02/16/2026
To the 2026 Adult Practical Nursing Students of BOCES — Congratulations.
In a healthcare climate defined by workforce shortages, rising patient acuity, regulatory complexity, and emotional fatigue, choosing nursing is not just a career decision — it is a commitment to humanity.
Right now, in 2026, the nursing profession stands at a pivotal crossroads. Across the country, from long-term care to acute care, community health to hospice, nurses are the clinical backbone of every system. The demand is higher. The expectations are greater. The need for resilience, mentorship, and ongoing professional development has never been more critical.
And that is why what you have accomplished matters.
Completing an Adult Practical Nursing program through BOCES is not easy. It requires sacrifice, discipline, grit, and heart. You have earned your place in one of the most trusted professions in the world.
I know this journey personally.
This is exactly where my nursing career began — in 2006, as a brand-new LPN graduating from a BOCES program. I still remember the nerves, the pride, the uncertainty, and the fire to make a difference. And now, 20 years later, I cannot believe how quickly time has passed. Two decades of bedside care, leadership, consulting, and advocacy — all rooted in that first step as an LPN.
Your license is not the finish line. It is the launch pad.
The difference between surviving nursing and thriving in nursing comes down to one thing: community. Nurses must be supported, guided, and continuously developed to deliver safe, equitable, high-quality care to people from all walks of life. When nurses are empowered, patients win.
That is exactly why I am hosting Nursing Shindig 2026 on April 18 in Utica.
Nursing Shindig is more than an event. It is a movement — a Nurse’s Night Out designed to pour back into the professionals who pour into everyone else. It is a space to network with nurses across specialties, hear real nursing stories, build professional connections, laugh, recharge, and remember why you started.
To the families and loved ones of these graduates:
The best graduation gift you can give your nurse is not just a stethoscope or scrubs — it is an investment in their professional community. Purchase them a ticket. Give them the opportunity to sit in a room surrounded by other nurses who understand the demands, the responsibility, and the calling of this profession.
Let them begin their nursing career not feeling alone — but connected.
To the Class of 2026:
You are entering nursing during a defining era. Healthcare needs leaders. It needs compassionate clinicians. It needs practical nurses who are confident, skilled, and supported.
Keep going.
Keep learning.
Keep showing up.
And never underestimate the power of being in rooms that expand you.
I look forward to celebrating you — not just as graduates, but as colleagues.
See you April 18 in Utica. Info on how to ouchase tickets in tge comments.
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