Nursing Students Begin Professional Phase at White Coat Ceremony
Sophomore nursing majors will begin the professional phase of their career at the third annual School of Nursing White Coat Ceremony.
Nearly 150 students will participate in the ceremony, which is slated for Wednesday, Aug. 24, at 6 p.m. in the A.J. Union Ballroom.
In addition to donning their white coats that they’ll wear during their clinical experiences, the students will take a professional oath and be presented with a copy of the Nightingale Pledge, named in honor of Florence Nightingale, who is considered to be the founder of modern nursing. They also will receive a pin from The Arnold P. Gold Foundation, which collaborated with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing to fund and establish White Coat Ceremonies at nursing schools in the United States.
Former nursing faculty member and assistant dean for student services Leah Cunningham, who retired in 2014, will deliver the keynote address at the ceremony. During her 27 years with the school, Cunningham helped to create rigorous and transformational undergraduate and graduate student experiences.
She also guided nursing students on annual trips to Nicaragua to help them gain field experiences that enrich their educational experience and help them become better nurses. In 2013, Cunningham received a Cameos of Caring Award in recognition of her extensive clinical knowledge and work as an accomplished educator.