A community college in Colorado Springs recently graduated its first-ever class of nursing students with bachelor’s degrees.

Pikes Peak Community College’s RN-to-BSN program, established in 2019, produced its first 10 graduates in May, according to a recent news release. A combination of online coursework, in-person study, and clinical work, the program offers licensed registered nurses an affordable way to obtain a bachelor of science degree, the college said.   

The program was made possible by a 2018 law allowing community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees. Community colleges tend to offer more flexibility than four-year degree programs, which is helpful to students trying to obtain a degree while working full-time. Additionally, tuition is typically less costly than at a four-year institution, which helps reduce student loan debt. Colorado is one of 24 states that allow community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees.

Seven of the 10 recent nursing graduates had obtained their two-year associate’s degree from Pikes Peak Community College, officials said.

“I could not be more honored that so many of our nursing graduates came back to our program for their BSN degree,” said assistant professor of nursing Randee Nyman. “These students have worked so hard in this on-line program while juggling families, full-time nursing jobs, and the stresses of the pandemic.” 

Nursing graduate Mary Bocaranda, who came to America from Caracas, Venezuela, in 2000, said receiving her bachelor’s degree was the culmination of years of hard work. The exhausting late nights she spent doing homework after a full hospital shift — often completing assignments in her car — were worth it to receive her degree in her cap and gown, with her three children in the audience.

“It made me feel like I was being the best role model I could be, which has been my goal since I became a mom,” she said. “I had a family and a full-time job, and I still did it. I wanted my kids to see that.”

Priscilla Edmondson said her path to her bachelor’s degree was sometimes a rocky one as she navigated a delicate balance between a full-time job, a full college course load, and the added stress of the coronavirus pandemic.

“It wasn’t always easy,” said Edmondson, a travel nurse who worked with COVID-19 patients while in the program. “But I’m pretty good at prioritizing, so I managed somehow. With hard work and determination, anything is possible.”

Bocaranda, who now lives and works in Denver, said she enjoyed the flexibility the community college program offers.

“They really go out of their way to help nontraditional students,” said Bocaranda, who completed the college’s associate degree program about eight years ago.

Edmondson, who is between travel assignments, said she would recommend the Pikes Peak Community College program to anyone in the nursing field looking to further their education.

“I think they did an amazing job,” Edmondson said. “They really care about your well-being, and they want you to succeed. You don’t always get that feeling at a university.”

While Colorado has reached President Joe Biden’s stated goal of at least 70% of the population having at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, the pandemic is far from over. Nurses like Bocaranda and Edmondson are sure to have their work cut out for them as they fulfill the health care industry’s dire need for qualified workers. But Nyman said she believes the 2021 graduating class is more than equal to the task.

“They are dedicated nurses and will be amazing health care leaders in both our community and abroad,” she said.