Pitt-Greensburg’s School of Nursing program will celebrate its largest graduating class yet on May 2

As Southwestern Pennsylvania faces a significant nursing shortage, the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing at Pitt-Greensburg is poised to meet the challenge head-on.

This spring, Pitt-Greensburg is celebrating the graduation of 41 students with Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees. The milestone marks the program’s largest graduating class and the fifth group of graduates since its inception. In the past seven years, more than 100 nurses have graduated from Pitt-Greensburg with the prestigious BSN degree and are now contributing to the local health care workforce.

This year’s graduating nurses will participate in the campus’ second annual pinning ceremony at 5 p.m. May 2 and the commencement ceremony at 1 p.m. May 3. Both events will be held in Chambers Hall Gymnasium, 150 Finoli Drive, Greensburg, PA, 15601.

With a projected shortfall of nurses in Pennsylvania growing, the need for these well-trained, compassionate health care professionals is more urgent than ever. According to recent statistics, the state is expected to face a shortage of more than 20,000 nurses by 2026, driven by an aging population and increased health care demands. Currently, 143 students are enrolled in Pitt-Greensburg’s undergraduate BSN program, part of Pitt’s School of Nursing, which achieved a No. 4 national ranking from U.S. News & World Report.

“Graduates of the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing at Pitt-Greensburg move into jobs at our area hospitals, clinics and care facilities in overwhelming numbers,” said Pitt-Greensburg President Robert Gregerson. “Our BSN graduates have received a world-class education in the discipline and are ready on day one to provide excellent patient care. We created this outstanding nursing program here in Greensburg in response to one of our region’s most pressing needs, and we are proud to help meet the medical workforce needs of our neighboring communities.”

Pitt-Greensburg’s nursing program not only equips students with the skills needed for today’s health care environment but also instills a deep commitment to addressing regional health care challenges. The program’s emphasis on evidence-based practice, advocacy for patients and a dedication to excellence ensures graduates are prepared to make a meaningful impact in the community.

The pinning ceremony is a tradition that signifies the entry of new nurses into the profession.

“A pinning ceremony is a symbolic welcoming of newly graduated or soon-to-be graduated nurses into the nursing profession,” explained Amy Shearer, assistant professor and director of nursing at Pitt-Greensburg. “Many schools of nursing have done away with the pinning ceremony, but we believe it is an important tradition to uphold to welcome our new graduates into the profession of nursing. We encourage our graduates to wear their pin with pride, knowing it represents all they have accomplished and is a reminder of what it means to be a Pitt nurse.”

With family and friends in attendance, the ceremony will also feature the tradition of the Passing of the Light, which symbolizes the transfer of nursing values such as compassion, advocacy and a commitment to continuous learning from one generation of nurses to the next. The School of Nursing’s Passing of the Light began with the school’s first graduating class in 1943. Since then, the light of nursing has been passed to each class during their graduation ceremony.