The Henrietta Szold Hadassah-Hebrew University School of Nursing proudly reports that 73 of its 74 nursing graduates passed the national nursing licensing exam.

This number includes all the nursing students in the first graduating class of Achotenu, a specially tailored five-year program that enables young Ethiopian-Israelis to achieve their dream of becoming nurses. “Five years of hard work, commitment, perseverance, leadership, and great hopes have come to fulfillment,” notes Sarit Shimony Kanat, RN, PhD, director of the nursing school. In addition, every student in the first Pisga cohort, a program that prepares nursing students for key positions in the Israel Defense Forces’ medical corps, passed the exam.

“This is a remarkable outcome for our school’s 100th cohort,” Dr. Shimony Kanat says. “Having uniquely tailored programs designed to meet specific needs, as our school of nursing does, enables students from diverse backgrounds to access higher education. I thank all our amazing faculty and administrators for their efforts and belief in these programs. I also thank all the leaders and stakeholders who supported us along the way and made this achievement possible. It had to be all of us working together to achieve these successful results.”

She adds, ”Our Hadassah hospitals and our country now have 73 much-needed newly licensed nurses who can deliver excellent patient care to diverse populations.”