VSU College of Nursing to Honor Supporters at Reception

VALDOSTA -- As it continues to celebrate its 44th year of excellence, Valdosta State University’s College of Nursing will host a reception honoring its valued partners from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 8, in the West Hall Rotunda. Light hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be served.

Dr. J. Myron Faircloth, VSU nursing instructor, said the reception is held each year to pay tribute to area hospitals, preceptors, and any others who play a role in helping the College of Nursing realize its mission. He noted that he and the college’s other faculty members would not be able to successfully do their jobs without the support and leadership of their community partners.

During the reception, Dr. Mary Margaret Richardson, VSU professor emerita who has served the nursing profession in different roles for nearly four decades, will be recognized for her contributions to both VSU’s College of Nursing and health care in South Georgia. She worked her way up the ranks at VSU, from student to head of the College of Nursing. She holds a Master of Science in Nursing and a Doctorate of Education in Adult Education, and even though she is retired, she continues to serve students and the community as a whole as a member of the Hospital Authority of Valdosta and Lowndes County, VSU College of Nursing Advisory Board, and related organizations.

VSU was authorized by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia to offer a nursing program in 1967, effective fall quarter of 1968. Development of the program was facilitated by a request from the leaders of Pineview General Hospital, which later became South Georgia Medical Center, for help preparing registered nurses for the region.

The College of Nursing offers five different academic programs, including bachelor and master’s degrees in nursing and an associate of applied science degree in dental hygiene. The Master of Science in Nursing degree prepares students for advanced nursing practice and to be leaders in the nursing profession. The college currently offers an Adult Nurse Practitioner Program and is developing a Clinical Nurse Leader Program.

VSU’s College of Nursing is located in S. Walter Martin Hall, 1300 N. Patterson St. For more information, please call (229) 333-5959, email nursing@valdosta.edu or visit www.valdosta.edu/nursing.

For more information about the reception, please contact Sandie Delk, assistant nursing professor, at sjdelk@valdosta.edu or (229) 333-5960 or Dr. J. Myron Faircloth, nursing instructor, at jfaircloth@valdosta.edu or (229) 333