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SUNY Niagara Nursing Licensures Exceed State and National Rates

By News Archive

January 26, 2023

SUNY Niagara Nursing programs announced today that their students’ National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) scores are well above the state and national averages. The 2022 Registered Nursing program NCLEX scores are 92.5% and the Licensed Practical Nursing program scores are 100% for the third year in a row.

SUNY Niagara President William J. Murabito said, “These exceptional rates reflect the dedication and diligence of both our nursing faculty and students. As one of the most rigorous nursing programs in Western New York, our graduates are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to effectively treat patients throughout the healthcare industry.”

Dr. Diane Pytlik-Flammia, assistant vice president of academic affairs for the SUNY Niagara Nursing, Physical & Allied Health programs, shares, “We are proud of our graduates and confident in their knowledge to care for our community. The faculty and I share in the students’ achievement of these high NCLEX scores as they have moved through the pandemic and unforeseen times in education with perseverance. Much credit should also go to our dedicated faculty who ensure students are given the highest quality content in theory, lab, and the clinical setting.”

The success rate was released on the heels of SUNY’s announcement that more than $1.4 million has been allocated to 11 campuses in an effort to expand nursing degree programs. SUNY Niagara was a proud recipient of the grant made possible by SUNY’s Nursing Emergency Training Fund.

SUNY Niagara is one of 30 community colleges in the State University of New York, the largest public university system in the country. The College provides more than 50 certificate and degree programs and is funded by the Niagara County Legislature, the State University of New York, and student tuition. 

SUNY Niagara Nursing programs announced today that their students’ National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) scores are well above the state and national averages. The 2022 Registered Nursing program NCLEX scores are 92.5% and the Licensed Practical Nursing program scores are 100% for the third year in a row.

SUNY Niagara President William J. Murabito said, “These exceptional rates reflect the dedication and diligence of both our nursing faculty and students. As one of the most rigorous nursing programs in Western New York, our graduates are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to effectively treat patients throughout the healthcare industry.”

Dr. Diane Pytlik-Flammia, assistant vice president of academic affairs for the SUNY Niagara Nursing, Physical & Allied Health programs, shares, “We are proud of our graduates and confident in their knowledge to care for our community. The faculty and I share in the students’ achievement of these high NCLEX scores as they have moved through the pandemic and unforeseen times in education with perseverance. Much credit should also go to our dedicated faculty who ensure students are given the highest quality content in theory, lab, and the clinical setting.”

The success rate was released on the heels of SUNY’s announcement that more than $1.4 million has been allocated to 11 campuses in an effort to expand nursing degree programs. SUNY Niagara was a proud recipient of the grant made possible by SUNY’s Nursing Emergency Training Fund.

SUNY Niagara is one of 30 community colleges in the State University of New York, the largest public university system in the country. The College provides more than 50 certificate and degree programs and is funded by the Niagara County Legislature, the State University of New York, and student tuition. 


Media Contact Information

Denyel Beiter
Public Relations Assistant
Phone: 716-614-5974
Email: Dbeiter@niagaracc.suny.edu

Gemma Fournier

SUNY Niagara Professor Named President of National Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting Board

By News Archive

November 3, 2022

Gemma Fournier

Gemma Fournier, SUNY Niagara Surgical Technology Coordinator and Professor.

Gemma Fournier, Surgical Technology Program Coordinator and Professor at SUNY Niagara, was recently named the President of the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA).

The NBSTSA is the certifying agency for surgical technologists in the United Stated. This organization is responsible for all decisions regarding certification– from determining eligibility to maintaining, denying, granting and renewing the designation. Ms. Fournier was first appointed to the NBSTSA in 2018.

Beginning her career as a Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) in 1989 at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, Ms. Fournier went on to begin her teaching career at SUNY Niagara in 1995. She has been a member of the Association of Surgical Technologists (AST) for the past 29 years and is a New York State Registered Nurse and a member of the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN). At the State level, she served on the Association of Surgical Technologists New York Assembly Board (NYAST) as President, Vice-President, Secretary, Director and delegate for 10 years.

Ms. Fournier earned her Associate in Applied Sciences/Surgical Technology degree from SUNY Niagara, Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Niagara University, and her Masters in Nursing from University of Phoenix. In May 2012, she received the Fellows of the Association of Surgical Technologists (FAST) Award, followed by the Association of Surgical Technologists Didactic Educators Award and State of New York (SUNY) Chancellors Excellence in Teaching Award in 2013.

