West Georgia Nursing Class of 1976

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Hello friends, former colleagues, and other followers. I have been remiss in not getting some interaction on this group page. Since I live alone, I have no excuse during our raging pandemic. Nevertheless- here I am. Please let the group know what you’ve been doing to survive from working on the frontline, filling the “new time”, and any other things that might interest the rest of us (like my gargling routine as an extra precaution). Thanks
But I also have an ulterior motive today too: Tomorrow is “A Day for UWG” and I have a request if you haven’t given yet: Last year Bonnie Bar and I started an endowment to the UWG Nursing School called ‘Spirit of Caring’ dedicated to our class. We’ve not done much publicity because of ole CoVid— but you will hear more. You can have donations earmarked for specific things...make your usual but specify for ‘Spirit of Caring’ Endowment-Thanks🙏
AND I just learned one of our classmates was just hospitalized with CoVid and lung involvement-more after she releases me to identify her🙏🙏🙏

It's only two weeks away! If you haven't received this invitation from Alumni Affairs,please contact me for the address. It would be great to know if you are planning on coming. Remember it's a casual gathering so come whenever you can. Don't forget any pics or memorabilia you wish to share---and if you want to bring a favorite appetizer, snack, dessert, or drink, feel free.

There is a full schedule for the weekend of April 15-16, 2016 which will be sent by the Alumni Relations. Here the highlights for our class:

Friday night- a casual social gathering at my home near the university from 5 to ???? A light supper, snacks, beer, wine, and other beverages will be served. Come any time after five (unless the lights are out), don’t forget the pics (especially those grandbabies), and if you want to bring a favorite nibble, feel free!

The Annual Alumni Luncheon and Annual Meeting is Saturday at 11:30 and will have a Nursing interest group.

The Tanner School of Nursing Open House and reception is from 3:00-5:00 and will focus on First Graduates from all nursing degree programs. The Dean of the nursing school will give a brief talk at 3:30 p.m. We were the VERY first graduates-so don’t miss this!

Saturday will culminate with the Alumni Awards Gala, “An Evening with the Stars”. The reception starts at 6:00 p.m. with the presentations starting at 7:00. Heavy hors d’oeuvres, beer, wine, and other beverages will be served. The evening will be hosted by TV personalities Shaunya Chavis-Rucker (’88) and Darryl Forges (’14) with a performance by Sam Koon (’09).

Sometime Saturday we will have a guided tour of the Nursing School Facility which opened in 2013 and, as I have said before, is absolutely awesome! This building received the Innovation Award for Design and Technology from the University System of Georgia and has visitors from all over the world to especially see the clinical labs. PLEASE contact me asap if you wish to participate, so we have a head count to arrange time and meeting place!

01. Miriam Musick
02. Bonnie Bar
03. Deborah Muse Sanders
04. Jackie Esslinger
05. Terry Coursey Oakes
06. Janet Teague Daniels
07. Alice Hammock Wilson
08. Jan Robinson
09. Eddie Brannon
10. Ann Meeks
11. Jo Hancock
12. Sharon Hancock
13. Angie Strickland Price
14. Martha Huff Okerberg
15. Linda Liner Conner
16. Nancy Gardner Barrett
17. Bruno Marlier
18. Ginny Gott
19. Sherry Windom Wiggins
20. Belinda Stanford McEachern
21. Barbara Auble Poindexter
22. Bruce Chandler
23. Sharon Lewis Hancock
24. Annette Sasser
25. Jackie Hargrave Benefield
26. Sara Eason Walker

I am putting up a version of our pinning picture numbered by individuals. This will be your number for the reunion as we plan to recreate the picture in the same order! (and photoshop those in who are not able to attend). It will be followed by a key of names that are current to my knowledge. Contact me with any corrections by Messenger, email, or text.

It's now official--for an abbreviated schedule contact me by messenger

Every one who started the program- in our uniforms on a stairwell in Bio-Chem

Hello and welcome to this page dedicated to the first nursing class to graduate from the then new nursing department of West Georgia College in 1976!

Yes-we are approaching the fortieth anniversary of that event and the now Tanner Health System School of Nursing of West Georgia University is planning to honor our class at a special celebration April 16, 2016 during Spring Alumni Weekend. This will not only honor us but also showcase the awesome development of professional nursing in western Georgia.

If you didn’t know: the slogan of UWG is “Go West” ---and we did! That slogan came from an ancestor of mine, Horace Greeley, who said “Go West, Young Man” during his Presidential campaign to encourage pioneers to settle the new frontier --- and we did!

We were pioneers for nursing in the West Georgia area and really probably never thought of it that way. There were about thirty of us, three instructors and the first department head. Some of us were fresh out of high school, others already with degrees. Some of us were already practicing in healthcare, others were changing professions or returning to fulfill a lifelong dream of becoming a nurse. We came to settle wherever the college could find space on campus and to a variety of obstacles from clinical facilities to skepticism from other departments. Twenty-six of us completed the program and received our A.S.N. diploma and were pinned on June 5, 1976.

As I said, since then the changes in nursing have been awesome. If you have not visited the magnificent new facility for the School of Nursing, you will be amazed at everything from the simulation labs to the labyrinth for meditation. The growth in numbers, scope, and depth of education for nursing is profound but remains, just as it was for us, centered on the best personal care for our patients!

Looking forward to the next year, Barbara (Auble) Poindexter