Nursing grads welcomed to the profession
High fives, a few tears, and lots of smiles were the order of the day last Friday during a special pinning ceremony for nursing graduates, where they were officially welcomed to the profession of Nursing by their professors and presented with a ceremonial pin.
A sort of right of passage for nurses, the pin is meant to remind graduates of the faculty who helped them on their educational journey.
Held immediately following the convocation ceremony for Faculty of Applied and Professional students, the nursing pinning ceremony was open to graduates from the Nipissing University and Canadore College Collaborative Nursing program, as well as Nipissing’s own Nursing degree programs. Roughly 98 newly minted nurses were pinned by their professors in front of more than 200 family and friends.
The event also included a ceremonial lighting of the lamp, symbolizing Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, known as “the Lady with the lamp” who made the rounds of wounded soldiers each night during the Crimean War. Nursing graduates also stood with their hands on their new pins to read a modernized version of the Nightingale Pledge:
I solemnly pledge in the presence of this assembly to use all the knowledge, skills, and understanding that I possess when providing professional nursing care. I will deliver nursing care non-judgmentally and to all those who require it, to the best of my ability. I vow to refrain from any action which might be harmful to the quality of life or health of those I care for. I will treat each patient with respect and hold in professional confidence all the personal information entrusted to me. I will keep my professional knowledge and skills at the highest level and give my support and cooperation to all members of the health care team. I will do all in my power to contribute to the advancement of nursing and I will maintain my practice in accordance with the professional standards required for my profession.
“The nursing pinning ceremony is a very exciting event for us as graduates,” said Carly Collins, a graduate who spoke on behalf of her peers. “It was a great opportunity to have a more intimate event with the people who we have been with for the past four years. Many of us were presented pins with a hug from some of our favourite professors. It was a great way to close our four-year experience in the nursing program at Nipissing.”