The Lagos State College of Nursing (LASCON) in Igando, recently held its first ever inaugural matriculation ceremony to mark its transition to a full-fledged tertiary institution.
The College organised a matriculation ceremony for 80 Nursing students who had successfully passed JAMB, Post-UTME screening, and an oral interview, which was the first set of students to be accepted into the college for the 2022/2023 academic session.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Barr. Tokunbo Wahab, while congratulating the 80 students who had successfully passed their examinations, said the college had obtained a five-year accreditation from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN) and National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) that enabled them to offer Ordinary National Diploma (OND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes, as well as the required basic Midwifery courses.
He urged the students to embrace the State Government's large investment in health and education for sustainable training as a challenge to ensure quality service in the healthcare system. He reminded them that Nursing is an intense and demanding profession that requires utmost focus and attention when studying. Thus, he implored them to stay away from any form of distraction that could negatively affect their academic performance.
Addressing the students, Mrs Oyefunso Orenuga, the provost of the college, hinted on the 4-year- programme which includes a one year internship, stating that upon completion of the programme, the students will obtain their National and Higher National Diploma Certificates as well as professional certificates in Nursing, Midwifery, and Public Health Nursing.
She urged the students to strive for excellence, as Nursing is not only a respectable profession but also a very structured one, with LASCON's core values of Integrity, Peace, and Advancement.
In her words. “The College is focused on the pursuit of academic excellence in teaching, research and service delivery, charging the matriculating students to prepare for the great task ahead.
Orenuga informed that the present administration has significantly invested in human capital development for both staff and students as well as in facilities that aid teaching and learning experience such as the donation of BRT Bus for ease of transportation to clinical areas, the construction of additional hostel and water treatment plant in the College.
She implored parents to continue to support their wards by showing financial commitment to their welfare because without adequate finances the students might not achieve much academically
The Guest Speaker and Clinical Physiologist at the Psychiatric Hospital, Yaba, Dr Oluwakemi Akintoyese, delivering a paper on “Emotional Intelligence and Academic Resilience”, emphasised that everyone needs emotional intelligence, as such students should be able to understand their strengths and ability by engaging in self-awareness, regulation and motivation through pushing hard to acquire good grades to be on a smooth ride to success.