SUNY Niagara’s Surgical Technology program is a two-year program which offers specialized Surgical Technology lectures, well-rounded general education courses, and hands-on experience at clinical sites such as the Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, Catholic Health System, Kaleida Health System, and ECMC. SUNY Niagara graduates are employed throughout Buffalo/Niagara area hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. The class of 2022 achieved 86% job placement upon completion of SUNY Niagara’s Surgical Technology AAS degree.

Gemma Fournier, Surgical Technology Program Coordinator and Professor at SUNY Niagara, was recently named the President of the National Board of Surgical Technology and Surgical Assisting (NBSTSA).

The NBSTSA is the certifying agency for surgical technologists in the United Stated. This organization is responsible for all decisions regarding certification– from determining eligibility to maintaining, denying, granting and renewing the designation. Ms. Fournier was first appointed to the NBSTSA in 2018.

Beginning her career as a Certified Surgical Technologist (CST) in 1989 at Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, Ms. Fournier went on to begin her teaching career at SUNY Niagara in 1995. She has been a member of the Association of Surgical Technologists (AST) for the past 29 years and is a New York State Registered Nurse and a member of the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN). At the State level, she served on the Association of Surgical Technologists New York Assembly Board (NYAST) as President, Vice-President, Secretary, Director and delegate for 10 years.

Ms. Fournier earned her Associate in Applied Sciences/Surgical Technology degree from SUNY Niagara, Bachelor’s degree in Nursing from Niagara University, and her Masters in Nursing from University of Phoenix. In May 2012, she received the Fellows of the Association of Surgical Technologists (FAST) Award, followed by the Association of Surgical Technologists Didactic Educators Award and State of New York (SUNY) Chancellors Excellence in Teaching Award in 2013.

SUNY Niagara’s Surgical Technology program is a two-year program which offers specialized Surgical Technology lectures, well-rounded general education courses, and hands-on experience at clinical sites such as the Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, Catholic Health System, Kaleida Health System, and ECMC. SUNY Niagara graduates are employed throughout Buffalo/Niagara area hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. The class of 2022 achieved 86% job placement upon completion of SUNY Niagara’s Surgical Technology AAS degree.

 

 

 

Gemma Fournier

Gemma Fournier, SUNY Niagara Surgical Technology Coordinator and Professor.


Media Contact Information

Barbara M. DeSimone
Asst. Vice President of Institutional Advancement
Phone: 716-614-5904
Email: DeSimone@niagaracc.suny.edu

SUNY Niagara Nursing Student

SUNY Niagara Nursing Students Excel in Licensing Exams

By News Archive

SUNY Niagara Nursing Students Excel
in Licensing Exams

January 25, 2021 

To become licensed as a Registered Nurse or Practical Nurse, students who graduate from a state-approved registered nursing (RN) or practical nursing (PN) program must pass the National Council License Examination (NCLEX).  Both of the SUNY Niagara RN and PN programs have routinely received rates above the state and national averages for success in passing these exams.  In 2020, SUNY Niagara nursing grads achieved a 94.05% pass rate for the NCLEX-RN and a 100% pass rate was achieved for the NCLEX-PN.  These exams are given via a computer and include various types of questions to test the knowledge of a graduate nurse to perform in the clinical setting caring for patients. A student becomes licensed as an RN or PN by passing this exam after graduation.

When asked about the success of SUNY Niagara nursing graduates, Diane Pytlik-Flammia, Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs for Nursing and Allied Health said, “The organization of our curriculum, dedication to student success, and preparation through our faculty teaching is what has provided this foundation for students to be successful on these licensure exams.” She also noted the 100% employment rates for graduates of SUNY Niagara’s nursing program.  “Many employers in the area reach out to us on a weekly basis wanting to recruit our students. We have a very good reputation in the area for producing well-prepared nurses.”

For more information on the SUNY Niagara nursing program, please visit:  https://www.niagaracc.suny.edu/nah/

SUNY Niagara nursing student

SUNY Niagara nursing students receive clinical experience to prepare them for a career after graduation.


Media Contact Information

Sara Harvey
Assistant Director of Public Relations and Event Management
Phone: 716-614-6220
Email: saharvey@niagaracc.suny.edu

Tami Scruggs Portrait with Rocks

SUNY Niagara’s Nursing Student “Rocks” Exams

By News Archive
EKG Rock

Tami’s painted rocks are left at the SUNY Niagara campus for nursing students to find.

October 22, 2020

During the summer months of 2020, nursing student, Tami Scruggs, received news that the classes she signed up for at SUNY Niagara were going remote because of the continued threat of COVID-19.  Tammy revealed, “I am a bit older than the traditional college student so, when the nursing program went online, I was not excited. It’s difficult for me to be behind a computer and not in a classroom. I have to be more creative in the way I learn and study.”

