From left are program graduates Sophia Gorrell, Sarah Jackson, Melanie Maldonado, Britanny Newman, Danley Rodriguez, Luz Maria Rodriguez and Nakia Wiliams.
Vanderbilt Health, in conjunction with The Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) Nashville, celebrated the first medical assistant to licensed practical nurse (LPN) class at an inaugural capping ceremony held at TCAT Nashville Sept. 2.
The program is the first of its kind developed between TCAT Nashville and a local health care system. It is designed to remove common barriers for working medical assistants who want to advance into nursing but may not be able to step away from full-time employment to attend school.
Through a 16-month curriculum tailored to meet the needs of working learners, the pathway gives students a structured route to an accredited LPN degree while helping address the region’s continued need for nurses. Coursework includes classroom and laboratory instruction, as well as clinical immersion. The first cohort included seven students from various health institutions selected from more than 70 applicants.
Vanderbilt Health employees enrolled in the course receive full funding through the Colleen Conway-Welch Scholarship Fund and state grant funding.
The initiative was championed by Deonna Taylor, PhD, ACNP, RN, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer for Adult Ambulatory, and Pamela Sieffert, MEd, Program Director, Workforce Planning, Human Resources, Workforce Strategy, whose leadership and partnership were instrumental in developing and supporting the program.
Creating career advancement opportunities for individuals already working in the health care field is essential in developing the expertise and resources needed in nursing.
“The TCAT-Vanderbilt partnership creates a pathway for working medical assistants to build on the experience they already have and take the next step toward becoming licensed practical nurses,” said Marsha Sesay, MSN, RN, NE-BC, Administrative Director, Nursing Professional Practice and Clinical Education, Adult Ambulatory Nursing at Vanderbilt Health and adjunct instructor for the program.
“It is one way we can invest in people already caring for patients, while helping strengthen the future nursing workforce.”
The nursing capping ceremony celebrates the progress students have made in their education and marks the start of their clinical instruction.
Shannon Easton, BSN, RN, Director of Allied Health at TCAT Nashville reflected on the program’s development and the commitment of teachers and students to create an educational opportunity that meets the needs and flexibility of working students.
“You’ve taught us more about this program that no curriculum or spreadsheet ever could,” she said. “We will take what we’ve learned from your invaluable insight and improve. That is part of what it means to be first, you don’t simply go through a program, you helped build it.”
Sophia Gorrell, one of the seven students in the class, said being part of the first group will have a lasting impact for the students and the program.
“We all come from different walks of life, and we have shown up every day striving to educate and better ourselves and those arounds us. This opportunity is one that I know none of us will take for granted. Not only is this foundational to us and our careers, but it’s also foundational to this program and every single student that comes after us,” said Gorrell.
To close the ceremony, Sesay spoke about the historical tradition of the lighting of the lamps that symbolizes the start of the students’ nursing journey and provided encouragement as they continue their training.
“Remember that you are becoming a part of a legacy, carried by generations of nurses before you. May you continue to learn, lead with compassion, and wherever your nursing journey takes you, always remember the privilege of carrying light into the lives of those entrusted to you.”
The students who received their white cap are Gorrell, Sarah Jackson, Brittany Newman, Melanie Maldonado, Danley Rodriguez, Luz Maria Rodriguez and Nakia Wiliams. They’re expected to graduate from the program in August 2027.
