Abolishing the Pinning Ceremony - Page 13

Register Today!
  1. May 6, '12 by
    I will graduate this December, and am glad our school still has pinning for each class. If I wanted to walk the stage for my diploma, I'd have to wait until next May. I seriously doubt many in my class would be there for that. Walking for my diploma has no real meaning for me... getting my pin does. I actually wish that we still had caps for the ceremonies, but get why that isn't really practical anymore.
    EmTheNewRN likes this.
  2. May 7, '12 by
    Quote from OCNRN63
    I'd rather not, because I would get clobbered by certain posters here. I'll just say that it was very religious, and I didn't feel I cold attend. I do think it was somewhat ironic that they threatened to withhold my pin for not attending a ceremony that focused on religion.

    WWJD?
    Obviously am not the OP so cannot speak to her school's practices at their capping/pinning but do know many schools especially those either run by religous groups or affliated with them had ceremonies that were almost as if one was entering a convent.

    Compare some of the images seen here:

    Flickr: The Nursing History Pool

    and here:

    Catholic Nuns, Brothers - a set on Flickr

    With what goes on here (4:40 to end):

    The Nun's Story (1959) Part 3/14 Audrey Hepburn - YouTube

    Now of course no one was going to chop off your hair or change your name, but there was enough emphasis on God, purity, religon, virginal, vows and so forth.

    Many ceremonies took place in churches and even when they did not the table on which the caps and or pins were laid was covered in a fresh, clean, bright white and perfectly folded white cloth. Almost like an altar. Nurses often knelt on a prie dieu to receive their caps, and so it goes.
  3. May 7, '12 by
    Quote from theantichick
    I will graduate this December, and am glad our school still has pinning for each class. If I wanted to walk the stage for my diploma, I'd have to wait until next May. I seriously doubt many in my class would be there for that. Walking for my diploma has no real meaning for me... getting my pin does. I actually wish that we still had caps for the ceremonies, but get why that isn't really practical anymore.
    That was the other problem.

    Many colleges or universities with nursing programs found that many graduates of the nursing program thought more of the capping/pinning ceremony (if it was held apart) than attending the main event as it were. Often few if any bothered showing up to "walk" as it were. This furthered the attitude of some in administration that nursing grads thought they were *special* and apart from the rest of the student body.
  4. May 7, '12 by
    Quote from dogoodthengo
    that was the other problem.

    many colleges or universities with nursing programs found that many graduates of the nursing program thought more of the capping/pinning ceremony (if it was held apart) than attending the main event as it were. often few if any bothered showing up to "walk" as it were. this furthered the attitude of some in administration that nursing grads thought they were *special* and apart from the rest of the student body.
    no different from medical students having their "white coat" ceremony. if that university has a medical school, i'll bet they wouldn't dream of abolishing that.

    if the nursing student body wants a capping/pinning ceremony, let them have it. i still remember my capping ceremony fondly.
    nhnursie, jelly221,RN, and Merlyn like this.
  5. May 7, '12 by
    For what it's worth, my white coat ceremony was completely stupid.
  6. May 12, '12 by
    Quote from DoGoodThenGo
    That was the other problem.

    Many colleges or universities with nursing programs found that many graduates of the nursing program thought more of the capping/pinning ceremony (if it was held apart) than attending the main event as it were. Often few if any bothered showing up to "walk" as it were. This furthered the attitude of some in administration that nursing grads thought they were *special* and apart from the rest of the student body.
    I felt like walking at commencement (which I did for family) was impersonal and a little ridiculous, since I only had the option of attending commencement in May when I still had summer classes to attend. No one skipped commencement due to pinning - many people did both, many did neither. But they are different ceremonies that celebrate different things. I felt like my pinning ceremony was more intimate and honored my entrance into nursing, not my exodus from college.
    nhnursie likes this.
  7. May 22, '12 by
    Quote from Spidey's mom
    I was the student rep my last semester in an ADN program at a CC and we were told by the Dean that pinning ceremonies were "old school" and not professional, it wouldn't look good on our resume, local hospitals would look down on us, etc. This was 15 years ago.
    Who puts a pinning ceremony on their resume? I don't even know what that would look like.

    My school had a Pinning ceremony & graduation for the whole school (CC in southern Cal). None of my classmates went to the graduation. The pinning was very memorable & meaningful for all of us.

    I'm sure an argument could be made against pinning ceremonies, but it seems like one of the nice, sentimental "sacred cows". Just my
    nhnursie, StephMom&RN, and Merlyn like this.
  8. May 23, '12 by
    Quote from jelly221,RN
    Who puts a pinning ceremony on their resume? I don't even know what that would look like.

    My school had a Pinning ceremony & graduation for the whole school (CC in southern Cal). None of my classmates went to the graduation. The pinning was very memorable & meaningful for all of us.

    I'm sure an argument could be made against pinning ceremonies, but it seems like one of the nice, sentimental "sacred cows". Just my
    I can tell you what it would look like: ridiculous.

    Our pinning ceremony was also special and I don't think any of us would have missed it.
    nhnursie and StephMom&RN like this.
  9. May 23, '12 by
    My school actually had 2 pinning ceremonies. The first was halfway through the program where we were capped & then pinned by someone of our choosing. The second was a small ceremony the day before our graduation that was just for the graduates & faculty. We were pinned & also given our honor medallions if we had received them. I am glad our college had both ceremonies. Noone skipped out on the actual graduation ceremony b/c of the pinning ceremony.
  10. May 23, '12 by
    I graduated in February from an ADN program.. our school provided us a pinning ceremony... granted I was a part of a very small cohort but I saw the ceremony as our official Welcome to Nursing.. it was short and sweet, we said the "Nurses Pledge" with the other RNs in the room that night.. our pins are beautiful and I will forever keep mine!! Our program finished months ahead of the the other colleges at the University so the ceremony was our "graduation"... None of us cared to participate in the University ceremony in June... We worked our butts off and survived that program, the pinning ceremony was our official end to the madness of nursing school and beginning of our careers...

    but to each their own... I'm glad we had our pinning!!!