Photo Caption (Left to right): Williamson Medical Center Clinical Instructor Belinda Mead, R.N.; nursing student Brianna Sterling of Nashville; Columbia State Community College Assistant Professor of Nursing Laura Oettel, R.N.; nursing student Christina Brown of Nashville; nursing student Gladys Kirkpatrick of Franklin; and WMC Associate Chief Nursing Officer Ashley Perkins.

WMC's Administrative Team and Education and Development Team formally recognized each student's efforts with a "Caught in the Act of Caring" honor-a first for a nursing student. "Caught in the Act of Caring" is an internal honor given to employees by their peers for exhibiting WMC's Standards of Performance, such as commitment to co-workers, patient relations and service, safety and environment, and attitude.

"Our nursing students do such wonderful things for our staff and patients," said Ashley Perkins, R.N., associate chief nursing officer. "They deserve recognition for their exceptional patient care and customer service."

The school's nursing director, Barbara Blum, R.N., said she was pleased to hear about the students performing at an exceptional level.

"We have high expectations for our students regarding safe, effective patient care," Blum said. "Many of WMC's staff members work closely with our students and instructors in modeling nursing excellence, so for them to recognize our students' performances is extremely rewarding and encourages them to consistently give the highest quality of care possible."

The Columbia State nursing program is committed to excellence in nursing education. The 2012 NCLEX first-attempt pass rate is 95.28%, which exceeded the national average of 89.32%. In addition, the four-year average graduate job placement rate is 95.2%. For more information about Columbia State's nursing program, contact Blum at (931) 540-2609, by emailing bblum@ColumbiaState.edu or online at www.ColumbiaState.edu/Nursing.

Columbia State is a two-year college, serving a nine-county area in southern Middle Tennessee with locations in Columbia, Franklin, Lawrenceburg, Lewisburg and Clifton. As Tennessee's first community college, Columbia State is committed to increasing access and enhancing diversity at all five campuses. Columbia State is a member of the Tennessee Board of Regents, the sixth largest higher education system in the nation. For more information, please visit http://www.columbiastate.edu.