Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing graduates attend commencement at The Stern Auditorium at The Mount Sinai Hospital on December 19, 2024.
On December 19, 2024, the Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing celebrated the graduation of 103 students of Cohort 12, the class of students who began their studies in September 2023. The Stern Auditorium at The Mount Sinai Hospital was filled to capacity with proud families and friends of the graduates and school faculty.
Beth Oliver, DNP, RN, FAAN, Chief Nurse Executive, Senior Vice President, Cardiac Services, while in transit, offered her congratulations virtually. She stated that nursing is a profession not just known for clinical skill but significant for the compassion, resilience, and dedication to the well-being of others. And she emphasized the importance of direct patient care.
“The bedside, or chairside, is where the essence of nursing comes alive. You may step into roles as educators, researchers, administrators, or leaders in the field of nursing. You will become the mentors, advocates, and champions for the next generation of nurses. But regardless of where your path takes you, always remember the foundation of your practice: bedside is the best side. Every role you take on will ultimately come back to that fundamental connection with the people you serve.”
Brendan Carr, MD, MA, MS, with Kimberly Glassman, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAONL, FAAN (left) and Vivian Lien, DNP, RN, CNE, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Wellbeing and Clinical Associate Professor at the Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing
Brendan Carr, MD, MA, MS, Chief Executive Officer, Professor and Kenneth L. Davis, MD, Distinguished Chair, Mount Sinai Health System, spoke to the new graduates about their essential role in health care, how nurses make special connections not only to patients and patients’ families, but also to their colleagues.
“As a young physician, I learned that nurses are the engine of teamwork, especially with physician partners, because they understand the patient as a whole. You have a superpower.” He added that the graduates were very special to Mount Sinai and hoped they would continue as professional nurses in the Mount Sinai Health System.
Janet Green, Chair of the Board of the Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing, whose family was integral to the founding of the school, relayed congratulations, noting that nursing is a calling and “an integral part of patient health care.”
The Valedictorian, Jennifer Moffa, thanked her fellow classmates and faculty, giving them credit for her achievement. She added that it was “bittersweet” to complete her education at the Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing, but was thankful for “everlasting connections” and reminded her peers to “choose kindness.”
Before the recitation of the International Pledge for Nurses by the graduating class, and the flipping of their cap tassels from right to left, Kimberly Glassman, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAONL, FAAN, Dean, Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing, reiterated that there are diverse career paths open to the graduating class, saying, “the entire world is open to you.”