Fifteen students are graduating this May as part of the first accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing track (ABSNT) cohort from UNG. The program began at UNG in January 2023 and is providing a second career option for students. When combined with the traditional BSN graduates this spring, UNG is sending a total of 110 nurses into the field. They will be honored in a pinning ceremony at 10 a.m. May 4.

Caroline Lail, who is from Newnan, Georgia, previously earned a kinesiology degree with a health and fitness concentration from UNG. After working as a coach and shadowing some physical therapists, Lail decided she wanted to be more hands-on in the care she provides.

"Nurses are the boots on the ground," Lail said.

Lail will start work in the emergency department at Northeast Georgia Medical Center Gainesville this summer.

Tyler Rattanaxay, a Gainesville, Georgia, resident, graduated from UNG in 2022 with a bachelor's degree in biology. He originally wanted to be a physician assistant before joining the accelerated BSN track. Rattanaxay has a job lined up in the emergency department at Emory Hillandale Hospital in Lithonia, Georgia.

"I wanted to build rapport with patients," Rattanaxay said. "I was ecstatic and jumped at the opportunity to pursue the accelerated BSN."

For John Migalla, who is from Antioch, Illinois and lives in Gainesville, Georgia, the ABSNT offered a chance to shift gears from working in management at Wal-Mart.

"When you get really tired of the rat race, it's time to do something different," the 45-year-old ABSNT student said.

Within the past five years, his wife had started working as a nurse, and he had a shared interest in the medical field. Becoming a nurse will also allow the pair to pursue their dream of working as travel nurses around the country when their kids are older.

For Migalla, the camaraderie has been a major part of advancing through the program.

"We all know each other well. We get along," Migalla said. "If I have a question or problem, I can call someone."

Migalla has secured a job in the emergency department at Northside Hospital Forsyth. 

UNG's nursing program has a 98% percent success rate on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) test for nurses to become certified and a 100% job placement rate.

Lail couldn't say enough about the support of her UNG nursing faculty.

"I knew it was going to be hard, but I was surprised by how willing my professors were to be understanding," Lail said. "They were right there cheering me on. I was surprised how available they were. I felt super cared for."

UNG developed the 15-month accelerated nursing track, which requires students to have a bachelor's or master's degree in another field, in partnership with Northeast Georgia Health System. The university launched the second ABSNT cohort in January 2024 with about 60 students and is actively recruiting for its third cohort, which will launch in January 2025. The deadline to apply is Aug. 15.