BETHESDA, Md.  –   Ready to take their skills to the field as team members of the frontline of military medical care to enhance force readiness, more than 30 Soldiers graduated from the U.S. Army Practical Nurse Course (PNC) in Class 26-009 at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Aug. 14.

The PNC develops Soldiers for the 68C military occupational specialty, condensing a traditional two-year college program into an intensive 52-week curriculum. It begins with phase one that includes didactic/classroom instruction at the U.S. Army Medical Center of Excellence (MEDCoE) at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas. There, students receive 11 weeks of training consisting of 10 examinations covering human anatomy and physiology as well as basic medical terminology and concepts.

After completing their initial training at MEDCoE, students move to phase two at the various military medical treatment facilities offering the advanced nursing curriculum such as Walter Reed.

In phase two the students received an 18 additional written examinations with 22 practical exercises and skills labs over the remaining 41 weeks of their training. This culminated in more than 890 didactic hours. The graduates further sharpened their skills with almost 990 hours of clinical nursing preceptorship and over 80 hours of transition-into-practice or on-the-job training (OJT).

Graduates from Walter Reed’s PNC phase two boast an average first-time pass rate of 97 percent on the National Council Licensure Examination for the Practical Nurse (NCLEX- PN). “This is consistently higher than the national average, and Class 26-009 maintained this standard,” according to U.S. Navy Lt. Allison Dilan, a course instructor and team member for the 68C phase two program at Walter Reed.

“The practical nurse has been the solution to nursing shortages in the past, and according to American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the practical nurse is poised to become the solution to nursing demands predicted for the future,” Dilan added.

U.S. Army Capt. Joshua Villanueva, PNC phase two director at Walter Reed and a critical care nurse, also saluted the graduates, sharing that they “fully immersed themselves in nearly 2,000 hours of rigorous didactic and clinical [instruction and OJT] preparing them to deliver exceptional nursing care, anytime, anywhere and under any condition.”

Guest speaker for the graduation, retired U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Jason Mortham, also praised the graduates.

Mortham, director of Health Services at Vincent de Paul CARES, leads efforts to make health services more accessible and effective for veterans across the state of Florida and Puerto Rico. He is also a graduate of PNC phase two at Walter Reed and later served as one of its instructors.

“This program didn’t just simply teach you how to become a nurse; it taught you how to become a Soldier who happens to be a nurse,” Mortham said to Class 26-009. “You learned that being a military healthcare professional means being prepared to perform when circumstances are difficult, uncertain, and sometimes, quite unfair.”

Mortham added that the graduates are now a part of Walter Reed’s distinguished legacy of “ready, trusted members of the U.S. military medical profession, caring for patients in combat zones and in hospitals such as Walter Reed.”

Mortham encouraged the graduates to continue their education beyond Walter Reed as they head to their various assignments. He said this education is not only found in books and classrooms, but on the wards and the battlefield where they will put their nursing skills to use.

“You’re joining a legacy that existed long before you, continues with you, and will exist long after you. That is the [military] medical profession. That legacy is now yours,” Mortham concluded.