel Andrew, an Ellijay, Georgia, resident, will be working in the Northside Hospital Forsyth labor and delivery unit.

"I really like how much of a family is built among staff in labor and delivery and the teamwork that goes behind it," Andrew said. "Welcoming new life into the world and being there for the moms and dads, it's really great to see one of the most exciting days of their lives, and I like being a part of that with them."

Kelsy Roussel, who is from Cartersville, Georgia, plans to work in the CHOA cardiac intensive care unit.

"Just getting to work with kids is probably one of the best and hardest things. You're not only working with kids that are sick that didn't ask to be there, but you're working with their parents," Roussel said. "It's the scariest moment of their lives. So I enjoy being able to help them during those difficult times."