Media Release
Bengaluru, Apr 25: The 41st annual convocation and college day of St. John’s College of Nursing, Bengaluru was held at 2.30 pm on April 25.
Dr Punitha Ezhilarasu, senior consultant, Indian Nursing Council & former dean, College of Nursing, CMC, Vellore was the chief guest. Dr Joshua Mar Ignathios, Bishop of Mavelikara, and board member, St John’s National Academy of Health Sciences, Bengaluru, presided over the function. A total of 222 graduates were awarded their degrees. This included 52 GNM, 95 BSc., 53 PBBSc, 21 MSc and 2 NPCC students.
St. John’s College of Nursing strives to make the mission and objectives, a reality in the life of students from its establishment in 1980. The college offers 5 courses with an annual intake of students, 100 each in GNM and B.Sc. 60 in PBBSc, 33 in M.Sc. 5 in nurse practitioner course in critical care, and 2 Ph.D. in medical surgical nursing.
The year 2023 marked the dawn of Male candidates in the college of nursing for the first time. This year 24 BSc and 30 PBBSc students got top 10 University ranks with 14 of them getting the top 5 ranks from RGUHS University. Sr. Michael Amalorpava Mary, doing her M.Sc Nursing, was awarded “best researcher by the international congress for research.“
There are 3 unique programmes that the college boasts of: the pre-clinical sensitization programme for all new entrants, a transition workshop for outgoing students to help them transit from students to working staff nurses, and a special soft skills and personality development workshop which helps them provide humane nursing care.
The nursing college was set up with a mission to train nurses to serve and provide quality nursing care especially to the underserved areas of India. The college is supported by a state-of-the-art 1350 bedded hospital and over 100 critical care beds, which is NABL & NABH accredited. with an average of 2500 daily outpatients and 150 daily inpatient admissions, and over 600 doctors and 1000 nurses. Currently, the college has churned out 1766 - GNM , 1644– B.Sc., 797– PCBSc, 392– M.Sc. and 7 nurse practitioners. A total of 4606 graduates serves across the globe.
Rev Fr Jesudoss Rajamanickam, director of St John’s National Academy of Health Sciences welcomed the dignitaries and the gathering. He congratulated the graduates and postgraduates on this significant achievement.
He stressed that they should spend their lifetime serving with integrity, compassion and excellence. He reminded them to always keep in mind the oath that they took when they joined the institution to serve the underprivileged and underserved.
The principal of St John’s College of Nursing, Sr. Sajitha Moothedan highlighted the various accomplishments of the students, faculty, and staff of the institution and the various advanced teaching and research initiatives that have been implemented at the institution.
Her message to the graduates was of congratulations to them and their parents to celebrate, rejoice and thank God. "Most fortunate to graduate from the best institution in the country. Sent to serve after imbibing the values of integrity, compassion, and excellence during your training," she said.
Empowered by today’s message she reminded them of the key message at the prayer service: “To lay your hands on the sick and they shall recover.”
The representative of the Students Nurses Association elaborated on the various extracurricular activities conducted by the College of Nursing.
The graduates and postgraduates were presented with their certificates and various awards won for various curricular and extracurricular activities. They were then administered the oath by Ms. Sara Oomen, Chief of Nursing Services.
The chief guest Dr Punitha in her address to the graduates and awardees saluted the services of those from St John’s who have rendered selfless work. She brought their attention to the fact that several new programs are beginning in the bidding program. Soon there will be a doctorate in nursing.
The integrated nursing curriculum program implemented in St. John's and CMC Vellore, is a huge plus point, the results off which has shown that there is high efficiency in nursing quality. New areas are coming up in the new bill that will enable legal empowerment for healthcare. It is important that we all have self-accountability for what we are doing in our profession. Remember we are dealing with human beings; it is very important to uphold the values you have learnt.
She asked them to lift their hands and recall the times they have served with those hands. She then invited them to touch their ears, and encouraged them to listen to the patients, relatives, and others.
Nonverbal communication can communicate a lot more than only words. Use technology wisely. These were some of the messages she delivered. "Even if you are not academically excellent, it is the small things you do that matter. It is only one rule: Be the best, whatever you are and wherever you are."
Special prizes and awards were given out to various students. Some of the students won sports prizes at the national level in athletics and discuss.
Dr Joshua Mar Ignathios, in his presidential address emphasised the need for the graduates to stay humble, understanding and mature in their work. He appreciated the effort put in by the staff and faculty of the nursing college right from the beginning to now. He reminded the students that they were going out to continue the human ministry by serving the midst deserving purple.
He said nursing, besides being a noble profession, also asks nurses to be morally upright, socially ready, caring for those in need, and providing emotional support to patients and their loved ones.
The programme ended with a vote of thanks.