Coincidentally, at the beginning of the pandemic, Tami began a new painting journey to deal with the stresses of the world’s new normal.  “My daughter and I had found a painted rock while on a walk. We thought painting rocks would be a good hobby while everything was shut down. It was a way to relax, clear our minds, and cope with the changes that were happening so quickly around us,” Tami explains.

During the fall 2020 semester, Tami applied her new hobby to the way she studied for exams in the competitive nursing program. She began painting cardiac rhythms in order to remember them. “Painting on rocks helped me to not only memorize certain EKG strips, but it also helped me to relax. Usually, there is nothing relaxing about nursing school,” jokes Tami.

Tami Scruggs Placing Rock

Tami places a rock with a cardiac rhythm painted on it at the SUNY Niagara campus, hoping it will brighten a nursing student’s day.

Tami is now a part of the rock painting community, Sweet Buffalo Rocks, in Western New York. Tami joined the Facebook group and became a part of the trend spreading across the country of painting, hiding, and finding others’ rock creations. She is now an active contributor to an act that spreads joy, wonder, and a family-friendly treasure hunt at any given moment. She says “I like to leave my rocks near walking trails, bike paths, or public rock gardens for people to find. Sometimes a silly rock really brightens someone’s day.”

In addition to painting rocks to de-stress, study, and make people smile, Tami is also painting them to teach. During the summer of 2020, Tami’s husband, Jeff, was diagnosed with Lyme disease. To help prevent the illness in others, Tami took her message to the woods, leaving rocks with ticks painted on them, reminding hikers to do a tick check, and including a fact about Lyme disease.

While the world awaits a safe COVID-19 vaccine, Tami continues to find the silver linings while living and studying through the pandemic. “You really build some amazing friendships in the nursing program and we all miss each other.” However, “Online learning does allow for more flexibility in my schedule,” said Tami.

To stay connected and supported, the SUNY Niagara faculty have carved extra time into their schedules to connect with students in new and resourceful ways. Whether it is through one-on-one check-ins, lecturing outdoors while the weather cooperates, or moving classes to larger spaces like the campus’ banquet hall, faculty and staff are striving to meet students’ needs. Tami says she feels supported because “The nursing staff has open office hours via Zoom or we can send emails if we have any questions or concerns that need to be verified.”


Media Contact Information

Denyel Beiter
Event Coordinator
Phone: 716-614-5974
Email: dbeiter@niagaracc.suny.edu

Dr. Diane Pytlik-Flammia

SUNY Niagara’s Dr. Pytlik-Flammia Elected as Secretary for NYS Nursing Council

By News Archive

September 4, 2020

The Council of Associate Degree Nursing in New York State, Inc. (CADN) has announced that SUNY Niagara’s Chair of the Nursing and Allied Health Division, Dr. Diane Pytlik-Flammia, has been elected as their Corresponding Secretary.

The CADN is a voluntary, non-profit organization whose mission is to address issues of students, faculty, and administrators in Associate degree nursing programs throughout the State. Through their forum, the council seeks to resolve educational, professional, and political matters that are of key importance to the nursing profession and have a specific connection to undergraduate nursing programs.

SUNY Niagara has been a member of the CADN since its inception in the 1970s. Dr. Pytlik-Flammia has been a member for five years. She states, “Being a part of the CADN for New York State has been a great way for me to network with deans from other nursing programs as well as State Education Offices, and many other professional organizations.” She adds, “The CADN has provided guidance for students, courses, faculty, and administration at SUNY Niagara. We have also provided input on experiences of our nursing program to the Council.”

The CADN offers professional development activities for members and nursing faculty across New York State to ensure educators are up to date on the latest practices in the healthcare field. These trainings are passed down to students, cultivating knowledgeable, experienced graduates entering our hospitals and medical practices. These core principles of the CADN align with Dr. Pytlik-Flammia’s values as her “Favorite part about leading the Nursing and Allied Health division is playing a part in securing a quality education and excellent career opportunities for students in the healthcare field.”

Dr. Pytlik-Flammia has been employed with the College since 2007. In 2015, she became the Assistant Vice President of Nursing and Allied Health. This SUNY Niagara alumna recently earned a Doctor of Health Administration from the University of Phoenix.  She, along with the rest of the experienced faculty, continue to lead and support students who have an interest in joining the healthcare field. For more information about the Nursing and Allied Health program at SUNY Niagara, please visit www.niagaracc.suny.edu/nah or call 716-614-5940.


Media Contact Information

Sara Harvey
Assistant Director of Public Relations and Event Management
Phone: 716-614-6220
Email: saharvey@niagaracc.suny.edu