Join us Friday, Aug. 6, at 2 p.m. for the Pinning Ceremony event which will be livestreamed via the University’s YouTube page at https://youtu.be/DqBQu03pefA
The pinning ceremony is a unique and special ceremony for the nursing community. The ceremony is distinctive for the nursing community and is unlike any graduation ceremony. It is the first time a nursing graduate enters the nursing community with its rich and proud history. Not only does it mark the completion of student coursework, but this ceremony honors nursing graduates who will work in a career where they will have to be selfless for the good of many others.
While graduation highlights the completion of academic study, the pinning ceremony marks the important transition from student to nurse. Many nurses regard the ceremony higher than they hold their school commencement. It is because the pinning ceremony isn’t just a nursing tradition, it is a symbol of the nursing students’ hard work and dedication towards their coursework and clinicals. The ceremony is offered to nursing students who have completed their diploma in practical nursing to become a licensed practical nurse (LPN), or their associate degree in nursing (ASN) or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) to become a registered nurse (RN).
The pinning ceremony has roots from the 12th century when knights who aided the sick and infirm were given a Maltese cross to wear. Today’s pinning ceremony is closely tied to an award given to legendary nurse Florence Nightingale. Known as the mother of modern nursing, she was awarded the Red Cross of St. George in the 1860s for her tireless work during the Crimean War. To share this honor, Nightingale presented a medal of excellence to her brightest graduates. The Nightingale School of Nursing at St. Thomas Hospital in London designed and awarded a badge with a Maltese Cross to all nurses as they completed their program. By 1916, the practice of the pinning ceremony had become standard throughout the United States and England. The badge symbolized educated women who were competent to serve as a nurse to provide healthcare to society. Each school of nursing designed and awarded its own customized pin. The Auburn School of Nursing has its own.
Join us Friday, Aug. 6, to celebrate the accomplishment of our graduates and their hard work to achieve their dream of becoming nurses. Congratulations to our graduates for a job well done!
