Watch CBS News

On A Positive Note: 73 Local Nurses Graduate During Zoom Commencement Ceremony

ALLEGHENY COUNTY (KDKA) -- Seventy-three nurses from the Citizens' School of Nursing are about to venture into the unknown.

And even though the coronavirus pandemic forced them to have virtual graduation, Lauren Westcoat says that has not dulled the class' excitement or enthusiasm.

"I'm very, very excited, regardless of the circumstances. I'm still graduating and I will still be here with my friends and family," Westcoat said.

Westcoat, of Apollo, was among the graduates who took part in the commencement ceremony via Zoom on Wednesday.

WATCH: Nurses Graduate During Zoom Commencement Ceremony

Sixty-two women and 11 men graduated.

When they entered the two-year nursing program, the coronavirus was unheard of.

Katie Moretti, a graduate from New Kensington, told KDKA's Brenda Water that she's just ready to "get out there into the fight."

"If anything, it fortified the feeling that we all need to be out there helping," Moretti said. "We got into this profession knowing the dangers of certain diseases that we could contract while working."

During training, nursing students were not permitted to come in contact with coronavirus patients.

Moretti says that's all about to change.

"My main concern is the patient, as it always has been," Moretti said. "But it is unsettling that the virus is going on and we are just getting out into the field. But it really hasn't changed the way I feel about nursing. It's all about the patients. I'm just going to keep taking care of them with the proper precautions, washing hands and wearing a mask."

nursingceremony
(Photo Credit: Zoom)

Congratulations to all the graduates!

NOTE: KDKA is reviving our segment with Brenda Waters called "On A Positive Note."

We want to hear your positive stories. Click here to share.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.